Verse 9.92

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

अलङ्कारं नाददीत पित्र्यं कन्या स्वयंवरा ।
मातृकं भ्रातृदत्तं वा स्तेना स्याद् यदि तं हरेत् ॥ ९२ ॥

alaṅkāraṃ nādadīta pitryaṃ kanyā svayaṃvarā |
mātṛkaṃ bhrātṛdattaṃ vā stenā syād yadi taṃ haret || 92 ||

When the girl chooses her own husband, she should not take away any ornaments given to her either by her father, or mother or brother; if she did take them, she would be a thief.—(92)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Ornaments that may have been given to her on previous occasions by her brother or other relations, who would be ignorant of her desire to choose her own husband,—all such ornaments she should hand back to them. She is not to give up what has been given to her after she has actually done the act

It is only when the ornament has been given to her beforehand by persons, with the motive that she shall not be given to a particular person,—and yet it is this same person that the girl chooses for her husband,—it is not right for her to retain the gift

‘Stenaḥ,’ in the masculine form, is another reading for ‘Stenā’; in which case the ‘theft’ would lie upon the bridegroom; in which case, the father should force him to give up the ornament.—(92)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Stenaḥ’ is not the reading of Medhātithi, who only notes it as a vār. lec.

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 772);—in Nirṇayasindhu (p. 223);—in Aparārka (p. 94);—in Madanapārijāta (p. 148);—in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 217);—and in Saṃskāraratnamālā (p. 501).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 9.90-92)

See Comparative notes for Verse 9.90.