Sutra 26

Devanagari script

परचक्राटवीहृतामोघप्रव्यूढामरण्येषु दुर्भिक्षे वा त्यक्तां प्रेतभावोत्सृष्टां वा परस्त्रियं निस्तारयित्वा यथासंभाषितं समुपभुञ्जीत ॥ कZ_०४.१२.३६ ॥

Transliteration

paracakrāṭavīhṛtām oghapravyūḍhām araṇyeṣu durbhikṣe vā tyaktāṃ pretabhāvotsṛṣṭāṃ vā parastriyaṃ nistārayitvā yathāsaṃbhāṣitaṃ samupabhuñjīta

Translation

Having rescued another man’s wife who was carried off by an enemy force, swept away helplessly (e.g., by flood/current), abandoned in forests or during famine, or cast off as ‘as good as dead’, a man may cohabit with her only according to what has been mutually agreed in conversation.

Word by Word

• परचक्र: enemy force (enemy army)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + चक्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपद; ‘परस्य चक्रम्’ = enemy force/army)

• आटवी: in the forest / wilderness
• Type: Noun
• Root: आटवी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (locative: in the forest/wilderness)

• हृताम्: abducted / carried off
• Type: Participle
• Root: हृ (हरति)
• Form: कर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘हृता’ = abducted/taken away

• अमोघ: successful / effective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + मोघ
• Form: विशेषण; (समासपूर्वपद) ‘अमोघ’ = not futile, effective

• प्रव्यूढाम्: carried away / taken out and removed
• Type: Participle
• Root: वि + वह् (व्यूह/व्यूढ)
• Form: कर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘प्रव्यूढा’ = led forth/removed/dragged away (carried off after being taken out)

• अरण्येषु: in forests
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचन (locative plural: in forests)

• दुर्भिक्षे: in famine / during scarcity
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + भिक्ष
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (locative: in famine/scarcity)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• त्यक्ताम्: abandoned
• Type: Participle
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: कर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘abandoned’

• प्रेतभाव: death-like condition / presumed dead state
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + भाव
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; (समासपूर्वपद) ‘प्रेतभाव’ = state/condition of being as good as dead (death-like condition)

• उत्सृष्टाम्: cast off / left behind
• Type: Participle
• Root: उत् + सृज्
• Form: कर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘cast off/left behind/abandoned’

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• परस्त्रियम्: another man’s wife/woman
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + स्त्री
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘another man’s woman’

• निस्तारयित्वा: having rescued / having brought to safety
• Type: Gerund
• Root: निस् + तॄ (तारयति)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive); ‘having rescued/caused to cross over, having brought out safely’

• यथा: as / according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा
• Form: अव्यय; ‘as/according to’

• संभाषितम्: according to what was agreed/said
• Type: Participle/Noun (verbal noun-like)
• Root: सम् + भाष्
• Form: कर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘what was agreed/said in conversation; as promised/arranged’

• समुपभुञ्जीत: he should cohabit/enjoy (her) as agreed
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + भुज्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; ‘should enjoy/should have sexual intercourse/should cohabit’ (context decides)

Entities Mentioned

• enemy force (paracakra)
• another’s wife (parastrī)
• rescuer

More Details

FAQs

When does Kautilya describe an exception involving a ‘parastrī’?

When she has been displaced/abandoned due to enemy action, flood, forest peril, famine, or being cast off as dead, and the man first rescues her.

What limiting condition is explicitly stated?

Cohabitation must be only ‘as mutually agreed’ (yathāsaṃbhāṣitam), i.e., tied to explicit discussion/consent.