[INDOLOGY] Kept women?

[Walter Slaje]

Dear Martin,

this sounds like a variant expression for avaruddhā (strī) / avaruddhastrī.
The latter is explained in Olivelle's Dictionary (2015) as a "mistress or
concubine in the exclusive keeping of one individual until his death".
Avaruddhā is an old and quite common term for women kept in a harem
(avarodha), testified as orodhā also in Pāli texts. Closest to your
"dhṛtastrī" seems to come "dhṛtā" ("a concubine"). Evidence to be found in
Jaina texts: B. J. Sandesara, Lexicographical Studies in „Jaina
Sanskrit“. *Journal
of the Oriental Institute Baroda* 9.4 (1960): 60.
A cheerful read: David Smith, „One man and many women: some notes on the
harem in mainly ancient and medieval India from sundry perspectives.“
In: *Cracow
Indological Studies* 14 (2012), S. 1-16.

Best wishes,
Walter

2017-02-13 17:18 GMT+01:00 Martin Gansten via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info>:

> In an astrological text I have come across several instances of the
> compounds *dhṛtastrī* and *dhṛtabhāryā*, which are new to me and which I
> have been unable to find in dictionaries. From the context it seems
> possible that the phrases could refer to a mistress, quite literally a
> 'kept woman'. Can anyone confirm or correct this suspicion?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Martin Gansten
>
>
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