Sutra 16

Devanagari script

कुलनीवीग्राहकस्यापव्ययने विधवां छन्दवासिनीं प्रसह्याधिचरतः चण्डालस्यार्यां स्पृशतः प्रत्यासन्नमापद्यनभिधावतो निष्कारणमभिधावनं कुर्वतः शाक्याजीवकादीन्वृषलप्रव्रजितान्देवपितृकार्येषु भोजयतः शत्यो दण्डः ॥ कZ_०३.२०.१६ ॥

Transliteration

kulanīvīgrāhakasyāpavyayane vidhavāṃ chandavāsinīṃ prasahyādhicarataḥ caṇḍālasyāryāṃ spṛśataḥ pratyāsannamāpadyanabhidhāvato niṣkāraṇamabhidhāvanaṃ kurvataḥ śākyājīvakādīnvṛṣalapravrajitāndevapitṛkāryeṣu bhojayataḥ śatyo daṇḍaḥ

Translation

For misappropriating property held as a family endowment/livelihood fund; for coercively violating a widow or a woman living by her own choice; for a Caṇḍāla touching an Ārya woman; for failing to raise alarm when danger is near; for raising an alarm without cause; and for feeding Śākyas, Ājīvikas and similar low-status renunciants in rites for gods or ancestors—the fine is 100 paṇas.

Word by Word

कुलनीवीग्राहकस्यof the one who takes/appropriates the family endowment (kulānīvī)

अपव्ययनेin (the act of) misappropriation/embezzlement

विधवाम्a widow

छन्दवासिनीम्a woman living by her own choice (independent woman)

प्रसह्यby force, forcibly

अधिचरतःof one who violates/has intercourse (illicitly), esp. by force

चण्डालस्यof a caṇḍāla (outcaste)

आर्याम्a respectable (ārya) woman

स्पृशतःof one who touches

प्रत्यासन्नम्something imminent/near at hand

आपद्यम्a danger/calamity

अभिधावतःof one who rushes/charges

निष्कारणम्without cause, groundlessly

अभिधावनम्rushing at/charging (as an act)

कुर्वतःof one who does/commits

शाक्याजीवकादीन्Śākyas, Ājīvikas, and others

वृषलप्रव्रजितान्renunciants of low status (vṛṣala-renunciants)

देवपितृकार्येषुin rites for gods and ancestors

भोजयतःof one who feeds (causes to eat)

शत्यःa hundred (as the measure of the fine)

दण्डःthe penalty/fine

Entities Mentioned

endowment holder

widow

chandavāsinī (independent woman)

Caṇḍāla

Ārya woman

Śākya

Ājīvika

ritual hosts

FAQs

What governance principle is visible in the ‘alarm’ clauses?

Public-safety compliance: citizens must warn in genuine emergencies, but false alarms are penalized to prevent panic and administrative overload.

How should modern readers treat the caste/ritual restrictions here?

As historically situated norms used to enforce a stratified social order; analytically, they show how the state codified status boundaries and ritual control, not a universal ethical standard.