Sutra 25

Devanagari script

एतेन नटनर्तकगायनवादकवाग्जीवनकुशीलवप्लवकसौभिकचारणानां स्त्रीव्यवहारिणां स्त्रियो गूढाजीवाश्च व्याख्याताः ॥ कZ_०२.२७.२५ ॥

Transliteration

etena naṭanartakagāyanavādakavāgjīvanakuśīlavaplavakasaubhikacāraṇānāṃ strīvyavahāriṇāṃ striyo gūḍhājīvāś ca vyākhyātāḥ.

Translation

एतेन नटनर्तकगायनवादकवाग्जीवनकुशीलवप्लवकसौभिकचारणानां स्त्रीव्यवहारिणां स्त्रियो गूढाजीवाश्च व्याख्याताः।

Word by Word

• एतेन: by this; by means of this (rule)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: instrumental singular neuter (एतद्-शब्दः)

• नट-नर्तक-गायन-वादक-वाग्जीवन-कुशीलव-प्लवक-सौभिक-चारणानाम्: of actors, dancers, singers, instrumentalists, professional speakers/reciters, stage-performers, boatmen/ferrymen, showmen/jugglers, and bards/minstrels
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: नट / नर्तक / गायन / वादक / वाग्जीवन / कुशीलव / प्लवक / सौभिक / चारण
• Form: genitive plural masculine (collective enumeration); final member governs case-ending -आनाम्

• स्त्री-व्यवहारिणाम्: of those who engage in dealings with women
• Type: Noun (compound adjective used substantively)
• Root: व्यवहारिन् (from √हृ with vi-ā- prefix in the sense of ‘conduct/dealings’; noun-form व्यवहार)
• Form: genitive plural masculine (of those who deal with women / are engaged in women-related transactions)

• स्त्रियः: women
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: nominative plural feminine

• गूढ-आजीवाः: those with a concealed means of livelihood; covertly employed persons
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: गूढ (ppp of √गुह्) + आजीव (from ā-√जीव्)
• Form: nominative plural masculine (or feminine by context; form here is masc. pl.)

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: indeclinable conjunction

• व्याख्याताः: have been explained; are (hereby) accounted for/defined
• Type: Verb (participial predicate)
• Root: वि-आ-√ख्या (ख्यै) → व्याख्यात (ppp)
• Form: past passive participle; nominative plural masculine; predicative with implied ‘(are) explained/defined’

Entities Mentioned

• performers (actors, dancers, singers, musicians)
• vāgjīvin (professional speakers/reciters)
• boatmen/ferrymen
• jugglers/illusionists
• bards
• women associated with these groups
• gūḍhājīva (covert earners)

More Details

FAQs

Why does Kautilya extend courtesan rules to performers and ‘hidden livelihood’ groups?

These groups are mobile, socially networked, and information-rich; regulation supports public order, reduces fraud, and limits covert political activity.