Sutra 25

Devanagari script

केशाकेशिकं संग्रहणमुपलिङ्गनाद्वा शरीरोपभोगानाम् तज्जातेभ्यः (तज्ज्ञातेभ्यः) स्त्रीवचनाद्वा ॥ कZ_०४.१२.३५ ॥

Transliteration

keśākeśikaṃ saṃgrahaṇam upaliṅganād vā śarīropabhogānām tajjātebhyaḥ (tajjñātebhyaḥ) strīvacanād vā

Translation

La preuve (pour établir) la jouissance sexuelle du corps peut être tirée de : tirage de cheveux (marques de lutte), maintien forcé, étreinte, ou actes similaires ; ainsi que de personnes de ce genre (ou de celles qui connaissent les faits), ou encore de la déclaration de la femme elle-même.

Word by Word

• केशाकेशिकम्: hair-pulling (mutual seizing of hair)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश + केश
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; द्वन्द्व-समास (केश + केश) + -इक (भाव/क्रिया-नाम)

• संग्रहणम्: seizing; holding; restraining
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + ग्रह्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; कृदन्त-नाम (ल्युट्/अन) ‘ग्रहण’

• उपलिङ्गनात्: from embracing; by hugging
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + लिङ्ग्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, पञ्चमी; कृदन्त-नाम (ल्युट्)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

• शरीर: body
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद (उपभोगानाम् में)

• उपभोगानाम्: of bodily enjoyments/sexual acts (with the body)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + भुज्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, षष्ठी; ‘शरीरोपभोग’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शरीरस्य उपभोगः)

• तत्: that; such (act)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; सर्वनाम

• जातेभ्यः: from those of the same kind; from similar (acts)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: जात
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, बहुवचन, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी; ‘जात’ (उत्पन्न/सम्भूत)

• तत्: that; such
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; सर्वनाम (पाठान्तर ‘तज्ज्ञातेभ्यः’ हेतु)

• ज्ञातेभ्यः: from known (instances)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: ज्ञात
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, बहुवचन, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी; ‘ज्ञात’ (विदित/known)

• स्त्री: woman
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन; समास-पूर्वपद (स्त्रीवचनाद्वा)

• वचनात्: from the woman’s statement/testimony
• Type: Noun
• Root: वच्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, पञ्चमी; ‘स्त्रीवचन’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्त्रियाः वचनम्)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

Entities Mentioned

• woman (strī)
• witnesses/knowers (tajjñātebhyaḥ)

More Details

FAQs

What kinds of evidence does Kautilya accept to establish sexual contact in court?

Physical struggle indicators (e.g., hair-pulling), restraint/seizure, embracing and related acts, plus testimony from relevant/knowing persons and the woman’s own statement.

What is the administrative intent of this sutra?

To operationalize adjudication by listing observable indicators and admissible testimony, reducing discretion and making enforcement more uniform.