Shloka 14
Aṣṭāvakra and the Woman: Disclosure, Permission, and Marital Resolution (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय २२)
अष्टावक्र उवाच नास्ति स्वतन्त्रता स्त्रीणामस्वतन्त्रा हि योषित: । प्रजापतिमतं होतन्न स्त्री स्वातन्तद्रयमहति
aṣṭāvakra uvāca nāsti svatantratā strīṇām asvatantrā hi yoṣitaḥ | prajāpati-mataṃ hy etan na strī svātantryam arhati ||
アシュターヴァクラは言った。「女には独立の自律はない。まことに女は従属するものと見なされている。プラジャーパティに帰せられる見解によれば、女は完全な独立のもとに生きるにふさわしいとは考えられていない。」
अष्टावक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a normative social-ethical claim: women are traditionally classified as dependent rather than fully autonomous, and this is presented as an authoritative view linked to Prajāpati.
Aṣṭāvakra is speaking and states a rule-like opinion about women’s autonomy, grounding it in an appeal to Prajāpati’s doctrine, as part of a broader didactic discussion on conduct and social norms.