History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.349

v4.c63.t2.349

Another word requiring explanation is '*yautaka*'. It occurs in Manu IX. 131, 'whatever is the yautaka of the mother goes to the maiden daughter' (and not to the married daughter or son). So yautaka seems to be a synonym for strīdhana in the technical sense. The Sm.¹⁵⁰⁶ C. II p. 285, Madanaratna (folio 105 b) and V. Mayūkha remark 'yautaka is that wealth that is received as a gift from anybody by a woman while she is seated together with her husband at the time of marriage and the like'. It is derived from *yuta* (joined). It should, however, be noted that Yāj. II. 149 employs the word *yautaka* as an adjective in the sense of 'separated' and that Medhātithi on Manu IX. 131 explains 'yautaka' as the separate property of a woman, her strīdhana. The Sm. C. II. p. 285 remarks that Devasvāmī derived 'yautaka' from 'yu' (to separate) and held it to mean 'wealth obtained from the family of the woman's father which is separate in its characteristics'. The V. C. p. 142 and Vivādacandra p. 74 read 'yautuka' and the former explains it as gifts from the father and the like at the time of marriage. The Dāyatattva (p. 186) states that both forms 'yautaka' and 'yautuka' are in vogue and relies on Vācaspati and Rāyamukuṭa in support.