Shloka 14
Aṣṭāvakra and the Woman: Disclosure, Permission, and Marital Resolution (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय २२)
अष्टावक्र उवाच नास्ति स्वतन्त्रता स्त्रीणामस्वतन्त्रा हि योषित: । प्रजापतिमतं होतन्न स्त्री स्वातन्तद्रयमहति
aṣṭāvakra uvāca nāsti svatantratā strīṇām asvatantrā hi yoṣitaḥ | prajāpati-mataṃ hy etan na strī svātantryam arhati ||
قال أَشْتَافَكْرَا: «إنّ النساء لا يملكن استقلالًا ذاتيًّا؛ بل إنّهنّ يُعَدَدْنَ تابعاتٍ معتمداتٍ على غيرهنّ. وهذا—بحسب الرأي المنسوب إلى براجابتي—أنّ المرأة لا تُعَدّ صالحةً لأن تعيش في استقلالٍ تامّ.»
अष्टावक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a normative social-ethical claim: women are traditionally classified as dependent rather than fully autonomous, and this is presented as an authoritative view linked to Prajāpati.
Aṣṭāvakra is speaking and states a rule-like opinion about women’s autonomy, grounding it in an appeal to Prajāpati’s doctrine, as part of a broader didactic discussion on conduct and social norms.