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॥ श्री ॥tantraFor reading

Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 11.84

Traditional

Ullāsas
14
Verses
2517
Minutes
1258
Level
advanced

Ullāsa 11 · Verse 84

सन्तानविक्रयादौ दण्डःSelling one's children and the like

Verse 84

शुल्केन कन्यां दातॄंश्च पुत्रं शण्ढे प्रयच्छतः । देशान्निर्यापयेद्राजा पतितान् दुष्कृतात्मनः ॥ ८४ ॥

śulkēna kanyāṁ dātṝṁśca putraṁ śaṇḍhē prayacchataḥ | dēśānniryāpayēdrājā patitān duṣkṛtātmanaḥ || 84 ||

Translation

Those who give a daughter for a price, and who give a son to a eunuch, fallen, evil-hearted, the king should banish.

Word by word

śulkēna
for a price
kanyāṁ
a daughter
dātṝṁś
(dātṝn) who give
ca
and
putraṁ
a son
śaṇḍhē
to a eunuch
prayacchataḥ
(prayacchataḥ) who give
dēśāt
from the country
niryāpayēt
(niryāpayet) should banish
rājā
the king
patitān
fallen
duṣkṛtātmanaḥ
(duṣkṛtātmanaḥ) evil-hearted

Meaning

The sale of children is condemned outright: brides are not to be bought.

Commentary

Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated

Now he commands that the king expel from his country those who, taking a bride-price, give a daughter or a son, with "śulkena" and the rest. Those who give a daughter for a price (śulka), for money that is the motive of the gift, to some person, and especially to a śaṇḍha, an impotent man; and likewise those who, for a price, give a son to someone, especially to a śaṇḍha: such fallen people of evil soul, of sinful heart and sinful mind, the king should drive out of the country. "Śaṇḍhe" is a locative of the recipient, by the rule "saptamy adhikaraṇe ca".