History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c29.53

v2.c29.53

If there were many and heavy disabilities on women in certain matters, they enjoyed in certain directions more privileges than men. It has been already seen that women were not to be killed nor were they to be abandoned even when guilty of adultery. They also enjoyed the right of precedence on the road (vide p. 146 above). The daughter¹³⁹⁶ of a *patita* was not regarded as *patita*, though the son of a *patita* was regarded as *patita* (vide Vas. 13. 51-53, Āp. Dh. S. II. 6. 13. 4, Yāj. III. 261). Women¹³⁹⁷ had to undergo only half of the prāyaścitta that men had to undergo for the same lapse (Viṣṇu Dh. S. 54. 33, Devala 30, &c). Women received¹³⁹⁸ honour according to the ages of their husbands, whatever their own ages may be (Āp. Dh. S. I. 4. 14, 18). Just as brāhmaṇas learned in the Vedas were to be free from taxes, the women of all varṇas (except those of *pratiloma castes*) had to pay no taxes,¹³⁹⁹ according to Āp. Dh.