Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 9 Sutra 24 - Arthashastra | Kannada | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 24

Devanagari script

परिगृहीतां दासीमाहितिकां वा संरुद्धिकामधिचरतः पूर्वः साहसदण्डः चोरडामरिकभार्यां मध्यमः संरुद्धिकामार्यामुत्तमः ॥ कZ_०४.९.२४ ॥

Transliteration

parigṛhītāṃ dāsīm āhitikāṃ vā saṃruddhikām adhicarataḥ pūrvaḥ sāhasadaṇḍaḥ coraḍāmarikabhāryāṃ madhyamaḥ saṃruddhikām āryām uttamaḥ

Translation

ಬಂಧನದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಮಹಿಳೆ—ದಾಸಿ ಅಥವಾ ಕೂಲಿ/ಸೇವಕಿ—ಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಬಲಾತ್ಕಾರವಾಗಿ ಸಂಭೋಗಿಸಿದರೆ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಸಾಹಸ ದಂಡ; ಆಕೆ ಕಳ್ಳ ಅಥವಾ ದರೋಡೆಕೋರ/ಬಂಡಾಯಗಾರನ ಹೆಂಡತಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಮಧ್ಯಮ; ಬಂಧಿತ ಆರ್ಯಾ (ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ/ಗೌರವಾನ್ವಿತ ಮಹಿಳೆ) ಆಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಉತ್ತಮ ಸಾಹಸ ದಂಡ।

Word by Word

परिगृहीताम्a woman who has been taken/kept (under someone’s protection)

दासीम्a female slave

आहितिकाम्a hired/contracted (wage-paid) woman

वाor

संरुद्धिकाम्a confined/restrained woman

अधिचरतः(two persons) have intercourse with / violate

पूर्वःthe first (lowest)

साहसदण्डःthe punishment (fine) for sāhasa (violent offence)

चोरडामरिकभार्याम्the wife of a thief/bandit

मध्यमःthe middle (grade)

संरुद्धिकाम्a confined/restrained woman

आर्याम्a respectable/free woman

उत्तमःthe highest (grade)

Entities Mentioned

saṃruddhikā (confined woman)

dāsī

āhitikā

cora

Ḍ

ḍāmarika

āryā

FAQs

What is the policy logic behind graded penalties by the woman’s status?

The text uses social/legal status as a proxy for protected interest and public order impact, escalating punishment for violations against higher-status protected persons.