Sutra 37

Devanagari script

दीर्घप्रवासिनः प्रव्रजितस्य प्रेतस्य वा भार्या सप्त तीर्थान्याकाङ्क्षेत संवत्सरं प्रजाता ॥ कZ_०३.४.३७ ॥

Transliteration

dīrghapravāsinaḥ pravrajitasya pretasya vā bhāryā sapta tīrthāny ākāṅkṣeta saṃvatsaraṃ prajātā

Translation

The wife of a man who is on long travel, has renounced worldly life, or is dead shall wait for seven prescribed periods/occasions; if she is pregnant, she shall wait for one year (before further marital disposition is allowed).

Word by Word

• दीर्घप्रवासिनः: of a long-absent (man) / of one who has been away for a long time
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: प्रवासिन्
• Form: प्रवासिन्-शब्दः (इन्-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्; दीर्घ-विशेषणपूर्वकः समासः; ‘दीर्घप्रवासिन्’ = दीर्घं प्रवासं यस्य सः

• प्रव्रजितस्य: of one who has become a renunciant / who has gone away as an ascetic
• Type: Noun (past participle used substantively)
• Root: प्रव्रजित
• Form: प्रव्रजित-शब्दः (कृदन्तः, क्त-प्रत्ययः √व्रज्/√व्रज् + प्र-वि-), पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्

• प्रेतस्य: of a dead man / of the deceased
• Type: Noun (past participle used substantively)
• Root: प्रेत
• Form: प्रेत-शब्दः (कृदन्तः, क्त-प्रत्ययः √इ + प्र-), पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्

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

• भार्या: the wife
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या
• Form: भार्या-शब्दः, स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• सप्त: seven
• Type: Numeral
• Root: सप्त
• Form: संख्यावाचकं (अव्ययवत् प्रयुज्यते)

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage-places / sacred fords
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ
• Form: तीर्थ-शब्दः, नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (आकाङ्क्षेत् इत्यस्य कर्म)

• आकाङ्क्षेत: should wait for / should expect
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√काङ्क्ष्
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; धातुः √काङ्क्ष् ‘इच्छायाम्’ उपसर्गः आ-

• संवत्सरम्: for a year
• Type: Noun (adverbial accusative of time)
• Root: संवत्सर
• Form: संवत्सर-शब्दः, पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कालावधौ कर्मप्रवचनीयवत् (for the duration of)

• प्रजाता: having borne (a child) / being a mother
• Type: Noun/Adjective (past participle)
• Root: प्रजाता
• Form: प्रजाता-शब्दः (कृदन्तः, क्त-प्रत्ययः √जन् + प्र-), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; भार्या इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Entities Mentioned

• wife
• husband (absent/renunciant/deceased)
• unborn child

More Details

FAQs

Why does the text impose a waiting period before a wife’s next marital move is recognized?

To reduce disputes over paternity and inheritance by creating an administratively recognizable interval for confirming the husband’s status and any pregnancy.

What is the administrative rationale for a longer period when the wife is pregnant?

It preserves the child’s legal affiliation and inheritance rights by ensuring the birth is not attributed to a later partner.