In preceding verses, Manu discusses the concept of a husband’s power over his wife and sons. In ancient law, a husband had the right to "sell" or "abandon" his wife and children only under extreme duress—such as famine or threat of death—and even then, only as a last resort.
Scholars point out that other verses in the same text offer a more complex picture: manusmriti chapter 9 verse 225
कितवान् कुशीलवान् क्रूरान् पाषण्डस्थांश्च मानवान् । In preceding verses, Manu discusses the concept of
as professional dancers, others view them as "go-betweens" or panderers for "strange couples". The verse is also cited in the Vivādaratnākara The verse is also cited in the Vivādaratnākara
The verse, as translated by scholars like Ganganath Jha and G. Bühler, reads:
Verse (transliteration, common scholarly rendering): yady api kṛtaṃ śīlam tady ātmanā veditavyam | yad dānaṃ ca yad yajñaś ca tad eva hi dharmaḥ smṛtaḥ ||9.225||