Verse 8.358

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

स्त्रियं स्पृशेददेशे यः स्पृष्टो वा मर्षयेत् तया ।
परस्परस्यानुमते सर्वं सङ्ग्रहणं स्मृतम् ॥ ३५८ ॥

striyaṃ spṛśedadeśe yaḥ spṛṣṭo vā marṣayet tayā |
parasparasyānumate sarvaṃ saṅgrahaṇaṃ smṛtam || 358 ||

If one touches a woman in an improper place, or condones it when touched by her,—all this, when done with mutual consent, has been declared to be ‘adultery’—(358)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Improper place,’ for touching, would he one where the man could pass along without touching the woman; there would he no harm in large crowds.

Or ‘place’ may stand f or part of the body. There can be no wrong in the man happening to touch the hands, or the shoulder, or the back, when taking down a load from her head: whereas it would be very wrong to touch her lips or chin or breasts and such other parts.

Or, when touched by her, pressed with her breasts for instance, if the man does not resent it, by saying ‘do not do this.’

‘By mutual consent’;—the act is wrong only when done intentionally; and not if he touches her during sacrificial and other performances,—when, for instance, the woman hangs by the neck of the man, or when the man touches the woman between her breasts, or when he touches her when taking something from her hands and so forth. This being due to chance,—just like the case where one desiring to fall back upon dry ground, falls in mud,—the parties incur no guilt at all.—(358)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 8.357-358)

See Comparative notes for Verse 8.357.