Arthashastra 3.2.19: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 2, Sutra 19

Devanagari script

मृते भर्तरि धर्मकामा तदानीमेव स्थाप्याभरणं शुल्कशेषं च लभेत ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.2.19

Transliteration

mṛte bhartari dharmakāmā tadānīmeva sthāpyābharaṇaṃ śulkaśeṣaṃ ca labheta

Translation

जब पति मर जाए, पत्नी जो धरम निभाती है उसको तुरंत अपना गेहना वापस मिल जाएगा। दुल्हन के पैसे जो भी बचे हैं वो भी उसको मिलेंगे।

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Word by Word

• मृते: when (he) is dead / upon the death
• Type: Participle (Verbal adjective)
• Root: मृ (मरणे)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकृत् (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे एकवचनम्; सप्तमी (सप्तमी-तत्काल/अधिकरण) — ‘मृते (भर्तरि)’ = ‘when the husband is dead’

• भर्तरि: in/with respect to the husband; when the husband (is dead)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सप्तमी (अधिकरण)

• धर्मकामा: a woman devoted to dharma; a virtuous wife
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: धर्म + काम
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (कर्ता)
• Compound: कर्मधारय (धर्मे कामः यस्याः) / बहुव्रीहि-भावः (धर्मकामिनी)

• तदानीम्: then; at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदानीम्
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक

• एव: indeed; just; only
• Type: Particle
• Root: एव
• Form: निपात; अवधारणार्थक

• स्थाप्य: having set aside; after depositing
• Type: Gerund (Absolutive)
• Root: स्था (स्थाने)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (ल्यप्) अव्यय; ‘having placed/kept aside’

• आभरणम्: ornaments; jewellery
• Type: Noun
• Root: आभरण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (कर्म)
• In statecraft: आभरण (strīdhana/jewellery) — ornaments treated as a woman’s property to be set aside/secured

• शुल्कशेषम्: the remaining (unpaid) bride-price/dower balance
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: शुल्क + शेष
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (कर्म)
• Compound: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शुल्कस्य शेषः)
• In statecraft: शुल्कशेष — remaining portion of the bride-price/dower (unpaid balance) due to the woman

• च: and
• Type: Conjunction
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• लभेत: should receive; is entitled to obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (प्राप्तौ)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative) परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; विध्यर्थ — ‘should obtain/receive’
• In statecraft: लभेत — legal entitlement to receive (as per dharma/royal law)

Sandhi Notes

• मृते भर्तरि: सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute-like usage) ‘on the husband’s death’
• तदानीमेव = तदानीम् + एव (निग्रह/सन्धि से ‘म्’ के बाद ‘ए’)
• स्थाप्याभरणं = स्थाप्य + आभरणम् (स्वर-सन्धि: अ + आ → आ; तथा पद-संयोग)
• शुल्कशेषं च = शुल्कशेषम् + च (म् के स्थान पर अनुस्वार/परसवर्ण)

Entities Mentioned

• wife
• deceased husband
• ornaments (ābharaṇa)
• śulka (bride-price)

Topic and Governance

Prakarana (topic)

Strīdhana (woman’s property), marital residence, and recovery/management of assets

Governance domain

Civil law; family law; property and inheritance administration

Vocabulary Breakdown

Technical Terms

FAQs

What administrative rule is stated for a widow classified as dharmakāmā?

She is entitled to immediate recovery of her deposited ornaments and any unpaid balance of śulka, indicating prompt enforcement of her proprietary claims.