Verse 7.125

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

राजा कर्मसु युक्तानां स्त्रीणां प्रेष्यजनस्य च ।
प्रत्यहं कल्पयेद् वृत्तिं स्थानं कर्मानुरूपतः ॥ १२५ ॥

rājā karmasu yuktānāṃ strīṇāṃ preṣyajanasya ca |
pratyahaṃ kalpayed vṛttiṃ sthānaṃ karmānurūpataḥ || 125 ||

For women employed in the King’s service and also for menial servants, he shall fix daily wages, in proportion to their position and work.—(125)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Employed’—appointed;—‘women’— slave-girls and others working in the inner apartments;—‘of menial servants’—such, as bearers of palanquins and the like;—‘he shall fix daily wages’,—and not fix an annual maintenance, in the form of villages, in whole or in part.

‘In proportion to their position and work’. ‘Position’ stands for the principal duty, responsibility,—such as keeping guard over the bed and so forth; and ‘work’—i.e. physical labour involved; the wages given should be in proportion to these. If the responsibility is great, even though the physical work in volved be little, the wages should be high; and if the responsibility is not great, even though the physical labour involved be great, the wages shall be low. This is what is meant by the wages being ‘in proportion to the position and work’.—(125)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, pp. 251-252).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Arthaśāstra (Part II, p. 102)—‘In accordance with the resources of the kingdom he shall apportion the livelihood of his dependents; or he may provide this to the extent that may be necessary for retaining their services:—48,000 paṇas should be set apart for the maintenance of priests, preceptors, chief-minister, army-commander, heir-apparent, queen-mother and queen, etc., etc.’