Arthashastra 3.20.16 - Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 20, Sutra 16

Kautilya

Arthashastra 3.20.16: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 20, Sutra 16

Devanagari script

कुलनीवीग्राहकस्यापव्ययने विधवां छन्दवासिनीं प्रसह्याधिचरतः चण्डालस्यार्यां स्पृशतः प्रत्यासन्नमापद्यनभिधावतो निष्कारणमभिधावनं कुर्वतः शाक्याजीवकादीन्वृषलप्रव्रजितान्देवपितृकार्येषु भोजयतः शत्यो दण्डः ॥ कZ_०३.२०.१६ ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.20.16

Transliteration

kulanīvīgrāhakasyāpavyayane vidhavāṃ chandavāsinīṃ prasahyādhicarataḥ caṇḍālasyāryāṃ spṛśataḥ pratyāsannamāpadyanabhidhāvato niṣkāraṇamabhidhāvanaṃ kurvataḥ śākyājīvakādīnvṛṣalapravrajitāndevapitṛkāryeṣu bhojayataḥ śatyo daṇḍaḥ

Translation

जब खानदानी जायदाद को घर में रख कर खर्च कर दिया, जब विधवा या अकेले रहने वाली औरत के साथ जबरदस्ती की, जब चांडाल ने किसी अच्छी जाति की औरत को छू लिया, जब खतरा पास हो और चीख नहीं मारी, या बिना वजह चीख मारी, या भगवान और पितरा के पूजा में गंदे लोगों को खाना खिलाया - इन सब में 100 पणे का जुर्माना लगेगा।

Word by Word

कुलनीवीग्राहकस्यof the one who takes/appropriates the family endowment (kulānīvī)

अपव्ययनेin (the act of) misappropriation/embezzlement

विधवाम्a widow

छन्दवासिनीम्a woman living by her own choice (independent woman)

प्रसह्यby force, forcibly

अधिचरतःof one who violates/has intercourse (illicitly), esp. by force

चण्डालस्यof a caṇḍāla (outcaste)

आर्याम्a respectable (ārya) woman

स्पृशतःof one who touches

प्रत्यासन्नम्something imminent/near at hand

आपद्यम्a danger/calamity

अभिधावतःof one who rushes/charges

निष्कारणम्without cause, groundlessly

अभिधावनम्rushing at/charging (as an act)

कुर्वतःof one who does/commits

शाक्याजीवकादीन्Śākyas, Ājīvikas, and others

वृषलप्रव्रजितान्renunciants of low status (vṛṣala-renunciants)

देवपितृकार्येषुin rites for gods and ancestors

भोजयतःof one who feeds (causes to eat)

शत्यःa hundred (as the measure of the fine)

दण्डःthe penalty/fine

Entities Mentioned

endowment holder

widow

chandavāsinī (independent woman)

Caṇḍāla

Ārya woman

Śākya

Ājīvika

ritual hosts

FAQs

What governance principle is visible in the ‘alarm’ clauses?

Public-safety compliance: citizens must warn in genuine emergencies, but false alarms are penalized to prevent panic and administrative overload.

How should modern readers treat the caste/ritual restrictions here?

As historically situated norms used to enforce a stratified social order; analytically, they show how the state codified status boundaries and ritual control, not a universal ethical standard.

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