Sutra 21

Devanagari script

वसतिभोगापहारे भोगमष्टगुणं दद्यादन्यत्र व्याधिपुरुषदोषेभ्यः ॥ कZ_०२.२७.२१ ॥

Transliteration

vasatibhogāpahāre bhogam aṣṭaguṇaṃ dadyāt, anyatra vyādhipuruṣadoṣebhyaḥ.

Translation

For the wrongful taking/withholding of lodging and the paid enjoyment (i.e., service/fee), she shall pay eight times the fee—except where due to illness or the man’s fault.

Word by Word

• वसति-भोग-अपहारे: in the case of misappropriation of lodging/quarters benefits
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप-हृ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सप्तमी; समासपद (अपहारः) — वसतेः भोगस्य अपहारे (locative of circumstance)

• भोगम्: the benefit (value of the enjoyment/perquisite)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया

• अष्ट-गुणम्: eightfold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया; भोगम् इति विशेषणम्

• दद्यात्: should pay / should be made to pay
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; (कर्ता अव्यक्तः—राजा/दण्डकर्ता)

• अन्यत्र: except
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र
• Form: अव्यय; अपवादार्थे (excepting)

• व्याधि-पुरुष-दोषेभ्यः: from (i.e., in cases due to) defects arising from illness or from the person (human fault)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; पञ्चमी; समासपद — व्याधिदोषेभ्यः च पुरुषदोषेभ्यः च (ablative of exception)

Entities Mentioned

• gaṇikā
• puruṣa (client)

More Details

FAQs

What does the illness/client-fault exception indicate about Kautilya’s legal approach?

Penalties are not purely strict-liability; the text recognizes defenses and allocates responsibility based on causation and fault.