Chapter 54

The Deposit

An article deposited by one who has gone on a journey of three kinds, a pledge, an item delivered to another for a purpose, a borrowed item, and an item entrusted for commercial purposes—that property is remembered as a deposit. // K_592 //

Whatever is deposited with someone, he should protect it with effort. Any loss of it, other than that caused by an act of god or the king, is attributed to him. // K_593 //

Whatever is lost or taken away through his fault, that article, along with its accrued value, must be paid by him, except for loss caused by an act of god or the king. // K_594 //

If a borrowed item is lost immediately after being requested back, even by an act of god or the king, the taker must be made to repay; he must pay the mere value, there is no doubt. // K_595 //

Another's property, such as a deposit, which is consumed, neglected, or destroyed through ignorance by someone—that person must be made to pay for it. // K_596 //

What is consumed must be repaid with its accrued value; what is neglected must be repaid in equal measure; for an article destroyed through ignorance, he shall be made to pay slightly less. // K_597 //

Where a deposit is lost, even not by an act of god or the king, along with the bailee's own goods, it is said to be lost to the depositor. // K_598 //

Where a depositor, knowing of the risk of loss to the property, still deposits it, the bailee shall not be made to pay, even if it is lost by any means whatsoever. // K_599 //

What is lost through the fault of the taker is the taker's loss. If it is lost or stolen, the taker shall recover its value. // K_600 //

A deposit should be taken back at the proper time; one should avoid taking it back at an improper time. One who gives it back at an improper time shall be fined and made to pay double. // K_601 //

All these rules are declared for all kinds of deposits. // K_602 //

If an artisan keeps an article deposited for processing beyond the specified number of days, he shall be made to pay for it even if it is destroyed by an act of god. // K_603 //

If the loss is due to a defect in the deposit itself, one should not make the artisan pay for it. One should make him pay if it is due to the artisan's fault, for what was entrusted for processing. // K_604 //

If even a small amount of work is done and the object is lost, it is the loss of the wage-earner. If he is ready to give it but the owner does not take it, and it is then lost, it is the owner's loss. // K_605 //

If it was requested for a specific task or for a fixed period, and the task is half-done but the time has not arrived, he is not to be made to pay. // K_606 //

When the time has arrived and the work is done, if he does not give it back even when asked, and it is then lost, the taker shall recover its value. // K_607 //

If, being asked, he does not give it, he shall be made to pay it with its accrued value. // K_608 //

Then the loss of the work shall be that of the owner himself. If the time has not arrived, he shall be made to pay for it even if it is half-done. // K_609 //

He who, having taken a borrowed item, does not return it when asked back, shall be forcibly compelled to pay and shall be punished if he does not give it. // K_610 //

That which is given with the instruction, "You should give this to another on my word for a certain purpose," is called an anvādhi here. // K_611 //