Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 23 Sutra 2 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 2

Devanagari script

ऊर्णावल्ककार्पासतूलशणक्षौमाणि च विधवान्यङ्गाकन्याप्रव्रजितादण्डप्रतिकारिणीभी रूपाजीवामातृकाभिर्वृद्धराजदासीभिर्व्युपरतोपस्थानदेवदासीभिश्च कर्तयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.०२ ॥

Transliteration

ūrṇāvalkakārpāsatūlaśaṇakṣaumāṇi ca vidhavānyaṅgākanyāpravrajitādaṇḍapratikāriṇībhī rūpājīvāmātṛkābhir vṛddharājadāsībhir vyuparatopasthānadevadāsībhiś ca kartayet

Translation

Il fera travailler la laine, la fibre d’écorce, le coton, le duvet de coton, le chanvre et le lin par des veuves, des femmes non mariées, des renonçantes, des femmes acquittant une peine par le travail, des femmes vivant de leur beauté (courtisanes), des mères (dépendantes), de vieilles servantes royales et des femmes du temple ayant cessé le service actif.

Word by Word

ऊर्णाwool

वल्कbark-fibre (cloth made of bark)

कार्पासcotton

तूलcotton-fluff / lint

शणhemp / flax (fibres)

क्षौमाणिlinen cloth (made of flax)

चand

विधवानिwidows

अङ्गाकन्याaṅgā-kanyā women (a designated class of women)

प्रव्रजिताfemale renunciants / nuns

अदण्डप्रतिकारिणीभिःby women who are ‘not subject to punishment’ / who do not incur corporal punishment

रूपाजीवाwomen who live by (selling) beauty; prostitutes/courtesans

मातृकाभिःby matrons / motherly attendants

वृद्धराजदासीभिःby aged royal maidservants/slaves

व्युपरतोपस्थानदेवदासीभिःby devadāsīs who have ceased (regular) attendance/service

चand

कर्तयेत्he should have (them) prepared/processed; should cause (it) to be made

Entities Mentioned

Superintendent of Threads

widows

unmarried women

female renunciants

penal laborers

courtesans

mothers/dependents

aged royal servants

retired temple women

FAQs

What political-administrative objective is served by assigning textile work to socially vulnerable groups?

It simultaneously supplies strategic goods (textiles/cordage), reduces vagrancy and dependence, and converts welfare/penal obligations into supervised, productive labor.