Arthashastra 3.17.10 - Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 17, Sutra 10

Arthashastra 3.17.10: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 17, Sutra 10

Devanagari script

स्त्रियं पुरुषं वाभिषह्य बध्नतो बन्धयतो बन्धं वा मोक्षयतः पञ्चशतावरः सहस्रपर उत्तमः साहसदण्डः । इत्याचार्याः ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.17.10

Transliteration

striyaṃ puruṣaṃ vābhiṣahya badhnato bandhayato bandhaṃ vā mokṣayataḥ pañcaśatāvaraḥ sahasrapara uttamaḥ sāhasadaṇḍaḥ | ity ācāryāḥ

Translation

आचार्यों ने कहा है, कोई औरत या आदमी को ज़बरदस्ती पकड़ के बाँध दे, या किसी को जेल से भगा दे, तो सबसे बड़ा जुर्माना 500 पण से 1000 पण तक होगा।

Word by Word

स्त्रियम्a woman (as object)

पुरुषम्a man (as object)

वाor

अभिषह्यhaving overpowered; forcibly

बध्नतः(two persons) bind / tie up

बन्धयतः(two persons) cause to be bound; have (someone) bound

बन्धम्bondage; imprisonment; confinement

वाor

मोक्षयतः(two persons) release; cause to be freed

पञ्चशतावरःthe lower (grade) [fine] of five hundred

सहस्रपरःthe middle/next (grade) [fine] of one thousand

उत्तमःthe highest (grade)

साहसदण्डःthe sāhasa-penalty (fine/punishment for forcible violence)

इतिthus

आचार्याःthe teachers (authorities)

Entities Mentioned

Ācāryāḥ (authorities/teachers)

Why is releasing someone from custody punished at the highest level?

It undermines state coercive capacity and judicial process, enabling impunity; hence it is treated as a severe public-order offence.

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