Arthashastra 3.4.9 - Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 4, Sutra 9

Kautilya

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Arthashastra 3.4.9: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 4, Sutra 9

Devanagari script

पतिविप्रकारात्पतिज्ञातिसुखावस्थग्रामिकान्वाधिभिक्षुकीज्ञातिकुलानामन्यतममपुरुषं गन्तुमदोषः इति आचार्याः ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.4.9

Transliteration

pativiprakārāt patijñātisukhāvasthagrāmikānvādhibhikṣukījñātikulānām anyatamam apuruṣaṃ gantum adoṣaḥ iti ācāryāḥ

Translation

आचार्य कहते हैं, पति के साथ रह न पाए तो औरत अपने पति के रिश्तेदारों के पास जा सकती है। या फिर गाँव का मुखिया जो अच्छे घर में रहता हो, वहाँ जा सकती है। साध्वी के पास भी जा सकती है, या अपने मायके वाले लोगों के पास। लेकिन किसी अजनबी आदमी के साथ नहीं जाना चाहिए।

Word by Word

पति-विप्रकारात्from (the situation of) the husband’s absence/being away (lit. from the husband’s being elsewhere)

पति-ज्ञाति-सुख-अवस्थ-ग्रामिकान्village headmen connected with the husband’s relatives / (who are) in a comfortable condition (i.e., well-off)

अन्वाधि-भिक्षुकी-ज्ञाति-कुलानाम्of (any of) the families of the anuvādhi (dependent woman), the female mendicant, and the relatives’ families

अन्यतमम्any one (among them)

अपुरुषम्a non-man / not a (proper) man

गन्तुम्to go

अदोषःthere is no fault (no offence)

इतिthus

आचार्याःthe teachers (authorities)

Entities Mentioned

pati-jñāti (husband’s kin)

grāmika (village headman)

bhikṣukī (female ascetic)

jñāti-kula (kin group)

FAQs

Why does the text list specific destinations (kin, village headman, bhikṣukī)?

To define administratively verifiable ‘safe channels’ for a woman’s protection, reducing both vulnerability and suspicion of illicit contact.

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