Sutra 19

Devanagari script

राजाज्ञया पुरुषमनभिगच्छन्ती गणिका शिफासहस्रं लभेएत पञ्चसहस्रं वा दण्डः ॥ कZ_०२.२७.१९ ॥

Transliteration

rājājñayā puruṣam anabhigacchantī gaṇikā śiphāsahasraṃ labheta; pañcasahasraṃ vā daṇḍaḥ.

Translation

If a courtesan, despite the king’s order, does not go to a man (summoned/assigned), she shall receive one thousand lashes; or she shall be fined five thousand.

Word by Word

• राजाज्ञया: by the king’s order/authorization
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + आज्ञा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचन; (राज्ञः आज्ञा) ‘राजाज्ञा’ इति समासः; तृतीया ‘-या’

• पुरुषम्: a man (person)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन

• अनभिगच्छन्ती: not approaching/going to (him)
• Type: Verb (Participle)
• Root: अभि-गम्
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; परस्मैपदी धातु ‘गम्’; उपसर्गः अभि-; नञ्-प्रत्ययेन निषेधः ‘अन-’ = ‘न अभिगच्छन्ती’

• गणिका: a courtesan
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणिका
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• शतसहस्रम्: one hundred thousand (as a fine)
• Type: Noun (Numeral)
• Root: शत + सहस्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; ‘शतसहस्र’ = 100×1000

• लभेत: should obtain/shall incur (a fine)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपदी; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

• पञ्चसहस्रम्: five thousand (as a fine)
• Type: Noun (Numeral)
• Root: पञ्च + सहस्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• दण्डः: the penalty/fine
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

Entities Mentioned

• rājā (king/state authority)
• gaṇikā
• puruṣa (client/assignee)

More Details

FAQs

What administrative principle is implied by punishing a gaṇikā for refusing a royal summons?

Licensed service categories are treated as part of state-managed public functions; refusal of a lawful order is penalized to ensure reliability and state control.