History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.332

v4.c62.332

¹⁸⁶ Sītā, according to the Amarakośa, means the 'lines or furrow made by the ploughshare'. Therefore Kauṭilya appears to employ the word 'sītā' in the sense of 'land that has been cultivated'. Prof V. K. Ramchandra Dikshitar (in 'Hindu Administrative Institutions' p. 369) is not right when he explains सीता लाङ्गलपद्धतिः (of Amara) as 'methods and means connected with the plough'. Paddhati only means the line or furrow made in the field by the ploughshare. Kṣīraswāmī explains as स्यति भुवं सीता हललेखा. In II. 15 Kauṭilya himself explains 'sītā' as the collection of grain brought in by the superintendent of agriculture 'सीताध्यक्षोपनीतः सस्यवर्णकः सीता'. The sītādhyakṣa appears to have been concerned with crown lands, while the share of crops leviable on lands of private ownership was called 'bali'. Both these were the concern of the samāhartṛ as stated in V. 1. (where rāṣṭra is said to include sītā, bhāga, bali, kara &c.). When in II. 15 sītā and rāṣṭra are separately mentioned that is on the analogy of the maxim of *brāhmaṇa-aśramaṇa* or of *gobalīvarda*.