Arthashastra 3.13.23: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 13, Sutra 23

Devanagari script

स्वामिनः स्वस्यां दास्यां जातं समातृकमदासं विद्यात् ॥ कZ_०३.१३.२३ ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.13.23

Transliteration

svāminaḥ svasyāṃ dāsyāṃ jātaṃ samātṛkam adāsaṃ vidyāt

Translation

Ein Kind, das dem Herrn von seiner eigenen dāsī geboren wird, ist zusammen mit der Mutter als nicht dāsa (d. h. frei) anzuerkennen.

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Word by Word

• स्वामिनः: of the master/owner
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन्
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Gen. sg.), पुंलिङ्ग

• स्वस्याम्: in/with his own (female)
• Type: Pronoun (reflexive)
• Root: स्व
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन (Loc. sg.), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (स्व + स्याम्; refers to a feminine noun understood)

• दास्याम्: in a female slave (woman)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन (Loc. sg.), स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• जातम्: born
• Type: Participle (verbal adjective)
• Root: √जन् (जायते)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; agrees with implied ‘शिशु/अपत्य’

• समातृकम्: together with (its) mother / having the mother
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समातृक
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; ‘स-’ उपसर्गार्थे = ‘मातृकासहितम्’

• अदासम्: not a slave / free
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (अ + दास) = ‘दासः न’

• विद्यात्: should know/should recognize (as)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (वेद/विद्यात्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, 3rd person singular; injunction ‘should know/should deem’

Entities Mentioned

• svāmin
• dāsī
• child

More Details

FAQs

What administrative outcome is mandated here?

Automatic recognition of freedom for both the child and the mother when the master fathers the child with his own dāsī.

What might be the policy rationale?

To prevent hereditary servility in the master’s direct line and reduce intra-household conflict over status.