History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.323

v4.c63.t2.323

Gautama contains three sūtras about the devolution of strīdhana, but he does not define or describe it.1488a Kauṭ. (III 2. p. 152) defines¹⁴⁸⁹: 'means of subsistence and what could be tied on the body (i. e. ornaments and jewellery) constitute strīdhana. The means of subsistence should be fixed at 2000 (paṇas) as the maximum, while there is no limit to (what may be given) as *ābadhya* (ornaments &c.)'. This may be compared with a verse of Kāt. (902) and a similar¹⁴⁹⁰ verse of Vyāsa viz. 'the father, the mother, the husband, brother and kinsmen should give strīdhana to a woman according to their means up to two thousand (paṇas) except immovable property'. The Sm. C. and V. Mayūkha explain that this limit of 2000 applies to gifts made every year, but that if a gift is to be made once for all, then more may be given and even immovable property may be given.