Arthashastra 3.13.36: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 13, Sutra 36

Devanagari script

कन्यामाहितिकां वा स्वयमन्येन वा दुषयतो मूल्यनाशः शुल्कं तद्द्वुगुणश्च दण्डः ॥

Transliteration

kanyām āhitikāṃ vā svayam anyena vā duṣayato mūlyanāśaḥ śulkaṃ taddvuguṇaś ca daṇḍaḥ

Translation

Barang siapa menodai/melanggar seorang gadis, atau gadis yang telah dijanjikan (āhitikā), baik sendiri maupun melalui orang lain, maka nilai yang dijanjikan itu gugur/dirampas (mūlya-nāśa); selain itu wajib membayar śulka (kompensasi) dan dikenai denda sebesar dua kali jumlah tersebut.

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Word by Word

• कन्याम्: a maiden (unmarried girl) [acc. sg.]
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन

• आहितिकाम्: a betrothed/assigned (maiden) [acc. sg.]
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहितिका
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन

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

• स्वयम्: oneself; personally
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्
• Form: अव्यय (स्वतन्त्रकर्तृवाचक)

• अन्येन: by another (person) [instr. sg.]
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन

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

• दूषयतः: of (him) who defiles/violates [gen. sg. pres. act. ptcp.]
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: दूष् (दूषयति)
• Form: वर्तमाने कृदन्तः (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; षष्ठी-एकवचन (कर्तरि) — ‘दूषयतः’ = of the one who violates/defiles

• मूल्यनाशः: loss/forfeiture of the (marriage) value/price [nom. sg.]
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल्य-नाश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• शुल्कम्: the bride-price / marriage payment
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (अत्र प्रथमा-एकवचन)

• तत्: that (i.e., that fee)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• द्विगुणः: double (in amount)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि-गुण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• दण्डः: a penalty; fine
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

Entities Mentioned

• kanyā (maiden)
• āhitikā (pledged maiden)

More Details

FAQs

What policy mechanism is used to deter the offence?

A combined sanction: (1) economic forfeiture (loss of pledged value), (2) compensation (śulka), and (3) a punitive multiplier fine (2× śulka), including liability for acts done through an agent.