Which one of the following texts of ancient India allows divorce to a wife deserted by her husband?
Correct Answer: Option D
Explanation
1. The question asks which ancient Indian text allows divorce to a wife deserted by her husband.
2. The Kamasutra deals primarily with the art of living well, pleasure, and kama.
3. The Manavadharmashastra (Manusmriti) generally holds marriage as indissoluble, though it mentions certain conditions under which a wife can be abandoned, it's restrictive about divorce initiated by the wife.
4. The Sukra Nitisara is a text on polity and ethics, but less specific on this aspect compared to Arthashastra.
5. Kautilya's Arthashastra, a treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy, discusses marriage and divorce laws (vivahavimoksha). It allows for divorce under certain conditions, including mutual consent or if a husband deserts his wife for a long period without maintenance, or if he is impotent or has become an outcaste. It grants the wife the right to seek divorce (moksha) under specific circumstances like long absence, cruelty, or desertion by the husband.
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