Sutra 25

Devanagari script

एतेन नटनर्तकगायनवादकवाग्जीवनकुशीलवप्लवकसौभिकचारणानां स्त्रीव्यवहारिणां स्त्रियो गूढाजीवाश्च व्याख्याताः ॥ कZ_०२.२७.२५ ॥

Transliteration

etena naṭanartakagāyanavādakavāgjīvanakuśīlavaplavakasaubhikacāraṇānāṃ strīvyavahāriṇāṃ striyo gūḍhājīvāś ca vyākhyātāḥ.

Translation

Theo cùng những quy tắc ấy, cũng bao gồm phụ nữ của các diễn viên, vũ công, ca sĩ, nhạc công, người diễn thuyết/đọc tụng chuyên nghiệp, người biểu diễn sân khấu, người chèo đò/phà, người làm trò ảo thuật, và các thi sĩ hát rong—những phụ nữ giao dịch với đàn ông—cũng như những người mưu sinh bằng những cách thức che giấu (sinh kế bí mật).

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.