In the ancient times, the wise sages laid down codes to guide society in justice and order. They spoke of the duties and penalties that governed every aspect of life, from commerce and travel to personal conduct and disputes. It was said that when goods were entrusted to a carrier, if they were lost not by the king’s command or by divine calamity, the carrier himself was to pay for the loss. Should he delay the departure of the journey, he was bound to pay double the agreed wages. When the journey ended, a seventh part of the wages was owed; if the carrier abandoned the goods along the way, a fourth was due, and if he deserted them halfway, half the wages must be paid, even by the one who abandoned. In the realm of gambling, strict rules prevailed. The supervisor overseeing the games was entitled to five out of every hundred from the winner’s gain. But if the winner was a cheat or a notorious gambler, the supervisor could claim ten out of every hundred. Those who played under the king’s protection were expected to give the king his rightful share as agreed. The winner had to declare his gain honestly, and the truthful, patient man was urged to speak with integrity. If the king’s share was collected in a recognized gambling circle, the winner was to pay it there, in the presence of the supervisor. If the gambling took place elsewhere, the winner was not obliged to pay. Witnesses to such transactions were considered valid witnesses in the eyes of the law. Should anyone be found cheating—using false dice, deception, or false oaths—the king was to expel them, marking them out for their dishonesty. To prevent theft and deceit, gambling was to be conducted openly. This rule extended to gambling with animals and to contests as well. The sage Agni further declared: if anyone insulted a person afflicted with defective limbs or senses, whether the insult was true or false and even if done through hymns, he would be fined twelve and a half paṇas. If a man swore an oath such as, “I will approach your sister or mother,” the king was to fine him twenty-five coins. For those of lower caste, the fine was half; for those of higher caste, it was double; and for the highest, it was twice as much again, with penalties set according to caste and rank. For transgressions against the natural order, the fines were double or triple, but for actions in accordance with the order of castes, the fine was reduced by half. If a person destroyed another’s arm, neck, eye, or thigh, the penalty matched that for verbal abuse; for injuries to the hand, foot, nose, ear, and similar parts, the fine was half as much. If an offense caused loss of caste, the penalty was the middle degree of fine; for a minor offense, the first degree fine was imposed. To insult a learned Brahmin, the king, or a deity was to incur the highest fine; for relatives and guilds, the middle fine; for villagers and country folk, the lowest. When no witnesses were present, judgment was to be made by examining marks, reasoning, and tradition, but if false marks were suspected, the trial had to be conducted with utmost caution. Touching ashes, mud, or dust brought a fine of ten paṇas, while touching impure substances, the heel, or spittle incurred a double fine. The same applied to touching other men’s wives; for women of higher status, the fine was doubled, for those of lower status, halved. However, if the act was done out of confusion, pride, or similar reasons, there was no punishment. If a Brahmin’s limb was cut, the highest fine was imposed; if merely bruised, the fine was half. For bruising the hand or foot, the fines were ten and twenty paṇas, respectively. In cases of mutual injury, the middle fine applied to all involved. Pulling out another’s hair, cloth, or hand brought a fine of ten paṇas; causing pain by dragging, binding with cloth, or stepping on the foot was fined at one hundred. If pain was caused by wood or similar objects without drawing blood, the fine was thirty-two paṇas; if blood was drawn, the fine was doubled. Breaking or cutting the hand, foot, ear, or nose, or causing a wound resembling death, called for the middle fine. The same applied to obstructing movement, food, or fire, or injuring the eye and similar vital organs, or breaking the neck, arm, or thigh. If one person injured many, the fines were doubled. Any property taken during a quarrel had to be returned, and the fine too was doubled. Whoever caused pain was responsible for the expenses arising from the injury, and the one found guilty in the quarrel had to pay the fine. Anyone who unlawfully collected land tax was fined ten paṇas, and the same applied to Brahmins and neighbors if done without proper invitation. For assault, breaking, cutting, or demolishing a wall, the fine was twenty-five paṇas, and this same penalty applied for repeated offenses. Throwing harmful or deadly substances into another’s house brought a fine starting at sixteen paṇas, increasing gradually from two paṇas upward. For causing pain, drawing blood, or cutting off limbs or branches of minor animals, the penalty began with the animal’s market value. For cutting off the genitals or causing death, the middle fine or the animal’s value applied; for major animals, these penalties were doubled. Whoever committed assault was to pay double the penalty; but if they did so after declaring, “I will pay,” they were required to pay four times the penalty. One who exceeded in abusing a noble, struck a brother’s wife, withheld what was ordered to be given, or broke into a house by the sea, was subject to punishment. Harming local chiefs, artisans, and the like incurred a fixed penalty of fifty paṇas. A man who approached a widow at her own will, or who did not come when loudly called, was fined fifty paṇas. A Śūdra who ate the food of ascetics, or at sacrifices to gods or ancestors, or who swore a false oath, or performed an act unfit for him, was also subject to penalty. The same applied to those who rendered bulls or minor animals impotent, denied common property, or destroyed a maidservant’s pregnancy. If a father, son, sister, brother, husband and wife, teacher and student abandoned each other without cause, the fine was one hundred paṇas. One who wore another’s garment was fined three paṇas; if he failed to return borrowed clothing, or in cases of sale, purchase, deposit, or loan, the fine was ten paṇas. Whoever tampered with weights, measures, or coins, or conducted business with such, was to pay the highest penalty. If one claimed genuine as counterfeit or counterfeit as genuine, or tested coins falsely, the first-level fine for assault was to be imposed. Thus, through these wise and detailed laws, the sages ensured that justice, order, and fairness would prevail in society, guiding all to live in harmony and righteousness.