Kama Sutra: Vatsyayana's Classic
Kama Sutra: Vatsyayana's Classic
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Author: Vatsyayana
Language: English
THE
KAMA SUTRA
OF
VATSYAYANA.
In Seven Parts,
WITH
PREFACE, INTRODUCTION,
AND
CONCLUDING REMARKS.
Reprint:
DEDICATED
TO THAT SMALL PORTION OF THE BRITISH PUBLIC
WHICH TAKES ENLIGHTENED INTEREST IN
STUDYING THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS
OF THE OLDEN EAST.
PREFACE.
In the literature of all countries there will be found a certain number of works treating
especially of love. Everywhere the subject is dealt with differently, and from various
points of view. In the present publication it is proposed to give a complete translation of
what is considered the standard work on love in Sanscrit literature, and which is called the
'Vatsyayana Kama Sutra,' or Aphorisms on Love, by Vatsyayana.
While the introduction will bear with the evidence concerning the date of the writing, and
the commentaries written upon it, the chapters following the introduction will give a
translation of the work itself. It is, however, advisable to furnish here a brief analysis of
works of the same nature, prepared by authors who lived and wrote years after Vatsya had
passed away, but who still considered him as a great authority, and always quoted him as
the chief guide to Hindoo erotic literature.
Besides the treatise of Vatsyayana the following works on the same subject are procurable
in India:—
The author of the 'Secrets of Love' (No. 1) was a poet named Kukkoka. He composed his
work to please one Venudutta, who was perhaps a king. When writing his own name at the
end of each chapter he calls himself "Siddha patiya pandita," i.e., an ingenious man
among learned men. The work was translated into Hindi years ago, and in this the author's
name was written as Koka. And as the same name crept into all the translations into other
languages in India, the book became generally known, and the subject was popularly
called Koka Shastra, or doctrines of Koka, which is identical with the Kama Shastra, or
doctrines of love, and the words Koka Shastra and Kama Shastra are used
indiscriminately.
The work contains nearly eight hundred verses, and is divided into ten chapters, which are
called called Pachivedas. Some of the things treated of in this work are not to be found in
the Vatsyayana, such as the four classes of women, viz., the Padmini, Chitrini, Shankini
and Hastini, as also the enumeration of the days and hours on which the women of the
different classes become subject to love. The author adds that he wrote these things from
the opinions of Gonikaputra and Nandikeshwara, both of whom are mentioned by
Vatsyayana, but their works are not now extant. It is difficult to give any approximate idea
as to the year in which the work was composed. It is only to be presumed that it was
written after that of Vatsyayana, and previous to the other works on this subject that are
still extant. Vatsyayana gives the names of ten authors on the subject, all of whose works
he had consulted, but none of which are extant, and does not mention this one. This would
tend to show that Kukkoka wrote after Vatsya, otherwise Vatsya would assuredly have
mentioned him as an author in this branch of literature along with the others.
The author of the 'Five Arrows' (No. 2 in the list) was one Jyotirisha. He is called the chief
ornament of poets, the treasure of the sixty-four arts, and the best teacher of the rules of
music. He says that he composed the work after reflecting on the aphorisms of love as
revealed by the gods, and studying the opinions of Gonikaputra, Muladeva, Babhravya,
Ramtideva, Nundikeshwara and Kshemandra. It is impossible to say whether he had
perused all the works of these authors, or had only heard about them; anyhow, none of
them appear to be in existence now. This work contains nearly six hundred verses, and is
divided into five chapters, called Sayakas or Arrows.
The author of the 'Light of Love' (No. 3) was the poet Gunakara, the son of Vechapati.
The work contains four hundred verses, and gives only a short account of the doctrines of
love, dealing more with other matters.
'The Garland of Love' (No. 4) is the work of the famous poet Jayadeva, who said about
himself that he is a writer on all subjects. This treatise is, however, very short, containing
only one hundred and twenty-five verses.
The author of the 'Sprout of Love' (No. 5) was a poet called Bhanudatta. It appears from
the last verse of the manuscript that he was a resident of the province of Tirhoot, the son
of a Brahman named Ganeshwar, who was also a poet. The work, written in Sanscrit,
gives the descriptions of different classes of men and women, their classes being made out
from their age, description, conduct, etc. It contains three chapters, and its date is not
known, and cannot be ascertained.
'The Stage of Love' (No. 6) was composed by the poet Kullianmull, for the amusement of
Ladkhan, the son of Ahmed Lodi, the same Ladkhan being in some places spoken of as
Ladana Mull, and in others as Ladanaballa. He is supposed to have been a relation or
connection of the house of Lodi, which reigned in Hindostan from a.d. 1450-1526. The
work would, therefore, have been written in the fifteenth or sixteenth century. It contains
ten chapters, and has been translated into English, but only six copies were printed for
private circulation. This is supposed to be the latest of the Sanscrit works on the subject,
and the ideas in it were evidently taken from previous writings of the same nature.
The contents of these works are in themselves a literary curiosity. There are to be found
both in Sanscrit poetry and in the Sanscrit drama a certain amount of poetical sentiment
and romance, which have, in every country and in every language, thrown an immortal
halo round the subject. But here it is treated in a plain, simple, matter of fact sort of way.
Men and women are divided into classes and divisions in the same way that Buffon and
other writers on natural history have classified and divided the animal world. As Venus
was represented by the Greeks to stand forth as the type of the beauty of woman, so the
Hindoos describe the Padmini or Lotus woman as the type of most perfect feminine
excellence, as follows:
She in whom the following signs and symptoms appear is called a Padmini. Her face is
pleasing as the full moon; her body, well clothed with flesh, is soft as the Shiras or
mustard flower, her skin is fine, tender and fair as the yellow lotus, never dark coloured.
Her eyes are bright and beautiful as the orbs of the fawn, well cut, and with reddish
corners. Her bosom is hard, full and high; she has a good neck; her nose is straight and
lovely, and three folds or wrinkles cross her middle—about the umbilical region. Her yoni
resembles the opening lotus bud, and her love seed (Kama salila) is perfumed like the lily
that has newly burst. She walks with swan-like gait, and her voice is low and musical as
the note of the Kokila bird, she delights in white raiments, in fine jewels, and in rich
dresses. She eats little, sleeps lightly, and being as respectful and religious as she is clever
and courteous, she is ever anxious to worship the gods, and to enjoy the conversation of
Brahmans. Such, then, is the Padmini or Lotus woman.
Detailed descriptions then follow of the Chitrini or Art woman; the Shankhini or Conch
woman, and the Hastini or Elephant woman, their days of enjoyment, their various seats
of passion, the manner in which they should be manipulated and treated in sexual
intercourse, along with the characteristics of the men and women of the various countries
in Hindostan. The details are so numerous, and the subjects so seriously dealt with, and at
such length, that neither time nor space will permit of their being given here.
One work in the English language is somewhat similar to these works of the Hindoos. It is
called 'Kalogynomia: or the Laws of Female Beauty,' being the elementary principles of
that science, by T. Bell, M.D., with twenty-four plates, and printed in London in 1821. It
treats of Beauty, of Love, of Sexual Intercourse, of the Laws regulating that Intercourse,
of Monogamy and Polygamy, of Prostitution, of Infidelity, ending with a catalogue
raisonnée of the defects of female beauty.
Other works in English also enter into great details of private and domestic life. 'The
Elements of Social Science, or Physical, Sexual and Natural Religion,' by a Doctor of
Medicine, London, 1880, and 'Every Woman's Book,' by Dr. Waters, 1826. To persons
interested in the above subjects these works will be found to contain such details as have
been seldom before published, and which ought to be thoroughly understood by all
philanthropists and benefactors of society.
After a perusal of the Hindoo work, and of the English books above mentioned, the reader
will understand the subject, at all events from a materialistic, realistic and practical point
of view. If all science is founded more or less on a stratum of facts, there can be no harm
in making known to mankind generally certain matters intimately connected with their
private, domestic, and social life.
Alas! complete ignorance of them has unfortunately wrecked many a man and many a
woman, while a little knowledge of a subject generally ignored by the masses would have
enabled numbers of people to have understood many things which they believed to be
quite incomprehensible, or which were not thought worthy of their consideration.
INTRODUCTION.
It may be interesting to some persons to learn how it came about that Vatsyayana was first
brought to light and translated into the English language. It happened thus. While
translating with the pundits the 'Anunga runga, or the stage of love,' reference was
frequently found to be made to one Vatsya. The sage Vatsya was of this opinion, or of that
opinion. The sage Vatsya said this, and so on. Naturally questions were asked who the
sage was, and the pundits replied that Vatsya was the author of the standard work on love
in Sanscrit literature, that no Sanscrit library was complete without his work, and that it
was most difficult now to obtain in its entire state. The copy of the manuscript obtained in
Bombay was defective, and so the pundits wrote to Benares, Calcutta and Jeypoor for
copies of the manuscript from Sanscrit libraries in those places. Copies having been
obtained, they were then compared with each other, and with the aid of a Commentary
called 'Jayamangla' a revised copy of the entire manuscript was prepared, and from this
copy the English translation was made. The following is the certificate of the chief pundit:
—
"The accompanying manuscript is corrected by me after comparing four different copies
of the work. I had the assistance of a Commentary called 'Jayamangla' for correcting the
portion in the first five parts, but found great difficulty in correcting the remaining
portion, because, with the exception of one copy thereof which was tolerably correct, all
the other copies I had were far too incorrect. However, I took that portion as correct in
which the majority of the copies agreed with each other."
The 'Aphorisms on Love,' by Vatsyayana, contains about one thousand two hundred and
fifty slokas or verses, and are divided into parts, parts into chapters, and chapters into
paragraphs. The whole consists of seven parts, thirty-six chapters, and sixty-four
paragraphs. Hardly anything is known about the author. His real name is supposed to be
Mallinaga or Mrillana, Vatsyayana being his family name. At the close of the work this is
what he writes about himself:
"After reading and considering the works of Babhravya and other ancient authors, and
thinking over the meaning of the rules given by them, this treatise was composed,
according to the precepts of the Holy Writ, for the benefit of the world, by Vatsyayana,
while leading the life of a religious student at Benares, and wholly engaged in the
contemplation of the Deity. This work is not to be used merely as an instrument for
satisfying our desires. A person acquainted with the true principles of this science, who
preserves his Dharma (virtue or religious merit), his Artha (worldly wealth) and his Kama
(pleasure or sensual gratification), and who has regard to the customs of the people, is
sure to obtain the mastery over his senses. In short, an intelligent and knowing person,
attending to Dharma and Artha and also to Kama, without becoming the slave of his
passions, will obtain success in everything that he may do."
It is impossible to fix the exact date either of the life of Vatsyayana or of his work. It is
supposed that he must have lived between the first and the sixth centuries of the Christian
era, on the following grounds:—He mentions that Satkarni Srtvahan, a king of Kuntal,
killed Malayevati his wife with an instrument called kartari by striking her in the passion
of love, and Vatsya quotes this case to warn people of the danger arising from some old
customs of striking women when under the influence of this passion. Now this king of
Kuntal is believed to have lived and reigned during the first century a.c., and
consequently Vatsya must have lived after him. On the other hand, Virahamihira, in the
eighteenth chapter of his 'Brihatsanhita,' treats of the science of love, and appears to have
borrowed largely from Vatsyayana on the subject. Now Virahamihira is said to have lived
during the sixth century a.d., and as Vatsya must have written his works previously,
therefore not earlier than the first century, a.c., and not later than the sixth century a.d.,
must be considered as the approximate date of his existence.
On the text of the 'Aphorisms on Love,' by Vatsyayana, only two commentaries have been
found. One called 'Jayamangla' or 'Sutrabashya,' and the other 'Sutra vritti.' The date of
the 'Jayamangla' is fixed between the tenth and thirteenth centuries a.d., because while
treating of the sixty-four arts an example is taken from the 'Kávyaprakásha,' which was
written about the tenth century a.d. Again, the copy of the commentary procured was
evidently a transcript of a manuscript which once had a place in the library of a
Chaulukyan king named Vishaladeva, a fact elicited from the following sentence at the
end of it:—
"Here ends the part relating to the art of love in the commentary on the 'Vatsyayana Kama
Sutra,' a copy from the library of the king of kings, Vishaladeva, who was a powerful
hero, as it were a second Arjuna, and head jewel of the Chaulukya family."
Now it is well known that this king ruled in Guzerat from 1244 to 1262 a.d., and founded
a city called Visalnagur. The date, therefore, of the commentary is taken to be not earlier
than the tenth and not later than the thirteenth century. The author of it is supposed to be
one Yashodhara, the name given him by his preceptor being Indrapada. He seems to have
written it during the time of affliction caused by his separation from a clever and shrewd
woman, at least that is what he himself says at the end of each chapter. It is presumed that
he called his work after the name of his absent mistress, or the word may have some
connection with the meaning of her name.
This commentary was most useful in explaining the true meaning of Vatsyayana, for the
commentator appears to have had a considerable knowledge of the times of the older
author, and gives in some places very minute information. This cannot be said of the other
commentary, called "Sutra vritti," which was written about a.d., by Narsing Shastri, a
pupil of a Sarveshwar Shastri; the latter was a descendant of Bhaskur, and so also was our
author, for at the conclusion of every part he calls himself Bhaskur Narsing Shastra. He
was induced to write the work by order of the learned Raja Vrijalala, while he was
residing in Benares, but as to the merits of this commentary it does not deserve much
commendation. In many cases the writer does not appear to have understood the meaning
of the original author, and has changed the text in many places to fit in with his own
explanations.
A complete translation of the original work now follows. It has been prepared in complete
accordance with the text of the manuscript, and is given, without further comments, as
made from it.
PART I.
INTRODUCTORY PREFACE.
SALUTATION TO DHARMA, ARTHA AND KAMA.
In the beginning, the Lord of Beings created men and women, and in the form of
commandments in one hundred thousand chapters laid down rules for regulating their
existence with regard to Dharma,[1] Artha,[2] and Kama.[3] Some of these commandments,
namely those which treated of Dharma, were separately written by Swayambhu Manu;
those that related to Artha were compiled by Brihaspati; and those that referred to Kama
were expounded by Nandi, the follower of Mahadeva, in one thousand chapters.
Now these 'Kama Sutra' (Aphorisms on Love), written by Nandi in one thousand chapters,
were reproduced by Shvetaketu, the son of Uddvalaka, in an abbreviated form in five
hundred chapters, and this work was again similarly reproduced in an abridged form, in
one hundred and fifty chapters, by Babhravya, an inhabitant of the Punchala (South of
Delhi) country. These one hundred and fifty chapters were then put together under seven
heads or parts named severally—
1st. Sadharana (general topics).
2nd. Samprayogika (embraces, etc.).
3rd. Kanya Samprayuktaka (union of males and females).
4th. Bharyadhikarika (on one's own wife).
5th. Paradika (on the wives of other people).
6th. Vaisika (on courtesans).
7th. Aupamishadika (on the arts of seduction, tonic medicines, etc.).
The sixth part of this last work was separately expounded by Dattaka at the request of the
public women of Pataliputra (Patna), and in the same way Charayana explained the first
part of it. The remaining parts, viz., the second, third, fourth, fifth, and seventh were each
separately expounded by—
Thus the work being written in parts by different authors was almost unobtainable, and as
the parts which were expounded by Dattaka and the others treated only of the particular
branches of the subject to which each part related, and moreover as the original work of
Babhravya was difficult to be mastered on account of its length, Vatsyayana, therefore,
composed his work in a small volume as an abstract of the whole of the works of the
above-named authors.
PART I.
CHAPTER I.
BEING THE INDEX TO OR CONTENTS OF THE WORK.
PART II.
ON SEXUAL UNION.
PART III.
ABOUT THE ACQUISITION OF A WIFE.
PART IV.
ABOUT A WIFE.
PART V.
ABOUT THE WIVES OF OTHER PEOPLE.
PART VI.
ABOUT COURTESANS.
PART VII.
ON THE MEANS OF ATTRACTING OTHERS TO ONE'S SELF.
Man, the period of whose life is one hundred years, should practise Dharma, Artha, and
Kama at different times and in such a manner that they may harmonize together and not
clash in any way. He should acquire learning in his childhood, in his youth and middle
age he should attend to Artha and Kama, and in his old age he should perform Dharma,
and thus seek to gain Moksha, i.e., release from further transmigration. Or, on account of
the uncertainty of life, he may practise them at times when they are enjoined to be
practised. But one thing is to be noted, he should lead the life of a religious student until
he finishes his education.
Dharma is obedience to the command of the Shastra or Holy Writ of the Hindoos to do
certain things, such as the performance of sacrifices, which are not generally done
because they do not belong to this world, and produce no visible effect; and not to do
other things, such as eating meat, which is often done because it belongs to this world,
and has visible effects.
Dharma should be learnt from the Shruti (Holy Writ), and from those conversant with it.
Artha is the acquisition of arts, land, gold, cattle, wealth, equipages and friends. It is,
further, the protection of what is acquired, and the increase of what is protected.
Artha should be learnt from the king's officers, and from merchants who may be versed in
the ways of commerce.
Kama is the enjoyment of appropriate objects by the five senses of hearing, feeling,
seeing, tasting, and smelling, assisted by the mind together with the soul. The ingredient
in this is a peculiar contact between the organ of sense and its object, and the
consciousness of pleasure which arises from that contact is called Kama.
Kama is to be learnt from the Kama Sutra (aphorisms on love) and from the practice of
citizens.
When all the three, viz., Dharma, Artha, and Kama come together, the former is better
than the one which follows it, i.e., Dharma is better than Artha, and Artha is better than
Kama. But Artha should be always first practised by the king, for the livelihood of men is
to be obtained from it only. Again, Kama being the occupation of public women, they
should prefer it to the other two, and these are exceptions to the general rule.
Objection 1.
Some learned men say that as Dharma is connected with things not belonging to this
world, it is appropriately treated of in a book; and so also is Artha, because it is practised
only by the application of proper means, and a knowledge of those means can only be
obtained by study and from books. But Kama being a thing which is practised even by the
brute creation, and which is to be found everywhere, does not want any work on the
subject.
Answer.
This is not so. Sexual intercourse being a thing dependent on man and woman requires the
application of proper means by them, and those means are to be learnt from the Kama
Shastra. The non-application of proper means, which we see in the brute creation, is
caused by their being unrestrained, and by the females among them only being fit for
sexual intercourse at certain seasons and no more, and by their intercourse not being
preceded by thought of any kind.
Objection 2.
The Lokayatikas[4] say:—Religious ordinances should not be observed, for they bear a
future fruit, and at the same time it is also doubtful whether they will bear any fruit at all.
What foolish person will give away that which is in his own hands into the hands of
another? Moreover, it is better to have a pigeon to-day than a peacock to-morrow; and a
copper coin which we have the certainty of obtaining, is better than a gold coin, the
possession of which is doubtful.
Answer.
It is not so. 1st. Holy Writ, which ordains the practice of Dharma, does not admit of a
doubt.
2nd. Sacrifices such as those made for the destruction of enemies, or for the fall of rain,
are seen to bear fruit.
3rd. The sun, moon, stars, planets and other heavenly bodies appear to work intentionally
for the good of the world.
4th. The existence of this world is effected by the observance of the rules respecting the
four classes[5] of men and their four stages of life.
5th. We see that seed is thrown into the ground with the hope of future crops.
Vatsyayana is therefore of opinion that the ordinances of religion must be obeyed.
Objection 3.
Those who believe that destiny is the prime mover of all things say:—We should not exert
ourselves to acquire wealth, for sometimes it is not acquired although we strive to get it,
while at other times it comes to us of itself without any exertion on our part. Everything is
therefore in the power of destiny, who is the lord of gain and loss, of success and defeat,
of pleasure and pain. Thus we see the Bali[6] was raised to the throne of Indra by destiny,
and was also put down by the same power, and it is destiny only that can re-instate him.
Answer.
It is not right to say so. As the acquisition of every object pre-supposes at all events some
exertion on the part of man, the application of proper means may be said to be the cause
of gaining all our ends, and this application of proper means being thus necessary (even
where a thing is destined to happen), it follows that a person who does nothing will enjoy
no happiness.
Objection 4.
Those who are inclined to think that Artha is the chief object to be obtained argue thus.
Pleasures should not be sought for, because they are obstacles to the practice of Dharma
and Artha, which are both superior to them, and are also disliked by meritorious persons.
Pleasures also bring a man into distress, and into contact with low persons; they cause
him to commit unrighteous deeds, and produce impurity in him; they make him regardless
of the future, and encourage carelessness and levity. And lastly, they cause him to be
disbelieved by all, received by none, and despised by everybody, including himself. It is
notorious, moreover, that many men who have given themselves up to pleasure alone,
have been ruined along with their families and relations. Thus, King Dandakya,[7] of the
Bhoja dynasty, carried off a Brahman's daughter with evil intent, and was eventually
ruined and lost his kingdom. Indra, too, having violated the chastity of Ahalya,[8] was
made to suffer for it. In a like manner the mighty Kichaka,[9] who tried to seduce
Draupadi, and Ravana,[10] who attempted to gain over Sita, were punished for their
crimes. These and many others fell by reason of their pleasures.
Answer.
This objection cannot be sustained, for pleasures, being as necessary for the existence and
well being of the body as food, are consequently equally required. They are, moreover,
the results of Dharma and Artha. Pleasures are, therefore, to be followed with moderation
and caution. No one refrains from cooking food because there are beggars to ask for it, or
from sowing seed because there are deer to destroy the corn when it is grown up.
Thus a man practising Dharma, Artha and Kama enjoys happiness both in this world and
in the world to come. The good perform those actions in which there is no fear as to what
is to result from them in the next world, and in which there is no danger to their welfare.
Any action which conduces to the practice of Dharma, Artha and Kama together, or of
any two, or even one of them, should be performed, but an action which conduces to the
practice of one of them at the expense of the remaining two should not be performed.
CHAPTER III.
ON THE ARTS AND SCIENCES TO BE STUDIED.
Man should study the Kama Sutra and the arts and sciences subordinate thereto, in
addition to the study of the arts and sciences contained in Dharma and Artha. Even young
maids should study this Kama Sutra along with its arts and sciences before marriage, and
after it they should continue to do so with the consent of their husbands.
Here some learned men object, and say that females, not being allowed to study any
science, should not study the Kama Sutra.
But Vatsyayana is of opinion that this objection does not hold good, for women already
know the practice of Kama Sutra, and that practice is derived from the Kama Shastra, or
the science of Kama itself. Moreover, it is not only in this but in many other cases that
though the practice of a science is known to all, only a few persons are acquainted with
the rules and laws on which the science is based. Thus the Yadnikas or sacrificers, though
ignorant of grammar, make use of appropriate words when addressing the different
Deities, and do not know how these words are framed. Again, persons do the duties
required of them on auspicious days, which are fixed by astrology, though they are not
acquainted with the science of astrology. In a like manner riders of horses and elephants
train these animals without knowing the science of training animals, but from practice
only. And similarly the people of the most distant provinces obey the laws of the kingdom
from practice, and because there is a king over them, and without further reason.[11] And
from experience we find that some women, such as daughters of princes and their
ministers, and public women, are actually versed in the Kama Shastra.
A female, therefore, should learn the Kama Shastra, or at least a part of it, by studying its
practice from some confidential friend. She should study alone in private the sixty-four
practices that form a part of the Kama Shastra. Her teacher should be one of the following
persons, viz., the daughter of a nurse brought up with her and already married,[12] or a
female friend who can be trusted in everything, or the sister of her mother (i.e., her aunt),
or an old female servant, or a female beggar who may have formerly lived in the family,
or her own sister, who can always be trusted.
The following are the arts to be studied, together with the Kama Sutra:—
1. Singing.
2. Playing on musical instruments.
3. Dancing.
4. Union of dancing, singing, and playing instrumental music.
5. Writing and drawing.
6. Tattooing.
7. Arraying and adorning an idol with rice and flowers.
8. Spreading and arraying beds or couches of flowers, or flowers upon the ground.
9. Colouring the teeth, garments, hair, nails, and bodies, i.e., staining, dyeing, colouring
and painting the same.
10. Fixing stained glass into a floor.
11. The art of making beds, and spreading out carpets and cushions for reclining.
12. Playing on musical glasses filled with water.
13. Storing and accumulating water in aqueducts, cisterns and reservoirs.
14. Picture making, trimming and decorating.
15. Stringing of rosaries, necklaces, garlands and wreaths.
16. Binding of turbans and chaplets, and making crests and top-knots of flowers.
17. Scenic representations. Stage playing.
18. Art of making ear ornaments.
19. Art of preparing perfumes and odours.
20. Proper disposition of jewels and decorations, and adornment in dress.
21. Magic or sorcery.
22. Quickness of hand or manual skill.
23. Culinary art, i.e., cooking and cookery.
24. Making lemonades, sherbets, acidulated drinks, and spirituous extracts with proper
flavour and colour.
25. Tailor's work and sewing.
26. Making parrots, flowers, tufts, tassels, bunches, bosses, knobs, &c., out of yarn or
thread.
27. Solution of riddles, enigmas, covert speeches, verbal puzzles and enigmatical
questions.
28. A game, which consisted in repeating verses, and as one person finished, another
person had to commence at once, repeating another verse, beginning with the same
letter with which the last speaker's verse ended, whoever failed to repeat was
considered to have lost, and to be subject to pay a forfeit or stake of some kind.
29. The art of mimicry or imitation.
30. Reading, including chanting and intoning.
31. Study of sentences difficult to pronounce. It is played as a game chiefly by women
and children, and consists of a difficult sentence being given, and when repeated
quickly, the words are often transposed or badly pronounced.
32. Practice with sword, single stick, quarter staff, and bow and arrow.
33. Drawing inferences, reasoning or inferring.
34. Carpentry, or the work of a carpenter.
35. Architecture, or the art of building.
36. Knowledge about gold and silver coins, and jewels and gems.
37. Chemistry and mineralogy.
38. Colouring jewels, gems and beads.
39. Knowledge of mines and quarries.
40. Gardening; knowledge of treating the diseases of trees and plants, of nourishing
them, and determining their ages.
41. Art of cock fighting, quail fighting and ram fighting.
42. Art of teaching parrots and starlings to speak.
43. Art of applying perfumed ointments to the body, and of dressing the hair with
unguents and perfumes and braiding it.
44. The art of understanding writing in cypher, and the writing of words in a peculiar
way.
45. The art of speaking by changing the forms of words. It is of various kinds. Some
speak by changing the beginning and end of words, others by adding unnecessary
letters between every syllable of a word, and so on.
46. Knowledge of language and of the vernacular dialects.
47. Art of making flower carriages.
48. Art of framing mystical diagrams, of addressing spells and charms, and binding
armlets.
49. Mental exercises, such as completing stanzas or verses on receiving a part of them;
or supplying one, two or three lines when the remaining lines are given
indiscriminately from different verses, so as to make the whole an entire verse with
regard to its meaning; or arranging the words of a verse written irregularly by
separating the vowels from the consonants, or leaving them out altogether; or putting
into verse or prose sentences represented by signs or symbols. There are many other
such exercises.
50. Composing poems.
51. Knowledge of dictionaries and vocabularies.
52. Knowledge of ways of changing and disguising the appearance of persons.
53. Knowledge of the art of changing the appearance of things, such as making cotton to
appear as silk, coarse and common things to appear as fine and good.
54. Various ways of gambling.
55. Art of obtaining possession of the property of others by means of muntras or
incantations.
56. Skill in youthful sports.
57. Knowledge of the rules of society, and of how to pay respects and compliments to
others.
58. Knowledge of the art of war, of arms, of armies, &c.
59. Knowledge of gymnastics.
60. Art of knowing the character of a man from his features.
61. Knowledge of scanning or constructing verses.
62. Arithmetical recreations.
63. Making artificial flowers.
64. Making figures and images in clay.
A public woman, endowed with a good disposition, beauty and other winning qualities,
and also versed in the above arts, obtains the name of a Ganika, or public woman of high
quality, and receives a seat of honour in an assemblage of men. She is, moreover, always
respected by the king, and praised by learned men, and her favour being sought for by all,
she becomes an object of universal regard. The daughter of a king too, as well as the
daughter of a minister, being learned in the above arts, can make their husbands
favourable to them, even though these may have thousands of other wives besides
themselves. And in the same manner, if a wife becomes separated from her husband, and
falls into distress, she can support herself easily, even in a foreign country, by means of
her knowledge of these arts. Even the bare knowledge of them gives attractiveness to a
woman, though the practice of them may be only possible or otherwise according to the
circumstances of each case. A man who is versed in these arts, who is loquacious and
acquainted with the arts of gallantry, gains very soon the hearts of women, even though he
is only acquainted with them for a short time.
CHAPTER IV.
Having thus acquired learning, a man, with the wealth that he may have gained by gift,
conquest, purchase, deposit,[14] or inheritance from his ancestors, should become a
householder, and pass the life of a citizen. He should take a house in a city, or large
village, or in the vicinity of good men, or in a place which is the resort of many persons.
This abode should be situated near some water, and divided into different compartments
for different purposes. It should be surrounded by a garden, and also contain two rooms,
an outer and an inner one. The inner room should be occupied by the females, while the
outer room, balmy with rich perfumes, should contain a bed, soft, agreeable to the sight
covered with a clean white cloth, low in the middle part, having garlands and bunches of
flowers[15] upon it, and a canopy above it, and two pillows, one at the top, another at the
bottom. There should be also a sort of couch besides, and at the head of this a sort of
stool, on which should be placed the fragrant ointments for the night, as well as flowers,
pots containing collyrium and other fragrant substances, things used for perfuming the
mouth, and the bark of the common citron tree. Near the couch, on the ground, there
should be a pot for spitting, a box containing ornaments, and also a lute hanging from a
peg made of the tooth of an elephant, a board for drawing, a pot containing perfume, some
books, and some garlands of the yellow amaranth flowers. Not far from the couch, and on
the ground, there should be a round seat, a toy cart, and a board for playing with dice;
outside the outer room there should be cages of birds,[16] and a separate place for
spinning, carving, and such like diversions. In the garden there should be a whirling
swing and a common swing, as also a bower of creepers covered with flowers, in which a
raised parterre should be made for sitting.
Now the householder having got up in the morning and performed his necessary duties,
[17]
should wash his teeth, apply a limited quantity of ointments and perfumes to his body,
put some ornaments on his person and collyrium on his eyelids and below his eyes, colour
his lips with alacktaka,[18] and look at himself in the glass. Having then eaten betel leaves,
with other things that give fragrance to the mouth, he should perform his usual business.
He should bathe daily, anoint his body with oil every other day, apply a lathering[19]
substance to his body every three days, get his head (including face) shaved every four
days, and the other parts of his body every five or ten days.[20] All these things should be
done without fail, and the sweat of the armpits should also be removed. Meals should be
taken in the forenoon, in the afternoon, and again at night, according to Charayana. After
breakfast, parrots and other birds should be taught to speak, and the fighting of cocks,
quails, and rams should follow. A limited time should be devoted to diversions with
Pithamardas, Vitas, and Vidushakas,[21] and then should be taken the midday sleep.[22]
After this the householder, having put on his clothes and ornaments, should, during the
afternoon, converse with his friends. In the evening there should be singing, and after that
the householder, along with his friend, should await in his room, previously decorated and
perfumed, the arrival of the woman that may be attached to him, or he may send a female
messenger for her, or go for her himself. After her arrival at his house, he and his friend
should welcome her, and entertain her with a loving and agreeable conversation. Thus end
the duties of the day.
The following are the things to be done occasionally as diversions or amusements.
Festivals.
On some particular auspicious day, an assembly of citizens should be convened in the
temple of Saraswati.[24] There the skill of singers, and of others who may have come
recently to the town, should be tested, and on the following day they should always be
given some rewards. After that they may either be retained or dismissed, according as
their performances are liked or not by the assembly. The members of the assembly should
act in concert, both in times of distress as well as in times of prosperity, and it is also the
duty of these citizens to show hospitality to strangers who may have come to the
assembly. What is said above should be understood to apply to all the other festivals
which may be held in honour of the different Deities, according to the present rules.
Social Gatherings.
When men of the same age, disposition and talents, fond of the same diversions and with
the same degree of education, sit together in company with public women,[25] or in an
assembly of citizens, or at the abode of one among themselves, and engage in agreeable
discourse with each other, such is called a sitting in company or a social gathering. The
subjects of discourse are to be the completion of verses half composed by others, and the
testing the knowledge of one another in the various arts. The women who may be the
most beautiful, who may like the same things that the men like, and who may have power
to attract the minds of others, are here done homage to.
Drinking Parties.
Men and women should drink in one another's houses. And here the men should cause the
public women to drink, and should then drink themselves, liquors such as the Madhu,
Aireya, Sara, and Asawa, which are of bitter and sour taste; also drinks concocted from
the barks of various trees, wild fruits and leaves.
Going to Gardens or Picnics.
In the forenoon, men, having dressed themselves should go to gardens on horseback,
accompanied by public women and followed by servants. And having done there all the
duties of the day, and passed the time in various agreeable diversions, such as the fighting
of quails, cocks and rams, and other spectacles, they should return home in the afternoon
in the same manner, bringing with them bunches of flowers, &c.
The same also applies to bathing in summer in water from which wicked or dangerous
animals have previously been taken out, and which has been built in on all sides.
Other Social Diversions.
Spending nights playing with dice. Going out on moonlight nights. Keeping the festive
day in honour of spring. Plucking the sprouts and fruits of the mangoe trees. Eating the
fibres of lotuses. Eating the tender ears of corn. Picnicing in the forests when the trees get
their new foliage. The Udakakashvedika or sporting in the water. Decorating each other
with the flowers of some trees. Pelting each other with the flowers of the Kadamba tree,
and many other sports which may either be known to the whole country, or may be
peculiar to particular parts of it. These and similar other amusements should always be
carried on by citizens.
The above amusements should be followed by a person who diverts himself alone in
company with a courtesan, as well as by a courtesan who can do the same in company
with her maid servants or with citizens.
A Pithamarda[26] is a man without wealth, alone in the world, whose only property
consists of his Mallika,[27] some lathering, substance and a red cloth, who comes from a
good country, and who is skilled in all the arts; and by teaching these arts is received in
the company of citizens, and in the abode of public women.
A Vita[28] is a man who has enjoyed the pleasures of fortune, who is a compatriot of the
citizens with whom he associates, who is possessed of the qualities of a householder, who
has his wife with him, and who is honoured in the assembly of citizens, and in the abodes
of public women, and lives on their means and on them.
A Vidushaka[29] (also called a Vaihasaka, i.e., one who provokes laughter) is a person only
acquainted with some of the arts who is a jester, and who is trusted by all.
These persons are employed in matters of quarrels and reconciliations between citizens
and public women.
This remark applies also to female beggars, to women with their heads shaved, to
adulterous women, and to old public women skilled in all the various arts.
Thus a citizen living in his town or village, respected by all, should call on the persons of
his own caste who may be worth knowing. He should converse in company and gratify
his friends by his society, and obliging others by his assistance in various matters, he
should cause them to assist one another in the same way.
There are some verses on this subject as follows:—
A citizen discoursing, not entirely in the Sanscrit language,[30] nor wholly in the dialects
of the country, on various topics in society, obtains great respect. The wise should not
resort to a society disliked by the public, governed by no rules, and intent on the
destruction of others. But a learned man living in a society which acts according to the
wishes of the people, and which has pleasure for its only object is highly respected in this
world.
CHAPTER V.
ABOUT THE KINDS OF WOMEN RESORTED TO BY THE CITIZENS,
AND OF FRIENDS AND MESSENGERS.
When Kama is practised by men of the four castes according to the rules of the Holy Writ
(i.e., by lawful marriage) with virgins of their own caste, it then becomes a means of
acquiring lawful progeny and good fame, and it is not also opposed to the customs of the
world. On the contrary the practice of Kama with women of the higher castes, and with
those previously enjoyed by others, even though they be of the same caste, is prohibited.
But the practice of Kama with women of the lower castes, with women excommunicated
from their own caste, with public women, and with women twice married,[31] is neither
enjoined nor prohibited. The object of practising Kama with such women is pleasure only.
Nayikas,[32] therefore, are of three kinds, viz., maids, women twice married, and public
women. Gonikaputra has expressed an opinion that there is a fourth kind of Nayika, viz., a
woman who is resorted to on some special occasion even though she be previously
married to another. These special occasions are when a man thinks thus:—
(a). This woman is self-willed, and has been previously enjoyed by many
others besides myself. I may, therefore, safely resort to her as to a public
woman though she belongs to a higher caste than mine, and in so doing I
shall not be violating the ordinances of Dharma.
Or thus:—
(b). This is a twice-married woman and has been enjoyed by others before
me, there is, therefore, no objection to my resorting to her.
Or thus:—
(c). This woman has gained the heart of her great and powerful husband, and
exercises a mastery over him, who is a friend of my enemy; if, therefore, she
becomes united with me, she will cause her husband to abandon my enemy.
Or thus:—
(d). This woman will turn the mind of her husband, who is very powerful, in
my favour, he being at present disaffected towards me, and intent on doing
me some harm.
Or thus:—
(e). By making this woman my friend I shall gain the object of some friend
of mine, or shall be able to effect the ruin of some enemy, or shall
accomplish some other difficult purpose.
Or thus:—
(f). By being united with this woman, I shall kill her husband, and so obtain
his vast riches which I covet.
Or thus:—
(g). The union of this woman with me is not attended with any danger, and
will bring me wealth, of which, on account of my poverty and inability to
support myself, I am very much in need. I shall, therefore, obtain her vast
riches in this way without any difficulty.
Or thus:—
(h). This woman loves me ardently, and knows all my weak points, if
therefore, I am unwilling to be united with her, she will make my faults
public, and thus tarnish my character and reputation. Or she will bring some
gross accusation against me, of which it may be hard to clear myself, and I
shall be ruined. Or perhaps she will detach from me her husband, who is
powerful, and yet under her control, and will unite him to my enemy, or will
herself join the latter.
Or thus:—
(i). The husband of this woman has violated the chastity of my wives, I shall
therefore return that injury by seducing his wives.
Or thus:—
(j). By the help of this woman I shall kill an enemy of the king, who has
taken shelter with her, and whom I am ordered by the king to destroy.
Or thus:
(k). The woman whom I love is under the control of this woman. I shall,
through the influence of the latter, be able to get at the former.
Or thus:—
(l). This woman will bring to me a maid, who possesses wealth and beauty,
but who is hard to get at, and under the control of another.
Or, lastly, thus:—
(m). My enemy is a friend of this woman's husband, I shall therefore cause
her to join him, and will thus create an enmity between her husband and
him.
For these and similar other reasons the wives of other men may be resorted to, but it must
be distinctly understood that is only allowed for special reasons, and not for mere carnal
desire.
Charayana thinks that under these circumstances there is also a fifth kind of Nayika, viz.,
a woman who is kept by a minister, and who repairs to him occasionally; or a widow who
accomplishes the purpose of a man with the person to whom she resorts.
Suvarnanabha adds that a woman who passes the life of an ascetic and in the condition of
a widow may be considered as a sixth kind of Nayika.
Ghotakamukha says that the daughter of a public woman, and a female servant, who are
still virgins, form a seventh kind of Nayika.
Gonardiya puts forth his doctrine that any woman born of good family, after she has come
of age, is an eighth kind of Nayika.
But these four latter kinds of Nayikas do not differ much from the first four kinds of them,
as there is no separate object in resorting to them. Therefore Vatsyayana is of opinion that
there are only four kinds of Nayikas, i.e., the maid, the twice married woman, the public
woman, and the woman resorted to for a special purpose.
The following women are not to be enjoyed:—
A leper.
A lunatic.
A woman turned out of caste.
A woman who reveals secrets.
A woman who publicly expresses desire for sexual intercourse.
A woman who is extremely white.
A woman who is extremely black.
A bad-smelling woman.
A woman who is a near relation.
A woman who is a female friend.
A woman who leads the life of an ascetic.
And, lastly, the wife of a relation, of a friend, of a learned Brahman, and of the king.
The followers of Babhravya say that any woman who has been enjoyed by five men is a
fit and proper person to be enjoyed. But Gonikaputra is of opinion that even when this is
the case, the wives of a relation, of a learned Brahman and of a king should be excepted.
The following are the kind of friends:—
One who has played with you in the dust, i.e., in childhood.
One who is bound by an obligation.
One who is of the same disposition and fond of the same things.
One who is a fellow student.
One who is acquainted with your secrets and faults, and whose faults and secrets are
also known to you.
One who is a child of your nurse.
One who is brought up with you.
One who is an hereditary friend.
Charayana says that citizens form friendship with washermen, barbers, cowherds, florists,
druggists, betel-leaf sellers, tavern keepers, beggars, Pithamardas, Vitas and Vidushekas,
as also with the wives of all these people.
The man who is ingenious and wise, who is accompanied by a friend, and who knows the
intentions of others, as also the proper time and place for doing everything, can gain over,
very easily, even a woman who is very hard to be obtained.
End of Part I.
PART II.
OF SEXUAL UNION.
CHAPTER I.
KINDS OF SEXUAL UNION ACCORDING TO
(a) DIMENSIONS.
(b) FORCE OF DESIRE OR PASSION.
(c) TIME.
Kinds of Union.
Man is divided into three classes, viz., the hare man, the bull man, and the horse man,
according to the size of his lingam.
Woman also, according to the depth of her yoni, is either a female deer, a mare, or a
female elephant.
There are thus three equal unions between persons of corresponding dimensions, and
there are six unequal unions, when the dimensions do not correspond, or nine in all, as the
following table shows:
EQUAL. UNEQUAL.
Men. Women. Men. Women
Hare. Deer. Hare. Mare.
Bull. Mare. Hare. Elephant.
Horse. Elephant. Bull. Deer.
Bull. Elephant.
Horse. Deer.
Horse. Mare.
In these unequal unions, when the male exceeds the female in point of size, his union with
a woman who is immediately next to him in size is called high union, and is of two kinds;
while his union with the woman most remote from him in size is called the highest union,
and is of one kind only. On the other hand when the female exceeds the male in point of
size, her union with a man immediately next to her in size is called low union, and is of
two kinds; while her union with a man most remote from her in size is called the lowest
union, and is of one kind only.
In other words, the horse and mare, the bull and deer, form the high union, while the horse
and deer form the highest union. On the female side, the elephant and bull, the mare and
hare, form low unions, while the elephant and the hare make the lowest unions.
There are then, nine kinds of union according to dimensions. Amongst all these, equal
unions are the best, those of a superlative degree, i.e., the highest and the lowest, are the
worst, and the rest are middling, and with them the high[33] are better than the low.
There are also nine kinds of union according to the force of passion or carnal desire, as
follows:
A man is called a man of small passion whose desire at the time of sexual union is not
great, whose semen is scanty, and who cannot bear the warm embraces of the female.
Those who differ from this temperament are called men of middling passion, while those
of intense passion are full of desire.
In the same way, women are supposed to have the three degrees of feeling as specified
above.
Lastly, according to time there are three kinds of men and women, viz., the short-timed,
the moderate-timed, and the long-timed, and of these as in the previous statements, there
are nine kinds of union.
But on this last head there is a difference of opinion about the female, which should be
stated.
Auddalika says, "Females do not emit as males do. The males simply remove their desire,
while the females, from their consciousness of desire, feel a certain kind of pleasure,
which gives them satisfaction, but it is impossible for them to tell you what kind of
pleasure they feel. The fact from which this becomes evident is, that males, when engaged
in coition, cease of themselves after emission, and are satisfied, but it is not so with
females."
This opinion is, however, objected to on the grounds that if a male be a long-timed, the
female loves him the more, but if he be short-timed, she is dissatisfied with him. And this
circumstance, some say, would prove that the female emits also.
But this opinion does not hold good, for if it takes a long time to allay a woman's desire,
and during this time she is enjoying great pleasure, it is quite natural then that she should
wish for its continuation. And on this subject there is a verse as follows:
"By union with men the lust, desire, or passion of women is satisfied, and the pleasure
derived from the consciousness of it is called their satisfaction."
The followers of Babhravya, however, say that the semen of women continues to fall from
the beginning of the sexual union to its end, and it is right that it should be so, for if they
had no semen there would be no embryo.
To this there is an objection. In the beginning of coition the passion of the woman is
middling, and she cannot bear the vigorous thrusts of her lover, but by degrees her passion
increases until she ceases to think about her body, and then finally she wishes to stop from
further coition.
This objection, however, does not hold good, for even in ordinary things that revolve with
great force, such as a potter's wheel, or a top, we find that the motion at first is slow, but
by degrees it becomes very rapid. In the same way the passion of the woman having
gradually increased, she has a desire to discontinue coition, when all the semen has fallen
away. And there is a verse with regard to this as follows:
"The fall of the semen of the man takes place only at the end of coition, while the semen
of the woman falls continually, and after the semen of both has all fallen away then they
wish for the discontinuance of coition."[34]
Lastly, Vatsyayana is of opinion that the semen of the female falls in the same way as that
of the male.
Now some may ask here: If men and women are beings of the same kind, and are engaged
in bringing about the same result, why should they have different works to do.
Vatsya says that this is so, because the ways of working as well as the consciousness of
pleasure in men and women are different. The difference in the ways of working, by
which men are the actors, and women are the persons acted upon, is owing to the nature
of the male and the female, otherwise the actor would be sometimes the person acted
upon, and vice versâ. And from this difference in the ways of working follows the
difference in the consciousness of pleasure, for a man thinks, "this woman is united with
me," and a woman thinks, "I am united with this man."
It may be said that if the ways of working in men and women are different, why should
not there be a difference, even in the pleasure they feel, and which is the result of those
ways.
But this objection is groundless, for the person acting and the person acted upon being of
different kinds, there is a reason for the difference in their ways of working; but there is
no reason for any difference in the pleasure they feel, because they both naturally derive
pleasure from the act they perform.[35]
On this again some may say that when different persons are engaged in doing the same
work, we find that they accomplish the same end or purpose: while, on the contrary, in the
case of men and women we find that each of them accomplishes his or her own end
separately, and this is inconsistent. But this is a mistake, for we find that sometimes two
things are done at the same time, as for instance in the fighting of rams, both the rams
receive the shock at the same time on their heads. Again, in throwing one wood apple
against another, and also in a fight or struggle of wrestlers. If it be said that in these cases
the things employed are of the same kind, it is answered that even in the case of men and
women, the nature of the two persons is the same. And as the difference in their ways of
working arises from the difference of their conformation only, it follows that men
experience the same kind of pleasure as women do.
There is also a verse on this subject as follows: "Men and women being of the same
nature, feel the same kind of pleasure, and therefore a man should marry such a woman as
will love him ever afterwards."
The pleasure of men and women being thus proved to be of the same kind, it follows that
in regard to time, there are nine kinds of sexual intercourse, in the same way as there are
nine kinds, according to the force of passion.
There being thus nine kinds of union with regard to dimensions, force of passion, and
time, respectively, by making combinations of them, innumerable kinds of union would
be produced. Therefore in each particular kind of sexual union, men should use such
means as they may think suitable for the occasion.[36]
At the first time of sexual union the passion of the male is intense, and his time is short,
but in subsequent unions on the same day the reverse of this is the case. With the female,
however, it is the contrary, for at the first time her passion is weak, and then her time long,
but on subsequent occasions on the same day, her passion is intense and her time short,
until her passion is satisfied.
On the different kinds of Love.
Men learned in the humanities are of opinion that love is of four kinds, viz.:
(1). Love resulting from the constant and continual performance and habit, as for instance
the love of sexual intercourse, the love of hunting, the love of drinking, the love of
gambling, etc., etc.
(2). Love which is felt for things to which we are not habituated, and which proceeds
entirely from ideas, is called love resulting from imagination, as for instance, that love
which some men and women and eunuchs feel for the Auparishtaka or mouth congress,
and that which is felt by all for such things as embracing, kissing, etc., etc.
(3). The love which is mutual on both sides, and proved to be true, when each looks upon
the other as his or her very own, such is called love resulting from belief by the learned.
(4). The love resulting from the perception of eternal objects is quite evident and well-
known to the world, because the pleasure which it affords is superior to the pleasure of the
other kinds of love, which exists only for its sake.
What has been said in this chapter upon the subject of sexual union is sufficient for the
learned; but for the edification of the ignorant, the same will now be treated of at length
and in detail.
CHAPTER II.
OF THE EMBRACE.
This part of the Kama Shastra, which treats of sexual union, is also called "Sixty-four"
(Chatushshashti). Some old authors say that it is called so, because it contains sixty-four
chapters. Others are of opinion that the author of this part being a person named Panchala,
and the person who recited the part of the Rig Veda called Dashatapa, which contains
sixty-four verses, being also called Panchala, the name "sixty-four" has been given to the
part of the work in honour of the Rig Vedas. The followers of Babhravya say on the other
hand that this part contains eight subjects, viz., the embrace, kissing, scratching with the
nails or fingers, biting, lying down, making various sounds, playing the part of a man, and
the Auparishtaka, or mouth congress. Each of these subjects being of eight kinds, and
eight multiplied by eight being sixty-four, this part is therefore named "sixty-four." But
Vatsyayana affirms that as this part contains also the following subjects, viz., striking,
crying, the acts of a man during congress, the various kinds of congress, and other
subjects, the name "sixty-four" is given to it only accidentally. As, for instance, we say
this tree is "Saptaparna," or seven-leaved, this offering of rice is "Panchavarna," or five-
coloured, but the tree has not seven leaves, neither has the rice five colours.
However the part sixty-four is now treated of, and the embrace, being the first subject,
will now be considered.
Now the embrace which indicates the mutual love of a man and woman who have come
together is of four kinds, viz.:
Touching.
Piercing.
Rubbing.
Pressing.
The action in each case is denoted by the meaning of the word which stands for it.
(1). When a man under some pretext or other goes in front or alongside of a woman and
touches her body with his own, it is called the "touching embrace."
(2). When a woman in a lonely place bends down, as if to pick up something, and pierces,
as it were, a man sitting or standing, with her breasts, and the man in return takes hold of
them, it is called a "piercing embrace."
The above two kinds of embrace takes place only between persons who do not, as yet,
speak freely with each other.
(3). When two lovers are walking slowly together, either in the dark, or in a place of
public resort, or in a lonely place, and rub their bodies against each other, it is called a
"rubbing embrace."
(4). When on the above occasion one of them presses the other's body forcibly against a
wall or pillar, it is called a "pressing embrace."
These two last embraces are peculiar to those who know the intentions of each other.
At the time of the meeting the four following kinds of embrace are used, viz.:
(1). When a woman, clinging to a man as a creeper twines round a tree, bends his head
down to hers with the desire of kissing him and slightly makes the sound of sut sut,
embraces him, and looks lovingly towards him, it is called an embrace like the "twining
of a creeper."
(2). When a woman, having placed one of her feet on the foot of her lover, and the other
on one of his thighs, passes one of her arms round his back, and the other on his
shoulders, makes slightly the sounds of singing and cooing, and wishes, as it were, to
climb up him in order to have a kiss, it is called an embrace like the "climbing of a tree."
These two kinds of embrace take place when the lover is standing.
(3). When lovers lie on a bed, and embrace each other so closely that the arms and thighs
of the one are encircled by the arms and thighs of the other, and are, as it were, rubbing up
against them, this is called an embrace like "the mixture of sesamum seed with rice."
(4). When a man and a woman are very much in love with each other, and not thinking of
any pain or hurt, embrace each other as if they were entering into each other's bodies,
either while the woman is sitting on the lap of the man or in front of him, or on a bed,
then it is called an embrace like a "mixture of milk and water."
These two kinds of embrace take place at the time of sexual union.
Babhravya has thus related to us the above eight kinds of embraces.
Suvarnanabha, moreover, gives us four ways of embracing simple members of the body,
which are:
(1). When one of two lovers presses forcibly one or both of the thighs of the other
between his or her own, it is called the "embrace of thighs."
(2). When a man presses the jaghana or middle part of the woman's body against his own,
and mounts upon her to practise, either scratching with the nail or finger, or biting, or
striking, or kissing, the hair of the woman being loose and flowing, it is called the
"embrace of the jaghana."
(3). When a man places his breast between the breasts of a woman, and presses her with
it, it is called the "embrace of the breasts."
(4). When either of the lovers touches the mouth, the eyes and the forehead of the other
with his or her own, it is called the "embrace of the forehead."
Some say that even shampooing is a kind of embrace, because there is a touching of
bodies in it. But Vatsyayana thinks that shampooing is performed at a different time, and
for a different purpose, and it is also of a different character, it cannot be said to be
included in the embrace.
There are also some verses on the subject as follows: "The whole subject of embracing is
of such a nature that men who ask questions about it, or who hear about it, or who talk
about it, acquire thereby a desire for enjoyment. Even those embraces that are not
mentioned in the Kama Shastra should be practised at the time of sexual enjoyment, if
they are in any way conducive to the increase of love or passion. The rules of the Shastra
apply so long as the passion of man is middling, but when the wheel of love is once set in
motion, there is then no Shastra and no order."
CHAPTER III.
ON KISSING.
It is said by some that there is no fixed time or order between the embrace, the kiss, and
the pressing or scratching with the nails or fingers, but that all these things should be done
generally before sexual union takes place, while striking and making the various sounds
generally takes place at the time of the union. Vatsyayana, however, thinks that anything
may take place at any time, for love does not care for time or order.
On the occasion of the first congress, kissing and the other things mentioned above should
be done moderately, they should not be continued for a long time, and should be done
alternately. On subsequent occasions, however, the reverse of all this may take place, and
moderation will not be necessary, they may continue for a long time, and for the purpose
of kindling love, they may be all done at the same time.
The following are the places for kissing, viz., the forehead, the eyes, the cheeks, the
throat, the bosom, the breasts, the lips, and the interior of the mouth. Moreover, the people
of the Lat country kiss also on the following places, viz., the joints of the thighs, the arms,
and the navel. But Vatsyayana thinks that though kissing is practised by these people in
the above places on account of the intensity of their love, and the customs of their
country, it is not fit to be practised by all.
Now in a case of a young girl there are three sort of kisses, viz.:
(1). When a girl only touches the mouth of her lover with her own, but does not herself do
anything, it is called the "nominal kiss."
(2). When a girl, setting aside her bashfulness a little, wishes to touch the lip that is
pressed into her mouth, and with that object moves her lower lip, but not the upper one, it
is called the "throbbing kiss."
(3). When a girl touches her lover's lip with her tongue, and having shut her eyes, places
her hands on those of her lover, it is called the "touching kiss."
Other authors describe four other kinds of kisses, viz.:
(1). When the lips of two lovers are brought into direct contact with each other, it is called
a "straight kiss."
(2). When the heads of two lovers are bent towards each other, and when so bent kissing
takes place, it is called a "bent kiss."
(3). When one of them turns up the face of the other by holding the head and chin, and
then kissing, it is called a "turned kiss."
(4). Lastly, when the lower lip is pressed with much force, it is called a "pressed kiss."
There is also a fifth kind of kiss called the "greatly pressed kiss," which is effected by
taking hold of the lower lip between two fingers, and then after touching it with the
tongue, pressing it with great force with the lip.
As regards kissing, a wager may be laid as to which will get hold of the lips of the other
first. If the woman loses, she should pretend to cry, should keep her lover off by shaking
her hands, and turn away from him and dispute with him, saying "let another wager be
laid." If she loses this a second time, she should appear doubly distressed, and when her
lover is off his guard or asleep, she should get hold of his lower lip, and hold it in her
teeth, so that it should not slip away, and then she should laugh, make a loud noise, deride
him, dance about, and say whatever she likes in a joking way, moving her eyebrows, and
rolling her eyes. Such are the wagers and quarrels as far as kissing is concerned, but the
same may be applied with regard to the pressing or scratching with the nails and fingers,
biting and striking. All these, however, are only peculiar to men and women of intense
passion.
When a man kisses the upper lip of a woman, while she in return kisses his lower lip, it is
called the "kiss of the upper lip."
When one of them takes both the lips of the other between his or her own, it is called "a
clasping kiss." A woman, however, only takes this kind of kiss from a man who has no
moustache. And on the occasion of this kiss, if one of them touches the teeth, the tongue,
and the palate of the other, with his or her tongue, it is called the "fighting of the tongue."
In the same way, the pressing of the teeth of the one against the mouth of the other is to be
practised.
Kissing is of four kinds, viz., moderate, contracted, pressed, and soft, according to the
different parts of the body which are kissed, for different kinds of kisses are appropriate
for different parts of the body.
When a woman looks at the face of her lover while he is asleep, and kisses it to show her
intention or desire, it is called a "kiss that kindles love."
When a woman kisses her lover while he is engaged in business, or while he is quarrelling
with her, or while he is looking at something else, so that his mind may be turned away, it
is called a "kiss that turns away."
When a lover coming home late at night kisses his beloved, who is asleep or in bed, in
order to show her his desire, it is called a "kiss that awakens." On such an occasion the
woman may pretend to be asleep at the time of her lover's arrival, so that she may know
his intention and obtain respect from him.
When a person kisses the reflection of the person he loves in a mirror, in water, or on a
wall, it is called a "kiss showing the intention."
When a person kisses a child sitting on his lap, or a picture, or an image, or figure, in the
presence of the person beloved by him, it is called a "transferred kiss."
When at night at a theatre, or in an assembly of caste men, a man coming up to a woman
kisses a finger of her hand if she be standing, or a toe of her foot if she be sitting, or when
a woman is shampooing her lover's body, places her face on his thigh (as if she was
sleepy) so as to inflame his passion, and kisses his thigh or great toe, it is called a
"demonstrative kiss."
There is also a verse on the subject as follows:—
"Whatever things may be done by one of the lovers to the other, the same should be
returned by the other, i.e., if the woman kisses him he should kiss her in return, if she
strikes him he should also strike her in return."
CHAPTER IV.
ON PRESSING, OR MARKING, OR SCRATCHING WITH THE NAILS.
When love becomes intense, pressing with the nails or scratching the body with them is
practised, and it is done on the following occasions: On the first visit; at the time of
setting out on a journey; on the return from a journey; at the time when an angry lover is
reconciled; and lastly when the woman is intoxicated.
But pressing with the nails is not an usual thing except with those who are intensely
passionate, i.e., full of passion. It is employed together with biting, by those to whom the
practice is agreeable.
Pressing with the nails is of the eight following kinds, according to the forms of the marks
which are produced, viz.:
1. Sounding.
2. Half moon.
3. A circle.
4. A line.
5. A tiger's nail or claw.
6. A peacock's foot.
7. The jump of a hare.
8. The leaf of a blue lotus.
The places that are to be pressed with the nails are as follows: the arm pit, the throat, the
breasts, the lips, the jaghana, or middle parts of the body, and the thighs. But
Suvarnanabha is of opinion that when the impetuosity of passion is excessive, then the
places need not be considered.
The qualities of good nails are that they should be bright, well set, clean, entire, convex,
soft, and glossy in appearance. Nails are of three kinds according to their size, viz.:
Small.
Middling.
Large.
Large nails, which give grace to the hands, and attract the hearts of women from their
appearance, are possessed by the Bengalees.
Small nails, which can be used in various ways, and are to be applied only with the object
of giving pleasure, are possessed by the people of the southern districts.
Middling nails, which contain the properties of both the above kinds, belong to the people
of the Maharashtra.
(1). When a person presses the chin, the breasts, the lower lip, or the jaghana of another so
softly that no scratch or mark is left, but only the hair on the body becomes erect from the
touch of the nails, and the nails themselves make a sound, it is called a "sounding or
pressing with the nails."
This pressing is used in the case of a young girl when her lover shampoos her, scratches
her head, and wants to trouble or frighten her.
(2). The curved mark with the nails, which is impressed on the neck and the breasts, is
called the "half moon."
(3). When the half moons are impressed opposite to each other, it is called a "circle." This
mark with the nails is generally made on the navel, the small cavities about the buttocks,
and on the joints of the thigh.
(4). A mark in the form of a small line, and which can be made on any part of the body, is
called a "line."
(5). This same line, when it is curved, and made on the breast, is called a "tiger's nail."
(6). When a curved mark is made on the breast by means of the five nails, it is called a
"peacock's foot." This mark is made with the object of being praised, for it requires a
great deal of skill to make it properly.
(7). When five marks with the nails are made close to one another near the nipple of the
breast, it is called "the jump of a hare."
(8). A mark made on the breast or on the hips in the form of a leaf of the blue lotus, is
called the "leaf of a blue lotus."
When a person is going on a journey, and makes a mark on the thighs, or on the breast, it
is called a "token of remembrance." On such an occasion three or four lines are impressed
close to one another with the nails.
Here ends the marking with the nails. Marks of other kinds than the above may also be
made with the nails, for the ancient authors say, that as there are innumerable degrees of
skill among men (the practice of this art being known to all), so there are innumerable
ways of making these marks. And as pressing or marking with the nails is independent of
love, no one can say with certainty how many different kinds of marks with the nails do
actually exist. The reason of this is, Vatsyayana says, that as variety is necessary in love,
so love is to be produced by means of variety. It is on this account that courtezans, who
are well acquainted with various ways and means, become so desirable, for if variety is
sought in all the arts and amusements, such as archery and others, how much more should
it be sought after in the present case.
The marks of the nails should not be made on married women, but particular kinds of
marks may be made on their private parts for the remembrance and increase of love.
There are also some verses on the subject, as follows:
"The love of a woman who sees the marks of nails on the private parts of her body, even
though they are old and almost worn out, becomes again fresh and new. If there be no
marks of nails to remind a person of the passages of love, then love is lessened in the
same way as when no union takes place for a long time."
Even when a stranger sees at a distance a young woman with the marks of nails on her
breast,[37] he is filled with love and respect for her.
A man, also, who carries the marks of nails and teeth on some parts of his body,
influences the mind of a woman, even though it be ever so firm. In short, nothing tends to
increase love so much as the effects of marking with the nails, and biting.
CHAPTER V.
ON BITING, AND THE MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED WITH REGARD
TO WOMEN OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
All the places that can be kissed, are also the places that can be bitten, except the upper
lip, the interior of the mouth, and the eyes.
The qualities of good teeth are as follows: They should be equal, possessed of a pleasing
brightness, capable of being coloured, of proper proportions, unbroken, and with sharp
ends.
The defects of teeth on the other hand are, that they are blunt, protruding from the gums,
rough, soft, large, and loosely set.
The following are the different kinds of biting, viz.:
(1). The biting which is shown only by the excessive redness of the skin that is bitten, is
called the "hidden bite."
(2). When the skin is pressed down on both sides, it is called the "swollen bite."
(3). When a small portion of the skin is bitten with two teeth only, it is called the "point."
(4). When such small portions of the skin are bitten with all the teeth, it is called the "line
of points."
(5). The biting which is done by bringing together the teeth and the lips, is called the
"coral and the jewel." The lip is the coral, and the teeth the jewel.
(6). When biting is done with all the teeth, it is called the "line of jewels."
(7). The biting which consists of unequal risings in a circle, and which comes from the
space between the teeth, is called the "broken cloud." This is impressed on the breasts.
(8). The biting which consists of many broad rows of marks near to one another, and with
red intervals, is called the "biting of a boar." This is impressed on the breasts and the
shoulders; and these two last modes of biting are peculiar to persons of intense passion.
The lower lip is the place on which the "hidden bite," the "swollen bite," and the "point"
are made; again the "swollen bite," and the "coral and the jewel" bite are done on the
cheek. Kissing, pressing with the nails, and biting are the ornaments of the left cheek, and
when the word cheek is used it is to be understood as the left cheek.
Both the "line of points" and the "line of jewels" are to be impressed on the throat, the
arm pit, and the joints of the thighs; but the "line of points" alone is to be impressed on
the forehead and the thighs.
The marking with the nails, and the biting of the following things, viz., an ornament of the
forehead, an ear ornament, a bunch of flowers, a betel leaf, or a tamala leaf, which are
worn by, or belong to the woman that is beloved, are signs of the desire of enjoyment.
Here end the different kinds of biting.
In the affairs of love a man should do such things as are agreeable to the women of
different countries.
The women of the central countries (i.e., between the Ganges and the Jumna) are noble in
their character, not accustomed to disgraceful practices, and dislike pressing the nails and
biting.
The women of the Balhika country are gained over by striking.
The women of Avantika are fond of foul pleasures, and have not good manners.
The women of the Maharashtra are fond of practising the sixty-four arts, they utter low
and harsh words, and like to be spoken to in the same way, and have an impetuous desire
of enjoyment.
The women of Pataliputra (i.e., the modern Patna) are of the same nature as the women of
the Maharashtra, but show their likings only in secret.
The women of the Dravida country, though they are rubbed and pressed about at the time
of sexual enjoyment, have a slow fall of semen, that is they are very slow in the act of
coition.
The women of Vanavasi are moderately passionate, they go through every kind of
enjoyment, cover their bodies, and abuse those who utter low, mean and harsh words.
The women of Avanti hate kissing, marking with the nails, and biting, but they have a
fondness for various kinds of sexual union.
The women of Malwa like embracing and kissing, but not wounding, and they are gained
over by striking.
The women of Abhira, and those of the country about the Indus and five rivers (i.e., the
Punjab), are gained over by the Auparishtaka or mouth congress.
The women of Aparatika are full of passion, and make slowly the sound "Sit."
The women of the Lat country have even more impetuous desire, and also make the sound
"Sit."
The women of the Stri Rajya, and of Koshola (Oude), are full of impetuous desire, their
semen falls in large quantities, and they are fond of taking medicine to make it do so.
The women of the Audhra country have tender bodies, they are fond of enjoyment, and
have a liking for voluptuous pleasures.
The women of Ganda have tender bodies, and speak sweetly.
Now Suvarnanabha is of opinion that that which is agreeable to the nature of a particular
person, is of more consequence than that which is agreeable to a whole nation, and that
therefore the peculiarities of the country should not be observed in such cases. The
various pleasures, the dress, and the sports of one country are in time borrowed by
another, and in such a case these things must be considered as belonging originally to that
country.
Among the things mentioned above, viz., embracing, kissing, etc., those which increase
passion should be done first, and those which are only for amusement or variety should be
done afterwards.
There are also some verses on this subject as follows:
"When a man bites a woman forcibly, she should angrily do the same to him with double
force. Thus a 'point' should be returned with a 'line of points,' and a 'line of points' with a
'broken cloud,' and if she be excessively chafed, she should at once begin a love quarrel
with him. At such a time she should take hold of her lover by the hair, and bend his head
down, and kiss his lower lip, and then, being intoxicated with love, she should shut her
eyes and bite him in various places. Even by day, and in a place of public resort, when her
lover shows her any mark that she may have inflicted on his body, she should smile at the
sight of it, and turning her face as if she were going to chide him, she should show him
with an angry look the marks on her own body that have been made by him. Thus if men
and women act according to each other's liking, their love for each other will not be
lessened even in one hundred years."
CHAPTER VI.
OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF LYING DOWN, AND VARIOUS KINDS
OF CONGRESS.
On the occasion of a "high congress" the Mrigi (Deer) woman should lie down in such a
way as to widen her yoni, while in a "low congress" the Hastini (Elephant) woman should
lie down so as to contract hers. But in an "equal congress" they should lie down in the
natural position. What is said above concerning the Mrigi and the Hastini applies also to
the Vadawa (Mare) woman. In a "low congress" the women should particularly make use
of medicine, to cause her desires to be satisfied quickly.
The Deer-woman has the following three ways of lying down.
(1). When she lowers her head and raises her middle parts, it is called the "widely opened
position." At such a time the man should apply some unguent, so as to make the entrance
easy.
(2). When she raises her thighs and keeps them wide apart and engages in congress, it is
called the "yawning position."
(3). When she places her thighs with her legs doubled on them upon her sides, and thus
engages in congress, it is called the position of Indrani, and this is learnt only by practice.
The position is also useful in the case of the "highest congress."
The "clasping position" is used in "low congress," and in the "lowest congress," together
with the "pressing position," the "twining position", and the "mare's position."
When the legs of both the male and the female are stretched straight out over each other, it
is called the "clasping position." It is of two kinds, the side position and the supine
position, according to the way in which they lie down. In the side position the male
should invariably lie on his left side, and cause the woman to lie on her right side, and this
rule is to be observed in lying down with all kinds of women.
When, after congress has begun in the clasping position, the woman presses her lover
with her thighs, it is called the "pressing position."
When the woman places one of her thighs across the thigh of her lover, it is called the
"twining position."
When a woman forcibly holds in her yoni the lingam after it is in, it is called the "mare's
position." This is learnt by practice only, and is chiefly found among the women of the
Andra country.
The above are the different ways of lying down, mentioned by Babhravya; Suvarnanabha,
however, gives the following in addition.
When the female raises both of her thighs straight up, it is called the "rising position."
When she raises both of her legs, and places them on her lover's shoulders, it is called the
"yawning position."
When the legs are contracted, and thus held by the lover before his bosom, it is called the
"pressed position."
When only one of her legs is stretched out, it is called the "half pressed position."
When the woman places one of her legs on her lover's shoulder, and stretches the other
out, and then places the latter on his shoulder, and stretches out the other, and continues to
do so alternately, it is called the "splitting of a bamboo."
When one of her legs is placed on the head, and the other is stretched out, it is called the
"fixing of a nail." This is learnt by practice only.
When both the legs of the woman are contracted, and placed on her stomach, it is called
the "crab's position."
When the thighs are raised and placed one upon the other, it is called the "packed
position."
When the shanks are placed one upon the other, it is called the "lotus-like position."
When a man, during congress, turns round, and enjoys the woman without leaving her,
while she embraces him round the back all the time, it is called the "turning position," and
is learnt only by practice.
Thus says Suvarnanabha, these different ways of lying down, sitting, and standing should
be practised in water, because it is easy to do so therein. But Vatsyayana is of opinion that
congress in water is improper, because it is prohibited by the religious law.
When a man and a woman support themselves on each other's bodies, or on a wall, or
pillar, and thus while standing engage in congress, it is called the "supported congress."
When a man supports himself against a wall, and the woman, sitting on his hands joined
together and held underneath her, throws her arms round his neck, and putting her thighs
alongside his waist, moves herself by her feet, which are touching the wall against which
the man is leaning, it is called the "suspended congress."
When a woman stands on her hands and feet like a quadruped, and her lover mounts her
like a bull, it is called the "congress of a cow." At this time everything that is ordinarily
done on the bosom should be done on the back.
In the same way can be carried on the congress of a dog, the congress of a goat, the
congress of a deer, the forcible mounting of an ass, the congress of a cat, the jump of a
tiger, the pressing of an elephant, the rubbing of a boar, and the mounting of a horse. And
in all these cases the characteristics of these different animals should be manifested by
acting like them.
When a man enjoys two women at the same time, both of whom love him equally, it is
called the "united congress."
When a man enjoys many women altogether, it is called the "congress of a herd of cows."
The following kinds of congress, viz., sporting in water, or the congress of an elephant
with many female elephants, which is said to take place only in the water, the congress of
a collection of goats, the congress of a collection of deer, take place in imitation of these
animals.
In Gramaneri many young men enjoy a woman that may be married to one of them, either
one after the other, or at the same time. Thus one of them holds her, another enjoys her, a
third uses her mouth, a fourth holds her middle part, and in this way they go on enjoying
her several parts alternately.
The same things can be done when several men are sitting in company with one
courtesan, or when one courtesan is alone with many men. In the same way this can be
done by the women of the King's harem when they accidentally get hold of a man.
The people in the Southern countries have also a congress in the anus, that is called the
"lower congress."
Thus ends the various kinds of congress. There are also two verses on the subject as
follows.
"An ingenious person should multiply the kinds of congress after the fashion of the
different kinds of beasts and of birds. For these different kinds of congress, performed
according to the usage of each country, and the liking of each individual, generate love,
friendship, and respect in the hearts of women."
CHAPTER VII.
OF THE VARIOUS MODES OF STRIKING, AND OF THE SOUNDS
APPROPRIATE TO THEM.
The shoulders.
The head.
The space between the breasts.
The back.
The jaghana, or middle part of the body.
The sides.
On account of its causing pain, striking gives rise to the hissing sound, which is of various
kinds, and to the eight kinds of crying, viz.:
Besides these, there are also words having a meaning, such as "mother," and those that are
expressive of prohibition, sufficiency, desire of liberation, pain or praise, and to which
may be added sounds like those of the dove, the cuckoo, the green pigeon, the parrot, the
bee, the sparrow, the flamingo, the duck, and the quail, which are all occasionally made
use of.
Blows with the fist should be given on the back of the woman, while she is sitting on the
lap of the man, and she should give blows in return, abusing the man as if she were angry,
and making the cooing and the weeping sounds. While the woman is engaged in congress
the space between the breasts should be struck with the back of the hand, slowly at first,
and then proportionately to the increasing excitement, until the end.
At this time the sounds Hin and others may be made, alternately or optionally, according
to habit. When the man, making the sound Phât, strikes the woman on the head, with the
fingers of his hand a little contracted, it is called Prasritaka, which means striking with the
fingers of the hand a little contracted. In this case the appropriate sounds are the cooing
sound, the sound Phât, and the sound Phut in the interior of the mouth, and at the end of
congress the sighing and weeping sounds. The sound Phât is an imitation of the sound of a
bamboo being split, while the sound Phut is like the sound made by something falling into
water. At all times when kissing and such like things are begun, the woman should give a
reply with a hissing sound. During the excitement when the woman is not accustomed to
striking, she continually utters words expressive of prohibition, sufficiently, or desire of
liberation, as well as the words "father," "mother," intermingled with the sighing, weeping
and thundering sounds.[38] Towards the conclusion of the congress, the breasts, the
jaghana, and the sides of the woman should be pressed with the open palms of the hand,
with some force, until the end of it, and then sounds like those of the quail, or the goose
should be made.
There are also two verses on the subject as follows:
"The characteristics of manhood are said to consist of roughness and impetuosity, while
weakness, tenderness, sensibility, and an inclination to turn away from unpleasant things
are the distinguishing marks of womanhood. The excitement of passion, and peculiarities
of habit may sometimes cause contrary results to appear, but these do not last long, and in
the end the natural state is resumed."
The wedge on the bosom, the scissors on the head, the piercing instrument on the cheeks,
and the pinchers on the breasts and sides, may also be taken into consideration with the
other four modes of striking, and thus give eight ways altogether. But these four ways of
striking with instruments are peculiar to the people of the southern countries, and the
marks caused by them are seen on the breasts of their women. They are local peculiarities,
but Vatsyayana is of opinion that the practice of them is painful, barbarous, and base, and
quite unworthy of imitation.
In the same way anything that is a local peculiarity should not always be adopted
elsewhere, and even in the place where the practice is prevalent, excess of it should
always be avoided. Instances of the dangerous use of them may be given as follows. The
King of the Panchalas killed the courtezan Madhavasena by means of the wedge during
congress. King Shatakarni Shatavahana of the Kuntalas deprived his great Queen
Malayavati of her life by a pair of scissors, and Naradeva, whose hand was deformed,
blinded a dancing girl by directing a piercing instrument in a wrong way.
There are also two verses on the subject as follows:
"About these things there cannot be either enumeration or any definite rule. Congress
having once commenced, passion alone gives birth to all the acts of the parties."
Such passionate actions and amorous gesticulations or movements, which arise on the
spur of the moment, and during sexual intercourse, cannot be defined, and are as irregular
as dreams. A horse having once attained the fifth degree of motion goes on with blind
speed, regardless of pits, ditches, and posts in his way; and in the same manner a loving
pair become blind with passion in the heat of congress, and go on with great impetuosity,
paying not the least regard to excess. For this reason one who is well acquainted with the
science of love, and knowing his own strength, as also the tenderness, impetuosity, and
strength of the young woman, should act accordingly. The various modes of enjoyment
are not for all times or for all persons, but they should only be used at the proper time, and
in the proper countries and places.
CHAPTER VIII.
ABOUT WOMEN ACTING THE PART OF A MAN; AND OF THE
WORK OF A MAN.
When a woman sees that her lover is fatigued by constant congress, without having his
desire satisfied, she should, with his permission, lay him down upon his back, and give
him assistance by acting his part. She may also do this to satisfy the curiosity of her lover,
or her own desire of novelty.
There are two ways of doing this, the first is when during congress she turns round, and
gets on the top of her lover, in such a manner as to continue the congress, without
obstructing the pleasure of it; and the other is when she acts the man's part from the
beginning. At such a time, with flowers in her hair hanging loose, and her smiles broken
by hard breathings, she should press upon her lover's bosom with her own breasts, and
lowering her head frequently, should do in return the same actions which he used to do
before, returning his blows and chaffing him, should say, "I was laid down by you, and
fatigued with hard congress, I shall now therefore lay you down in return." She should
then again manifest her own bashfulness, her fatigue, and her desire of stopping the
congress. In this way she should do the work of a man, which we shall presently relate.
Whatever is done by a man for giving pleasure to a woman is called the work of a man,
and is as follows:—
While the woman is lying on his bed, and is as it were abstracted by his conversation, he
should loosen the knot of her under garments, and when she begins to dispute with him,
he should overwhelm her with kisses. Then when his lingam is erect he should touch her
with his hands in various places, and gently manipulate various parts of the body. If the
woman is bashful, and if it is the first time that they have come together, the man should
place his hands between her thighs, which she would probably keep close together, and if
she is a very young girl, he should first get his hands upon her breasts, which she would
probably cover with her own hands, and under her armpits and on her neck. If however
she is a seasoned woman, he should do whatever is agreeable either to him or to her, and
whatever is fitting for the occasion. After this he should take hold of her hair, and hold her
chin in his fingers for the purpose of kissing her. On this, if she is a young girl, she will
become bashful and close her eyes. Any how he should gather from the action of the
woman what things would be pleasing to her during congress.
Here Suvarnanabha says that while a man is doing to the woman what he likes best during
congress, he should always make a point of pressing those parts of her body on which she
turns her eyes.
The signs of the enjoyment and satisfaction of the women are as follows: her body
relaxes, she closes her eyes, she puts aside all bashfulness, and shows increased
willingness to unite the two organs as closely together as possible. On the other hand, the
signs of her want of enjoyment and of failing to be satisfied are as follows: she shakes her
hands, she does not let the man get up, feels dejected, bites the man, kicks him, and
continues to go on moving after the man has finished. In such cases the man should rub
the yoni of the woman with his hand and fingers (as the elephant rubs anything with his
trunk) before engaging in congress, until it is softened, and after that is done he should
proceed to put his lingam into her.
The acts to be done by the man are:
Moving forward.
Friction or churning.
Piercing.
Rubbing.
Pressing.
Giving a blow.
The blow of a boar.
The blow of a bull.
The sporting of a sparrow.
(1). When the organs are brought together properly and directly it is called "moving the
organ forward."
(2). When the lingam is held with the hand, and turned all round in the yoni, it is called
"churning."
(3). When the yoni is lowered, and the upper part of it is struck with the lingam, it is
called "piercing."
(4). When the same thing is done on the lower part of the yoni, it is called "rubbing."
(5). When the yoni is pressed by the lingam for a long time, it is called "pressing."
(6). When the lingam is removed to some distance from the yoni, and then forcibly strikes
it, it is called "giving a blow."
(7). When only one part of the yoni is rubbed with the lingam, it is called the "blow of a
boar."
(8). When both sides of the yoni are rubbed in this way, it is called the "blow of a bull."
(9). When the lingam is in the yoni, and moved up and down frequently, and without
being taken out, it is called the "sporting of a sparrow." This takes place at the end of
congress.
When a woman acts the part of a man, she has the following things to do in addition to the
nine given above, viz.
(1). When the woman holds the lingam in her yoni, draws it in, presses it, and keeps it
thus in her for a long time, it is called the "pair of tongs."
(2). When, while engaged in congress, she turns round like a wheel, it is called the "top."
This is learnt by practice only.
(3). When, on such an occasion, the man lifts up the middle part of his body, and the
woman turns round her middle part, it is called the "swing."
When the woman is tired, she should place her forehead on that of her lover, and should
thus take rest without disturbing the union of the organs, and when the woman has rested
herself the man should turn round and begin the congress again.
There are also some verses on the subject as follows:
"Though a woman is reserved, and keeps her feelings concealed, yet when she gets on the
top of a man, she then shows all her love and desire. A man should gather from the actions
of the woman of what disposition she is, and in what way she likes to be enjoyed. A
woman during her monthly courses, a woman who has been lately confined, and a fat
woman should not be made to act the part of a man."
CHAPTER IX.
There are two kinds of eunuchs, those that are disguised as males, and those that are
disguised as females. Eunuchs disguised as females imitate their dress, speech, gestures,
tenderness, timidity, simplicity, softness and bashfulness. The acts that are done on the
jaghana or middle parts of women, are done in the mouths of these eunuchs, and this is
called Auparishtaka. These eunuchs derive their imaginable pleasure, and their livelihood
from this kind of congress, and they lead the life of courtezans. So much concerning
eunuchs disguised as females.
Eunuchs disguised as males keep their desires secret, and when they wish to do anything
they lead the life of shampooers. Under the pretence of shampooing, an eunuch of this
kind embraces and draws towards himself the thighs of the man whom he is shampooing,
and after this he touches the joints of his thighs and his jaghana, or central portions of his
body. Then, if he finds the lingam of the man erect, he presses it with his hands, and
chaffs him for getting into that state. If after this, and after knowing his intention, the man
does not tell the eunuch to proceed, then the latter does it of his own accord and begins
the congress. If however he is ordered by the man to do it, then he disputes with him, and
only consents at last with difficulty.
The following eight things are then done by the eunuch one after the other, viz.
At the end of each of these the eunuch expresses his wish to stop, but when one of them is
finished, the man desires him to do another, and after that is done, then the one that
follows it, and so on.
(1). When, holding the man's lingam with his hand, and placing it between his lips, the
eunuch moves about his mouth, it is called the "nominal congress."
(2). When, covering the end of the lingam with his fingers collected together like the bud
of a plant or flower, the eunuch presses the sides of it with his lips, using his teeth also, it
is called "biting the sides."
(3). When, being desired to proceed, the eunuch presses the end of the lingam with his
lips closed together, and kisses it as if he were drawing it out, it is called the "outside
pressing."
(4). When, being asked to go on, he put the lingam further into his mouth, and presses it
with his lips and then takes it out, it is called the "inside pressing."
(5). When, holding the lingam in his hand, the eunuch kisses it as if he were kissing the
lower lip, it is called "kissing."
(6). When, after kissing it, he touches it with his tongue everywhere, and passes the
tongue over the end of it, it is called "rubbing."
(7). When, in the same way, he puts the half of it into his mouth, and forcibly kisses and
sucks it, this is called "sucking a mangoe fruit."
(8). And lastly, when, with the consent of the man, the eunuch puts the whole lingam into
his mouth, and presses it to the very end, as if he were going to swallow it up, it is called
"swallowing up."
Striking, scratching, and other things may also be done during this kind of congress.
The Auparishtaka is practised only by unchaste and wanton women, female attendants and
serving maids, i.e., those who are not married to anybody, but who live by shampooing.
The Acharyas (i.e., ancient and venerable authors) are of opinion that this Auparishtaka is
the work of a dog and not of a man, because it is a low practice, and opposed to the orders
of the Holy Writ, and because the man himself suffers by bringing his lingam into contact
with the mouths of eunuchs and women. But Vatsyayana says that the orders of the Holy
Writ do not affect those who resort to courtezans, and the law prohibits the practice of the
Auparishtaka with married women only. As regards the injury to the male, that can be
easily remedied.
The people of Eastern India do not resort to women who practise the Auparishtaka.
The people of Ahichhatra resort to such women, but do nothing with them, so far as the
mouth is concerned.
The people of Saketa do with these women every kind of mouth congress, while the
people of Nagara do not practise this, but do every other thing.
The people of the Shurasena country, on the southern bank of the Jumna, do everything
without any hesitation, for they say that women being naturally unclean, no one can be
certain about their character, their purity, their conduct, their practices, their confidences,
or their speech. They are not however on this account to be abandoned, because religious
law, on the authority of which they are reckoned pure, lays down that the udder of a cow
is clean at the time of milking, though the mouth of a cow, and also the mouth of her calf,
are considered unclean by the Hindoos. Again a dog is clean when he seizes a deer in
hunting, though food touched by a dog is otherwise considered very unclean. A bird is
clean when it causes a fruit to fall from a tree by pecking at it, though things eaten by
crows and other birds are considered unclean. And the mouth of a woman is clean for
kissing and such like things at the time of sexual intercourse. Vatsyayana moreover thinks
that in all these things connected with love, everybody should act according to the custom
of his country, and his own inclination.
There are also the following verses on the subject.
"The male servants of some men carry on the mouth congress with their masters. It is also
practised by some citizens, who know each other well, among themselves. Some women
of the harem, when they are amorous, do the acts of the mouth on the yonis of one
another, and some men do the same thing with women. The way of doing this (i.e., of
kissing the yoni) should be known from kissing the mouth. When a man and woman lie
down in an inverted order, i.e., with the head of the one towards the feet of the other and
carry on this congress, it is called the "congress of a crow."
For the sake of such things courtezans abandon men possessed of good qualities, liberal
and clever, and become attached to low persons, such as slaves and elephant drivers. The
Auparishtaka, or mouth congress, should never be done by a learned Brahman, by a
minister that carries on the business of a state, or by a man of good reputation, because
though the practice is allowed by the Shastras, there is no reason why it should be carried
on, and need only be practised in particular cases. As for instance, the taste, and the
strength, and the digestive qualities of the flesh of dogs are mentioned in works on
medicine, but it does not therefore follow that it should be eaten by the wise. In the same
way there are some men, some places and some times, with respect to which these
practices can be made use of. A man should therefore pay regard to the place, to the time,
and to the practice which is to be carried out, as also as to whether it is agreeable to his
nature and to himself, and then he may or may not practise these things according to
circumstances. But after all, these things being done secretly, and the mind of the man
being fickle, how can it be known what any person will do at any particular time and for
any particular purpose.
CHAPTER X.
OF THE WAY HOW TO BEGIN AND HOW TO END THE CONGRESS.
In the pleasure-room, decorated with flowers, and fragrant with perfumes, attended by his
friends and servants, the citizen should receive the woman, who will come bathed and
dressed, and will invite her to take refreshment and to drink freely. He should then seat
her on his left side, and holding her hair, and touching also the end and knot of her
garment, he should gently embrace her with his right arm. They should then carry on an
amusing conversation on various subjects, and may also talk suggestively of things which
would be considered as coarse, or not to be mentioned generally in society. They may
then sing, either with or without gesticulations, and play on musical instruments, talk
about the arts, and persuade each other to drink. At last when the woman is overcome
with love and desire, the citizen should dismiss the people that may be with him, giving
them flowers, ointment, and betel leaves, and then when the two are left alone, they
should proceed as has been already described in the previous chapters.
Such is the beginning of sexual union. At the end of the congress, the lovers with
modesty, and not looking at each other, should go separately to the washing-room. After
this, sitting in their own places, they should eat some betel leaves, and the citizen should
apply with his own hand to the body of the woman some pure sandal wood ointment, or
ointment of some other kind. He should then embrace her with his left arm, and with
agreeable words should cause her to drink from a cup held in his own hand, or he may
give her water to drink. They can then eat sweetmeats, or anything else, according to their
likings, and may drink fresh juice,[40] soup, gruel, extracts of meat, sherbet, the juice of
mangoe fruits, the extract of the juice of the citron tree mixed with sugar, or anything that
may be liked in different countries, and known to be sweet, soft, and pure. The lovers may
also sit on the terrace of the palace or house, and enjoy the moonlight, and carry on an
agreeable conversation. At this time, too, while the woman lies in his lap, with her face
towards the moon, the citizen should show her the different planets, the morning star, the
polar star, and the seven Rishis, or Great Bear.
This is the end of sexual union.
Congress is of the following kinds, viz.:
Loving congress.
Congress of subsequent love.
Congress of artificial love.
Congress of transferred love.
Congress like that of eunuchs.
Deceitful congress.
Congress of spontaneous love.
(1). When a man and a woman, who have been in love with each other for some time,
come together with great difficulty, or when one of the two returns from a journey, or is
reconciled after having been separated on account of a quarrel, then congress is called the
"loving congress." It is carried on according to the liking of the lovers, and as long as they
choose.
(2). When two persons come together, while their love for each other is still in its infancy,
their congress is called the "congress of subsequent love."
(3). When a man carries on the congress by exciting himself by means of the sixty-four
ways, such as kissing, etc., etc., or when a man and a woman come together, though in
reality they are both attached to different persons, their congress is then called "congress
of artificial love." At this time all the ways and means mentioned in the Kama Shastra
should be used.
(4). When a man, from the beginning to the end of the congress, though having
connection with the women, thinks all the time that he is enjoying another one whom he
loves, it is called the "congress of transferred love."
(5). Congress between a man and a female water carrier, or a female servant of a caste
lower than his own, lasting only until the desire is satisfied, is called "congress like that of
eunuchs." Here external touches, kisses, and manipulations are not to be employed.
(6). The congress between a courtezan and a rustic, and that between citizens and the
women of villages, and bordering countries, is called, "deceitful congress."
(7). The congress that takes place between two persons who are attached to one another,
and which is done according to their own liking is called "spontaneous congress."
Thus ends the kinds of congress.
We shall now speak of love quarrels.
A woman who is very much in love with a man cannot bear to hear the name of her rival
mentioned, or to have any conversation regarding her, or to be addressed by her name
through mistake. If such takes place, a great quarrel arises, and the woman cries, becomes
angry, tosses her hair about, strikes her lover, falls from her bed or seat, and, casting aside
her garlands and ornaments, throws herself down on the ground.
At this time, the lover should attempt to reconcile her with conciliatory words, and should
take her up carefully and place her on her bed. But she, not replying to his questions, and
with increased anger, should bend down his head by pulling his hair, and having kicked
him once, twice, or thrice on his arms, head, bosom or back, should then proceed to the
door of the room. Dattaka says that she should then sit angrily near the door and shed
tears, but should not go out, because she would be found fault with for going away. After
a time, when she thinks that the conciliatory words and actions of her lover have reached
their utmost, she should then embrace him, talking to him with harsh and reproachful
words, but at the same time showing a loving desire for congress.
When the woman is in her own house, and has quarrelled with her lover, she should go to
him and show how angry she is, and leave him. Afterwards the citizen having sent the
Vita,[41] the Vidushaka[41] or the Pithamurda[41] to pacify her, she should accompany them
back to the house, and spend the night with her lover.
Thus end the love quarrels.
In conclusion.
A man, employing the sixty-four means mentioned by Babhravya, obtains his object, and
enjoys the woman of the first quality. Though he may speak well on other subjects, if he
does not know the sixty-four divisions, no great respect is paid to him in the assembly of
the learned. A man, devoid of other knowledge, but well acquainted with the sixty-four
divisions, becomes a leader in any society of men and women. What man will not respect
the sixty-four parts,[42] considering they are respected by the learned, by the cunning, and
by the courtezans. As the sixty-four parts are respected, are charming, and add to the
talent of women, they are called by the Acharyas dear to women. A man skilled in the
sixty-four parts is looked upon with love by his own wife, by the wives of others, and by
courtezans.
End of Part II.
PART III.
ABOUT THE ACQUISITION OF A WIFE.
CHAPTER I.
ON MARRIAGE.
When a girl of the same caste, and a virgin, is married in accordance with the precepts of
Holy Writ, the results of such an union are: the acquisition of Dharma and Artha,
offspring, affinity, increase of friends, and untarnished love. For this reason a man should
fix his affections upon a girl who is of good family, whose parents are alive, and who is
three years or more younger than himself. She should be born of a highly respectable
family, possessed of wealth, well connected, and with many relations and friends. She
should also be beautiful, of a good disposition, with lucky marks on her body, and with
good hair, nails, teeth, ears, eyes, and breasts, neither more nor less than they ought to be,
and no one of them entirely wanting, and not troubled with a sickly body. The man
should, of course, also possess these qualities himself. But at all events, says
Ghotakamukha, a girl who has been already joined with others (i.e., no longer a maiden)
should never be loved, for it would be reproachable to do such a thing.
Now in order to bring about a marriage with such a girl as described above, the parents
and relations of the man should exert themselves, as also such friends on both sides as
may be desired to assist in the matter. These friends should bring to the notice of the girl's
parents, the faults, both present and future, of all the other men that may wish to marry
her, and should at the same time extol even to exaggeration all the excellencies, ancestral,
and paternal, of their friend, so as to endear him to them, and particularly to those that
may be liked by the girl's mother. One of the friends should also disguise himself as an
astrologer and declare the future good fortune and wealth of his friend by showing the
existence of all the lucky omens[43] and signs,[44] the good influence of planets, the
auspicious entrance of the sun into a sign of the Zodiac, propitious stars and fortunate
marks on his body. Others again should rouse the jealousy of the girl's mother by telling
her that their friend has a chance of getting from some other quarter even a better girl than
hers.
A girl should be taken as a wife, as also given in marriage, when fortune, signs, omens,
and the words[45] of others are favourable, for, says Ghotakamukha, a man should not
marry at any time he likes. A girl who is asleep, crying, or gone out of the house when
sought in marriage, or who is betrothed to another, should not be married. The following
also should be avoided:
In the same way a girl who is called by the name of one of the twenty-seven stars, or by
the name of a tree, or of a river, is considered worthless, as also a girl whose name ends in
"r" or "l." But some authors say that prosperity is gained only by marrying that girl to
whom one becomes attached, and that therefore no other girl but the one who is loved
should be married by anyone.
When a girl becomes marriageable her parents should dress her smartly, and should place
her where she can be easily seen by all. Every afternoon, having dressed her and
decorated her in a becoming manner, they should send her with her female companions to
sports, sacrifices, and marriage ceremonies, and thus show her to advantage in society,
because she is a kind of merchandise. They should also receive with kind words and signs
of friendliness those of an auspicious appearance who may come accompanied by their
friends and relations for the purpose of marrying their daughter, and under some pretext
or other having first dressed her becomingly, should then present her to them. After this
they should await the pleasure of fortune, and with this object should appoint a future day
on which a determination could be come to with regard to their daughter's marriage. On
this occasion when the persons have come, the parents of the girl should ask them to bathe
and dine, and should say, "Everything will take place at the proper time," and should not
then comply with the request, but should settle the matter later.
When a girl is thus acquired, either according to the custom of the country, or according
to his own desire, the man should marry her in accordance with the precepts of the Holy
Writ, according to one of the four kinds of marriage.
Thus ends marriage.
There are also some verses on the subject as follows:—
Amusement in society, such as completing verses begun by others, marriages, and
auspicious ceremonies should be carried on neither with superiors, nor inferiors, but with
our equals. That should be known as a high connection when a man, after marrying a girl,
has to serve her and her relations afterwards like a servant, and such a connection is
censured by the good. On the other hand, that reproachable connection, where a man,
together with his relations, lords it over his wife, is called a low connection by the wise.
But when both the man and the woman afford mutual pleasure to each other, and when the
relatives on both sides pay respect to one another, such is called a connection in the
proper sense of the word. Therefore a man should contract neither a high connection by
which he is obliged to bow down afterwards to his kinsmen, nor a low connection, which
is universally reprehended by all.
CHAPTER II.
OF CREATING CONFIDENCE IN THE GIRL.
For the first three days after marriage, the girl and her husband should sleep on the floor,
abstain from sexual pleasures, and eat their food without seasoning it either with alkali or
salt. For the next seven days they should bathe amidst the sounds of auspicious musical
instruments, should decorate themselves, dine together, and pay attention to their relations
as well as to those who may have come to witness their marriage. This is applicable to
persons of all castes. On the night of the tenth day the man should begin in a lonely place
with soft words, and thus create confidence in the girl. Some authors say that for the
purpose of winning her over he should not speak to her for three days, but the followers of
Babhravya are of opinion that if the man does not speak with her for three days, the girl
may be discouraged by seeing him spiritless like a pillar, and, becoming dejected, she
may begin to despise him as an eunuch. Vatsyayana says that the man should begin to win
her over, and to create confidence in her, but should abstain at first from sexual pleasures.
Women being of a tender nature, want tender beginnings, and when they are forcibly
approached by men with whom they are but slightly acquainted, they sometimes suddenly
become haters of sexual connection, and sometimes even haters of the male sex. The man
should therefore approach the girl according to her liking, and should make use of those
devices by which he may be able to establish himself more and more into her confidence.
These devices are as follows:—
He should embrace her first of all in a way she likes most, because it does not last for a
long time.
He should embrace her with the upper part of his body because that is easier and simpler.
If the girl is grown up, or if the man has known her for some time, he may embrace her by
the light of a lamp, but if he is not well acquainted with her, or if she is a young girl, he
should then embrace her in darkness.
When the girl accepts the embrace, the man should put a "tambula" or screw of betel nut
and betel leaves in her mouth, and if she will not take it, he should induce her to do so by
conciliatory words, entreaties, oaths, and kneeling at her feet, for it is an universal rule
that however bashful or angry a woman may be, she never disregards a man kneeling at
her feet. At the time of giving this "tambula" he should kiss her mouth softly and
gracefully without making any sound. When she is gained over in this respect he should
then make her talk, and so that she may be induced to talk he should ask her questions
about things of which he knows or pretends to know nothing, and which can be answered
in a few words. If she does not speak to him, he should not frighten her, but should ask
her the same thing again and again in a conciliatory manner. If she does not then speak he
should urge her to give a reply, because as Ghotakamukha says, "all girls hear everything
said to them by men, but do not themselves sometimes say a single word." When she is
thus importuned, the girl should give replies by shakes of the head, but if she quarrelled
with the man she should not even do that. When she is asked by the man whether she
wishes for him, and whether she likes him, she should remain silent for a long time, and
when at last importuned to reply, should give him a favourable answer by a nod of the
head. If the man is previously acquainted with the girl he should converse with her by
means of a female friend, who may be favourable to him, and in the confidence of both,
and carry on the conversation on both sides. On such an occasion the girl should smile
with her head bent down, and if the female friend say more on her part than she was
desired to do, she should chide her and dispute with her. The female friend should say in
jest even what she is not desired to say by the girl, and add, "she says so," on which the
girl should say indistinctly and prettily, "O no! I did not say so," and she should then
smile and throw an occasional glance towards the man.
If the girl is familiar with the man, she should place near him, without saying anything,
the tambula, the ointment, or the garland that he may have asked for, or she may tie them
up in his upper garment. While she is engaged in this, the man should touch her young
breasts in the sounding way of pressing with the nails, and if she prevents him doing this
he should say to her, "I will not do it again if you will embrace me," and should in this
way cause her to embrace him. While he is being embraced by her he should pass his
hand repeatedly over and about her body. By and bye he should place her in his lap, and
try more and more to gain her consent, and if she will not yield to him he should frighten
her by saying, "I shall impress marks of my teeth and nails on your lips and breasts, and
then make similar marks on my own body, and shall tell my friends that you did them.
What will you say then?" In this and other ways, as fear and confidence are created in the
minds of children, so should the man gain her over to his wishes.
On the second and third nights, after her confidence has increased still more, he should
feel the whole of her body with his hands, and kiss her all over; he should also place his
hands upon her thighs and shampoo them, and if he succeed in this he should then
shampoo the joints of her thighs. If she tries to prevent him doing this he should say to
her, "What harm is there in doing it?" and should persuade her to let him do it. After
gaining this point he should touch her private parts, should loosen her girdle and the knot
of her dress, and turning up her lower garment should shampoo the joints of her naked
thighs. Under various pretences he should do all these things, but he should not at that
time begin actual congress. After this he should teach her the sixty-four arts, should tell
her how much he loves her, and describe to her the hopes which he formerly entertained
regarding her. He should also promise to be faithful to her in future, and should dispel all
her fears with respect to rival women, and, at last, after having overcome her bashfulness,
he should begin to enjoy her in a way so as not to frighten her. So much about creating
confidence in the girl; and there are, moreover, some verses on the subject as follows:—
A man acting according to the inclinations of a girl should try and gain her over so that
she may love him and place her confidence in him. A man does not succeed either by
implicitly following the inclination of a girl, or by wholly opposing her, and he should
therefore adopt a middle course. He who knows how to make himself beloved by women,
as well as to increase their honour and create confidence in them, this man becomes an
object of their love. But he, who neglects a girl thinking she is too bashful, is despised by
her as a beast ignorant of the working of the female mind. Moreover, a girl forcibly
enjoyed by one who does not understand the hearts of girls becomes nervous, uneasy, and
dejected, and suddenly begins to hate the man who has taken advantage of her; and then,
when her love is not understood or returned, she sinks into despondency, and becomes
either a hater of mankind altogether, or, hating her own man, she has recourse to other
men.[48]
CHAPTER III.
ON COURTSHIP, AND THE MANIFESTATION OF THE FEELINGS BY
OUTWARD SIGNS AND DEEDS.
A poor man possessed of good qualities, a man born of a low family possessed of
mediocre qualities, a neighbour possessed of wealth, and one under the control of his
father, mother or brothers, should not marry without endeavouring to gain over the girl
from her childhood to love and esteem them. Thus a boy separated from his parents, and
living in the house of his uncle, should try to gain over the daughter of his uncle, or some
other girl, even though she be previously betrothed to another. And this way of gaining
over a girl, says Ghotakamukha, is unexceptional, because Dharma can be accomplished
by means of it, as well as by any other way of marriage.
When a boy has thus begun to woo the girl he loves, he should spend his time with her
and amuse her with various games and diversions fitted for their age and
acquaintanceship, such as picking and collecting flowers, making garlands of flowers,
playing the parts of members of a fictitious family, cooking food, playing with dice,
playing with cards, the game of odd and even, the game of finding out the middle finger,
the game of six pebbles, and such other games as may be prevalent in the country, and
agreeable to the disposition of the girl. In addition to this, he should carry on various
amusing games played by several persons together, such as hide and seek, playing with
seeds, hiding things in several small heaps of wheat and looking for them, blind-man's
buff, gymnastic exercises, and other games of the same sort, in company with the girl, her
friends and female attendants. The man should also show great kindness to any woman
whom the girl thinks fit to be trusted, and should also make new acquaintances, but above
all he should attach to himself by kindness and little services the daughter of the girl's
nurse, for if she be gained over, even though she comes to know of his design, she does
not cause any obstruction, but is sometimes even able to effect an union between him and
the girl. And though she knows the true character of the man, she always talks of his
many excellent qualities to the parents and relations of the girl, even though she may not
be desired to do so by him.
In this way the man should do whatever the girl takes most delight in, and he should get
for her whatever she may have a desire to possess. Thus he should procure for her such
playthings as may be hardly known to other girls. He may also show her a ball dyed with
various colours, and other curiosities of the same sort; and should give her dolls made of
cloth, wood, buffalo-horn, ivory, wax, flour, or earth; also utensils for cooking food, and
figures in wood, such as a man and woman standing, a pair of rams, or goats, or sheep;
also temples made of earth, bamboo, or wood, dedicated to various goddesses; and cages
for parrots, cuckoos, starlings, quails, cocks, and partridges; water-vessels of different
sorts and of elegant forms, machines for throwing water about, guitars, stands for putting
images upon, stools, lac, red arsenic, yellow ointment, vermilion and collyrium, as well as
sandal-wood, saffron, betel nut and betel leaves. Such things should be given at different
times whenever he gets a good opportunity of meeting her, and some of them should be
given in private, and some in public, according to circumstances. In short, he should try in
every way to make her look upon him as one who would do for her everything that she
wanted to be done.
In the next place he should get her to meet him in some place privately, and should then
tell her that the reason of his giving presents to her in secret was the fear that the parents
of both of them might be displeased, and then he may add that the things which he had
given her had been much desired by other people. When her love begins to show signs of
increasing he should relate to her agreeable stories if she expresses a wish to hear such
narratives. Or if she takes delight in legerdemain, he should amaze her by performing
various tricks of jugglery; or if she feels a great curiosity to see a performance of the
various arts, he should show his own skill in them. When she is delighted with singing he
should entertain her with music, and on certain days, and at the time of going together to
moonlight fairs and festivals, and at the time of her return after being absent from home,
he should present her with bouquets of flowers, and with chaplets for the head, and with
ear ornaments and rings, for these are the proper occasions on which such things should
be presented.
He should also teach the daughter of the girl's nurse all the sixty-four means of pleasure
practised by men, and under this pretext should also inform her of his great skill in the art
of sexual enjoyment. All this time he should wear a fine dress, and make as good an
appearance as possible, for young women love men who live with them, and who are
handsome, good looking and well dressed. As for the saying that though women may fall
in love, they still make no effort themselves to gain over the object of their affections, that
is only a matter of idle talk.
Now a girl always shows her love by outward signs and actions, such as the following:—
She never looks the man in the face, and becomes abashed when she is looked at by him;
under some pretext or other she shows her limbs to him; she looks secretly at him though
he has gone away from her side; hangs down her head when she is asked some question
by him, and answers in indistinct words and unfinished sentences, delights to be in his
company for a long time, speaks to her attendants in a peculiar tone with the hope of
attracting his attention towards her when she is at a distance from him, does not wish to
go from the place where he is, under some pretext or other she makes him look at
different things, narrates to him tales and stories very slowly so that she may continue
conversing with him for a long time, kisses and embraces before him a child sitting in her
lap, draws ornamental marks on the foreheads of her female servants, performs sportive
and graceful movements when her attendants speak jestingly to her in the presence of her
lover, confides in her lover's friends, and respects and obeys them, shows kindness to his
servants, converses with them, and engages them to do her work as if she were their
mistress, and listens attentively to them when they tell stories about her lover to
somebody else, enters his house when induced to do so by the daughter of her nurse, and
by her assistance manages to converse and play with him, avoids being seen by her lover
when she is not dressed and decorated, gives him by the hand of her female friend her ear
ornament, ring, or garland of flowers that he may have asked to see, always wears
anything that he may have presented to her, become dejected when any other bridegroom
is mentioned by her parents, and does not mix with those who may be of her party, or who
may support his claims.
There are also some verses on the subject as follows:—
A man, who has seen and perceived the feelings of the girl towards him, and who has
noticed the outward signs and movements by which those feelings are expressed, should
do everything in his power to effect an union with her. He should gain over a young girl
by childlike sports, a damsel come of age by his skill in the arts, and a girl that loves him
by having recourse to persons in whom she confides.
CHAPTER IV.
ABOUT THINGS TO BE DONE ONLY BY THE MAN, AND THE
ACQUISITION OF THE GIRL THEREBY. ALSO WHAT IS TO BE
DONE BY A GIRL TO GAIN OVER A MAN, AND SUBJECT HIM TO
HER.
Now when the girl begins to show her love by outward signs and motions, as described in
the last chapter, the lover should try to gain her over entirely by various ways and means,
such as the following:—
When engaged with her in any game or sport he should intentionally hold her hand. He
should practise upon her the various kinds of embraces, such as the touching embrace,
and others already described in a preceeding chapter (Part II. Chapter 2). He should show
her a pair of human beings cut out of the leaf of a tree, and such like things, at intervals.
When engaged in water sports, he should dive at a distance from her, and come up close
to her. He should show an increased liking for the new foliage of trees and such like
things. He should describe to her the pangs he suffers on her account. He should relate to
her the beautiful dream that he has had with reference to other women. At parties and
assemblies of his caste he should sit near her, and touch her under some pretence or other,
and having placed his foot upon her's, he should slowly touch each of her toes, and press
the ends of the nails; if successful in this, he should get hold of her foot with his hand and
repeat the same thing. He should also press a finger of her hand between his toes when
she happens to be washing his feet; and whenever he gives anything to her or takes
anything from her, he should show her by his manner and look how much he loves her.
He should sprinkle upon her the water brought for rinsing his mouth; and when alone with
her in a lonely place, or in darkness, he should make love to her, and tell her the true state
of his mind without distressing her in any way.
Whenever he sits with her on the same seat or bed he should say to her, "I have something
to tell you in private," and then, when she comes to hear it in a quiet place, he should
express his love to her more by manner and signs than by words. When he comes to know
the state of her feelings towards him he should pretend to be ill, and should make her
come to his house to speak to him. There he should intentionally hold her hand and place
it on his eyes and forehead, and under the pretence of preparing some medicine for him he
should ask her to do work for his sake in the following words: "This work must be done
by you, and by nobody else." When she wants to go away he should let her go, with an
earnest request to come and see him again. This device of illness should be continued for
three days and three nights. After this, when she begins coming to see him frequently, he
should carry on long conversations with her, for, says Ghotakamukha, "though a man
loves a girl ever so much, he never succeeds in winning her without a great deal of
talking." At last, when the man finds the girl completely gained over, he may then begin
to enjoy her. As for the saying that women grow less timid than usual during the evening,
and in darkness, and are desirous of congress at those times, and do not oppose men then
and should only be enjoyed at these hours, it is a matter of talk only.
When it is impossible for the man to carry on his endeavours alone, he should, by means
of the daughter of her nurse, or of a female friend in whom she confides, cause the girl to
be brought to him without making known to her his design, and he should then proceed
with her in the manner above described. Or he should in the beginning send his own
female servant to live with the girl as her friend, and should then gain her over by her
means.
At last, when he knows the state of her feelings by her outward manner and conduct
towards him at religious ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, fairs, festivals, theatres, public
assemblies, and such like occasions, he should begin to enjoy her when she is alone, for
Vatsyayana lays it down, that women, when resorted to at proper times and in proper
places, do not turn away from their lovers.
When a girl, possessed of good qualities and well-bred, though born in a humble family,
or destitute of wealth, and not therefore desired by her equals, or an orphan girl, or one
deprived of her parents, but observing the rules of her family and caste, should wish to
bring about her own marriage when she comes of age, such a girl should endeavour to
gain over a strong and good looking young man, or a person whom she thinks would
marry her on account of the weakness of his mind, and even without the consent of his
parents. She should do this by such means as would endear her to the said person, as well
as by frequently seeing and meeting him. Her mother also should constantly cause them
to meet by means of her female friends, and the daughter of her nurse. The girl herself
should try to get alone with her beloved in some quiet place, and at odd times should give
him flowers, betel nut, betel leaves and perfumes. She should also show her skill in the
practice of the arts, in shampooing, in scratching and in pressing with the nails. She
should also talk to him on the subjects he likes best, and discuss with him the ways and
means of gaining over and winning the affections of a girl.
But old authors say that although the girl loves the man ever so much, she should not
offer herself, or make the first overtures, for a girl who does this loses her dignity, and is
liable to be scorned and rejected. But when the man shows his wish to enjoy her, she
should be favourable to him and should show no change in her demeanour when he
embraces her, and should receive all the manifestations of his love as if she were ignorant
of the state of his mind. But when he tries to kiss her she should oppose him; when he
begs to be allowed to have sexual intercourse with her she should let him touch her
private parts only and with considerable difficulty; and though importuned by him, she
should not yield herself up to him as if of her own accord, but should resists his attempts
to have her. It is only, moreover, when she is certain that she is truly loved, and that her
lover is indeed devoted to her, and will not change his mind, that she should then give
herself up to him, and persuade him to marry her quickly. After losing her virginity she
should tell her confidential friends about it.
Here ends the efforts of a girl to gain over a man.
There are also some verses on the subject as follows: A girl who is much sought after
should marry the man that she likes, and whom she thinks would be obedient to her, and
capable of giving her pleasure. But when from the desire of wealth a girl is married by her
parents to a rich man without taking into consideration the character or looks of the
bridegroom, or when given to a man who has several wives, she never becomes attached
to the man, even though he be endowed with good qualities, obedient to her will, active,
strong, and healthy, and anxious to please her in every way.[49] A husband who is obedient
but yet master of himself, though he be poor and not good looking, is better than one who
is common to many women, even though he be handsome and attractive. The wives of
rich men, where there are many wives, are not generally attached to their husbands, and
are not confidential with them, and even though they possess all the external enjoyments
of life, still have recourse to other men. A man who is of a low mind, who has fallen from
his social position, and who is much given to travelling, does not deserve to be married;
neither does one who has many wives and children, or one who is devoted to sport and
gambling, and who comes to his wife only when he likes. Of all the lovers of a girl he
only is her true husband who possesses the qualities that are liked by her, and such a
husband only enjoys real superiority over her, because he is the husband of love.
CHAPTER V.
When a girl cannot meet her lover frequently in private, she should send the
daughter of her nurse to him, it being understood that she has confidence in
her, and had previously gained her over to her interests. On seeing the man,
the daughter of the nurse should, in the course of conversation, describe to
him the noble birth, the good disposition, the beauty, talent, skill,
knowledge of human nature and affection of the girl in such a way as not to
let him suppose that she has been sent by the girl, and should thus create
affection for the girl in the heart of the man. To the girl also she should
speak about the excellent qualities of the man, especially of those qualities
which she knows are pleasing to the girl. She should, moreover, speak with
disparagement of the other lovers of the girl, and talk about the avarice and
indiscretion of their parents, and the fickleness of their relations. She should
also quote samples of many girls of ancient times, such as Sakuntala and
others, who, having united themselves with lovers of their own caste and
their own choice, were ever happy afterwards in their society. And she
should also tell of other girls who married into great families, and being
troubled by rival wives, became wretched and miserable, and were finally
abandoned. She should further speak of the good fortune, the continual
happiness, the chastity, obedience, and affection of the man, and if the girl
gets amorous about him, she should endeavour to allay her shame[51] and
her fear as well as her suspicions about any disaster that might result from
the marriage. In a word, she should act the whole part of a female
messenger by telling the girl all about the man's affection for her, the places
he frequented, and the endeavours he made to meet her, and by frequently
repeating, "It will be all right if the man will take you away forcibly and
unexpectedly."
The Forms of Marriage.
When the girl is gained over, and acts openly with the man as his wife, he
should cause fire to be brought from the house of a Brahman, and having
spread the Kusha grass upon the ground, and offered an oblation to the fire
he should marry her according to the precepts of the religious law. After this
he should inform his parents of the fact, because it is the opinion of ancient
authors that a marriage solemnly contracted in the presence of fire cannot
afterwards be set aside.
After the consummation of the marriage, the relations of the man should
gradually be made acquainted with the affair, and the relations of the girl
should also be apprised of it in such a way that they may consent to the
marriage, and overlook the manner in which it was brought about, and
when this is done they should afterwards be reconciled by affectionate
presents and favourable conduct. In this manner the man should marry the
girl according to the Gandharva form of marriage.
When the girl cannot make up her mind, or will not express her readiness to
marry, the man should obtain her in any one of the following ways:—
(1). On a fitting occasion, and under some excuse, he should by means of a
female friend with whom he is well acquainted, and whom he can trust, and
who also is well known to the girl's family, get the girl brought
unexpectedly to his house, and he should then bring fire from the house of a
Brahman, and proceed as before described.
(2.) When the marriage of the girl with some other person draws near, the
man should disparage the future husband to the utmost in the mind of the
mother of the girl, and then having got the girl to come with her mother's
consent to a neighbouring house, he should bring fire from the house of a
Brahman, and proceed as above.
(3.) The man should become a great friend of the brother of the girl, the said
brother being of the same age as himself, and addicted to courtesans, and to
intrigues with the wives of other people, and should give him assistance in
such matters, and also give him occasional presents. He should then tell him
about his great love for his sister, as young men will sacrifice even their
lives for the sake of those who may be of the same age, habits, and
dispositions as themselves. After this the man should get the girl brought by
means of her brother to some secure place, and having brought fire from the
house of a Brahman, should proceed as before.
(4.) The man should on the occasion of festivals get the daughter of the
nurse to give the girl some intoxicating substance, and then cause her to be
brought to some secure place under the pretence of some business, and
there having enjoyed her before she recovers from her intoxication, should
bring fire from the house of a Brahman, and proceed as before.
(5.) The man should, with the connivance of the daughter of the nurse, carry
off the girl from her house while she is asleep, and then, having enjoyed her
before she recovers from her sleep, should bring fire from the house of a
Brahman, and proceed as before.
(6.) When the girl goes to a garden, or to some village in the
neighbourhood, the man should, with his friends, fall on her guards, and
having killed them, or frightened them away, forcibly carry her off, and
proceed as before.
There are verses on the subject as follows:—In all the forms of marriage
given in this chapter of this work, the one that precedes is better than the
one that follows it, on account of its being more in accordance with the
commands of religion, and therefore it is only when it is impossible to carry
the former into practice that the latter should be resorted to. As the fruit of
all good marriages is love, the Gandharva[52] form of marriage is respected,
even though it is formed under unfavourable circumstances, because it
fulfils the object sought for. Another cause of the respect accorded to the
Gandharva form of marriage is, that it brings forth happiness, causes less
trouble in its performance than any other forms of marriage, and is above
all the result of previous love.
End of Part III.
PART IV.
ABOUT A WIFE.
CHAPTER I.
ON THE MANNER OF LIVING OF A VIRTUOUS WOMAN,
AND OF HER BEHAVIOUR DURING THE ABSENCE OF
HER HUSBAND.
A virtuous woman, who has affection for her husband, should act in
conformity with his wishes as if he were a divine being, and with his
consent should take upon herself the whole care of his family. She should
keep the whole house well cleaned, and arrange flowers of various kinds in
different parts of it, and make the floor smooth and polished so as to give
the whole a neat and becoming appearance. She should surround the house
with a garden, and place ready in it all the materials required for the
morning, noon and even sacrifices. Moreover she should herself revere the
sanctuary of the Household Gods, for says Gonardiya, "nothing so much
attracts the heart of a householder to his wife as a careful observance of the
things mentioned above."
Towards the parents, relations, friends, sisters, and servants of her husband
she should behave as they deserve. In the garden she should plant beds of
green vegetables, bunches of the sugar cane, and clumps of the fig tree, the
mustard plant, the parsley plant, the fennel plant, and the xanthochymus
pictorius. Clusters of various flowers, such as the trapa bispinosa, the
jasmine, the gasminum grandiflorum, the yellow amaranth, the wild
jasmine, the tabernamontana coronaria, the nadyaworta, the china rose and
others, should likewise be planted, together with the fragrant grass
andropogon schænanthus, and the fragrant root of the plant andropogon
miricatus. She should also have seats and arbours made in the garden, in the
middle of which a well, tank, or pool should be dug.
The wife should always avoid the company of female beggars, female
buddish mendicants, unchaste and roguish women, female fortune tellers
and witches. As regards meals she should always consider what her
husband likes and dislikes, and what things are good for him, and what are
injurious to him. When she hears the sounds of his footsteps coming home
she should at once get up, and be ready to do whatever he may command
her, and either order her female servant to wash his feet, or wash them
herself. When going anywhere with her husband, she should put on her
ornaments, and without his consent she should not either give or accept
invitations, or attend marriages and sacrifices, or sit in the company of
female friends, or visit the temples of the Gods. And if she wants to engage
in any kind of games or sports, she should not do it against his will. In the
same way she should always sit down after him, and get up before him, and
should never awaken him when he is asleep. The kitchen should be situated
in a quiet and retired place, so as not to be accessible to strangers, and
should always look clean.
In the event of any misconduct on the part of her husband, she should not
blame him excessively though she be a little displeased. She should not use
abusive language towards him, but rebuke him with conciliatory words,
whether he be in the company of friends or alone. Moreover, she should not
be a scold, for says Gonardiya, "there is no cause of dislike on the part of a
husband so great as this characteristic in a wife." Lastly she should avoid
bad expressions, sulky looks, speaking aside, standing in the doorway, and
looking at passers-by, conversing in the pleasure groves, and remaining in a
lonely place for a long time; and finally she should always keep her body,
her teeth, her hair, and everything belonging to her tidy, sweet, and clean.
When the wife wants to approach her husband in private her dress should
consist of many ornaments, various kinds of flowers, and a cloth decorated
with different colours, and some sweet-smelling ointments or unguents. But
her every-day dress should be composed of a thin, close-textured cloth, a
few ornaments and flowers, and a little scent, not too much. She should also
observe the fasts and vows of her husband, and when he tries to prevent her
doing this, she should persuade him to let her do it.
At appropriate times of the year, and when they happen to be cheap, she
should buy earth, bamboos, firewood, skins, and iron pots, as also salt and
oil. Fragrant substances, vessels made of the fruit of the plant wrightea
antidysenterica, or oval leaved wrightea, medicines, and other things which
are always wanted, should be obtained when required and kept in a secret
place of the house. The seeds of the radish, the potato, the common beet, the
Indian wormwood, the mangoe, the cucumber, the egg plant, the
kushmanda, the pumpkin gourd, the surana, the bignonia indica, the sandal
wood, the premna spinosa, the garlic plant, the onion, and other vegetables,
should be bought and sown at the proper seasons.
The wife, moreover, should not tell to strangers the amount of her wealth,
nor the secrets which her husband has confided to her. She should surpass
all the women of her own rank in life in her cleverness, her appearance, her
knowledge of cookery, her pride, and her manner of serving her husband.
The expenditure of the year should be regulated by the profits. The milk
that remains after the meals should be turned into ghee or clarified butter.
Oil and sugar should be prepared at home; spinning and weaving should
also be done there; and a store of ropes and cords, and barks of trees for
twisting into ropes should be kept. She should also attend to the pounding
and cleaning of rice, using its small grain and chaff in some way or other.
She should pay the salaries of the servants, look after the tilling of the
fields, and keeping of the flocks and herds, superintend the making of
vehicles, and take care of the rams, cocks, quails, parrots, starlings,
cuckoos, peacocks, monkeys, and deer; and finally adjust the income and
expenditure of the day. The worn-out clothes should be given to those
servants who have done good work, in order to show them that their
services have been appreciated, or they may be applied to some other use.
The vessels in which wine is prepared, as well as those in which it is kept,
should be carefully looked after, and put away at the proper time. All sales
and purchases should also be well attended to. The friends of her husband
she should welcome by presenting them with flowers, ointment, incense,
betel leaves, and betel nut. Her father-in-law and mother-in law she should
treat as they deserve, always remaining dependant on their will, never
contradicting them, speaking to them in few and not harsh words, not
laughing loudly in their presence, and acting with their friends and enemies
as with her own. In addition to the above she should not be vain, or too
much taken up with her enjoyments. She should be liberal towards her
servants, and reward them on holidays and festivals; and not give away
anything without first making it known to her husband.
Thus ends the manner of living of a virtuous woman.
During the absence of her husband on a journey the virtuous woman should
wear only her auspicious ornaments, and observe the fasts in honour of the
Gods. While anxious to hear the news of her husband, she should still look
after her household affairs. She should sleep near the elder women of the
house, and make herself agreeable to them. She should look after and keep
in repair the things that are liked by her husband, and continue the works
that have been begun by him. To the abode of her relations she should not
go except on occasions of joy and sorrow, and then she should go in her
usual travelling dress, accompanied by her husband's servants, and not
remain there for a long time. The fasts and feasts should be observed with
the consent of the elders of the house. The resources should be increased by
making purchases and sales according to the practice of the merchants, and
by means of honest servants, superintended by herself. The income should
be increased, and the expenditure diminished as much as possible. And
when her husband returns from his journey, she should receive him at first
in her ordinary clothes, so that he may know in what way she has lived
during his absence, and should bring to him some presents, as also materials
for the worship of the Deity.
Thus ends the part relating to the behaviour of a wife during the absence of
her husband on a journey.
There are also some verses on the subject as follows.
The causes of re-marrying during the lifetime of the wife are as follows:
From the very beginning the wife should endeavour to attract the heart of
her husband, by showing to him continually her devotion, her good temper,
and her wisdom. If however she bears him no children, she should herself
tell her husband to marry another woman. And when the second wife is
married, and brought to the house, the first wife should give her a position
superior to her own, and look upon her as a sister. In the morning the elder
wife should forcibly make the younger one decorate herself in the presence
of their husband, and should not mind all the husband's favour being given
to her. If the younger wife does anything to displease her husband the elder
one should not neglect her, but should always be ready to give her most
careful advice, and should teach her to do various things in the presence of
her husband. Her children she should treat as her own, her attendants she
should look upon with more regard, even than on her own servants, her
friends she should cherish with love and kindness, and her relations with
great honour.
When there are many other wives besides herself, the elder wife should
associate with the one who is immediately next to her in rank and age, and
should instigate the wife who has recently enjoyed her husband's favour to
quarrel with the present favourite. After this she should sympathize with the
former, and having collected all the other wives together, should get them to
denounce the favourite as a scheming and wicked woman, without however
committing herself in any way. If the favourite wife happens to quarrel with
the husband, then the elder wife should take her part and give her false
encouragement, and thus cause the quarrel to be increased. If there be only
a little quarrel between the two, the elder wife should do all she can to work
it up into a large quarrel. But if after all this she finds the husband still
continues to love his favourite wife she should then change her tactics, and
endeavour to bring about a conciliation between them, so as to avoid her
husband's displeasure.
Thus ends the conduct of the elder wife.
The younger wife should regard the elder wife of her husband as her
mother, and should not give anything away, even to her own relations,
without her knowledge. She should tell her everything about herself, and
not approach her husband without her permission. Whatever is told to her
by the elder wife she should not reveal to others, and she should take care
of the children of the senior even more than of her own. When alone with
her husband she should serve him well, but should not tell him of the pain
she suffers from the existence of a rival wife. She may also obtain secretly
from her husband some marks of his particular regard for her, and may tell
him that she lives only for him, and for the regard that he has for her. She
should never reveal her love for her husband, nor her husband's love for her
to any person, either in pride or in anger, for a wife that reveals the secrets
of her husband is despised by him. As for seeking to obtain the regard of
her husband, Gonardiya says, that it should always be done in private, for
fear of the elder wife. If the elder wife be disliked by her husband, or be
childless, she should sympathize with her, and should ask her husband to do
the same, but should surpass her in leading the life of a chaste woman.
Thus ends the conduct of the younger wife towards the elder.
A widow in poor circumstances, or of a weak nature, and who allies herself
again to a man, is called a widow re-married.
The followers of Babhravya say that a virgin widow should not marry a
person whom she may be obliged to leave on account of his bad character,
or of his being destitute of the excellent qualities of a man, she thus being
obliged to have recourse to another person. Gonardya is of opinion that as
the cause of a widow's marrying again is her desire for happiness, and as
happiness is secured by the possession of excellent qualities in her husband,
joined to love of enjoyment, it is better therefore to secure a person
endowed with such qualities in the first instance. Vatsyayana however
thinks that a widow may marry any person that she likes, and that she thinks
will suit her.
At the time of her marriage the widow should obtain from her husband the
money to pay the cost of drinking parties, and picnics with her relations,
and of giving them and her friends kindly gifts and presents; or she may do
these things at her own cost if she likes. In the same way she may wear
either her husband's ornaments or her own. As to the presents of affection
mutually exchanged between the husband and herself there is no fixed rule
about them. If she leaves her husband after marriage of her own accord, she
should restore to him whatever he may have given her, with the exception
of the mutual presents. If however she is driven out of the house by her
husband she should not return anything to him.
After her marriage she should live in the house of her husband like one of
the chief members of the family, but should treat the other ladies of the
family with kindness, the servants with generosity, and all the friends of the
house with familiarity and good temper. She should show that she is better
acquainted with the sixty-four arts than the other ladies of the house, and in
any quarrels with her husband she should not rebuke him severely, but in
private do everything that he wishes, and make use of the sixty-four ways
of enjoyment. She should be obliging to the other wives of her husband, and
to their children she should give presents, behave as their mistress, and
make ornaments and play things for their use. In the friends and servants of
her husband she should confide more than in his other wives, and finally
she should have a liking for drinking parties, going to picnics, attending
fairs and festivals, and for carrying out all kinds of games and amusements.
Thus ends the conduct of a virgin widow re-married.
A woman who is disliked by her husband, and annoyed and distressed by
his other wives, should associate with the wife who is liked most by her
husband, and who serves him more than the others, and should teach her all
the arts with which she is acquainted. She should act as the nurse of her
husband's children, and having gained over his friends to her side, should
through them make him acquainted of her devotion to him. In religious
ceremonies she should be a leader, as also in vows and fasts, and should not
hold too good an opinion of herself. When her husband is lying on his bed
she should only go near him when it is agreeable to him, and should never
rebuke him, or show obstinacy in any way. If her husband happens to
quarrel with any of his other wives, she should reconcile them to each other,
and if he desires to see any woman secretly, she should manage to bring
about the meeting between them. She should moreover make herself
acquainted with the weak points of her husband's character, but always keep
them secret, and on the whole behave herself in such an way as may lead
him to look upon her as a good and devoted wife.
Here ends the conduct of a wife disliked by her husband.
The above sections will show how all the women of the King's seraglio are
to behave, and therefore we shall now speak separately only about the king.
Ancient authors say that a man should know the disposition, truthfulness,
purity, and will of a young woman, as also the intensity, or weakness of her
passions, from the form of her body, and from her characteristic marks and
signs. But Vatsyayana is of opinion that the forms of bodies, and the
characteristic marks or signs are but erring tests of character, and that
women should be judged by their conduct, by the outward expression of
their thoughts, and by the movements of their bodies.
Now as a general rule Gonikaputra says that a woman falls in love with
every handsome man she sees, and so does every man at the sight of a
beautiful woman, but frequently they do not take any further steps, owing to
various considerations. In love the following circumstances are peculiar to
the woman. She loves without regard to right or wrong,[58] and does not try
to gain over a man simply for the attainment of some particular purpose.
Moreover, when a man first makes up to her she naturally shrinks from him,
even though she may be willing to unite herself with him. But when the
attempts to gain her are repeated and renewed, she at last consents. But with
a man, even though he may have begun to love, he conquers his feelings
from a regard for morality and wisdom, and although his thoughts are often
on the woman, he does not yield, even though an attempt be made to gain
him over. He sometimes makes an attempt or effort to win the object of his
affections, and having failed, he leaves her alone for the future. In the same
way, when a woman is once gained, he often becomes indifferent about her.
As for the saying that a man does not care for what is easily gained, and
only desires a thing which cannot be obtained without difficulty, it is only a
matter of talk.
The causes of a woman rejecting the addresses of a man are as follows:
The following are the women who are easily gained over.
Ancient authors are of opinion that girls are not so easily seduced by
employing female messengers as by the efforts of the man himself, but that
the wives of others are more easily got at by the aid of female messengers
than by the personal efforts of a man. But Vatsyayana lays it down that
whenever it is possible a man should always act himself in these matters,
and it is only when such is impracticable, or impossible, that female
messengers should be employed. As for the saying that women who act and
talk boldly and freely are to be won by the personal efforts of the man, and
that women who do not possess those qualities are to be got at by female
messengers, it is only a matter of talk.
Now when a man acts himself in the matter he should first of all make the
acquaintance of the woman he loves in the following manner.
1st. He should arrange to be seen by the woman either on a natural or
special opportunity. A natural opportunity is when one of them goes to the
house of the other, and a special opportunity is when they meet either at the
house of a friend, or a caste-fellow, or a minister, or a physician, as also on
the occasion of marriage ceremonies, sacrifices, festivals, funerals, and
garden parties.
2nd. When they do meet, the man should be careful to look at her in such a
way as to cause the state of his mind to be made known to her; he should
pull about his moustache, make a sound with his nails, cause his own
ornaments to tinkle, bite his lower lip, and make various other signs of that
description. When she is looking at him he should speak to his friends about
her and other women, and should show to her his liberality and his
appreciation of enjoyments. When sitting by the side of a female friend he
should yawn and twist his body, contract his eyebrows, speak very slowly
as if he were weary, and listen to her indifferently. A conversation having
two meanings should also be carried on with a child or some other person,
apparently having regard to a third person, but really having reference to the
woman he loves, and in this way his love should be made manifest under
the pretext of referring to others rather than to herself. He should make
marks that have reference to her, on the earth with his nails, or with a stick,
and should embrace and kiss a child in her presence, and give it the mixture
of betel nut and betel leaves with his tongue, and press its chin with his
fingers in a caressing way. All these things should be done at the proper
time and in proper places.
3rd. The man should fondle a child that may be sitting on her lap, and give
it something to play with, and also take the same back again. Conversation
with respect to the child may also be held with her, and in this manner he
should gradually become well acquainted with her, and he should also make
himself agreeable to her relations. Afterwards, this acquaintance should be
made a pretext for visiting her house frequently, and on such occasions he
should converse on the subject of love in her absence, but within her
hearing. As his intimacy with her increases he should place in her charge
some kind of deposit or trust, and take away from it a small portion at a
time; or he may give her some fragrant substances, or betel nuts to be kept
for him by her. After this he should endeavour to make her well acquainted
with his own wife, and get them to carry on confidential conversations, and
to sit together in lonely places. In order to see her frequently he should
arrange that the same goldsmith, the same jeweller, the same basket maker,
the same dyer, and the same washerman should be employed by the two
families. And he should also pay her long visits openly under the pretence
of being engaged with her on business, and one business should lead to
another, so as to keep up the intercourse between them. Whenever she
wants anything, or is in need of money, or wishes to acquire skill in one of
the arts, he should cause her to understand that he is willing and able to do
anything that she wants, to give her money, or teach her one of the arts, all
these things being quite within his ability and power. In the same way he
should hold discussions with her in company with other people, and they
should talk of the doings and sayings of other persons, and examine
different things, like jewellery, precious stones, etc. On such occasions he
should show her certain things with the values of which she may be
unacquainted, and if she begins to dispute with him about the things or their
value, he should not contradict her, but point out that he agrees with her in
every way.
Thus ends the ways of making the acquaintance of the woman desired.
Now after a girl has become acquainted with the man as above described,
and has manifested her love to him by the various outward signs; and by the
motions of her body, the man should make every effort to gain her over. But
as girls are not acquainted with sexual union, they should be treated with
the greatest delicacy, and the man should proceed with considerable
caution, though in the case of other women, accustomed to sexual
intercourse, this is not necessary. When the intentions of the girl are known,
and her bashfulness put aside, the man should begin to make use of her
money, and an interchange of clothes, rings, and flowers should be made. In
this the man should take particular care that the things given by him are
handsome and valuable. He should moreover receive from her a mixture of
betel nut and betel leaves, and when he is going to a party he should ask for
the flower in her hair, or for the flower in her hand. If he himself gives her a
flower it should be a sweet smelling one, and marked with marks made by
his nails or teeth. With increasing assiduity he should dispel her fears, and
by degrees get her to go with him to some lonely place, and there he should
embrace and kiss her. And finally at the time of giving her some betel nut,
or of receiving the same from her, or at the time of making an exchange of
flowers, he should touch and press her private parts, thus bringing his
efforts to a satisfactory conclusion.
When a man is endeavouring to seduce one woman, he should not attempt
to seduce any other at the same time. But after he had succeeded with the
first, and enjoyed her for a considerable time, he can keep her affections by
giving her presents that she likes, and then commence making up to another
woman. When a man sees the husband of a woman going to some place
near his house, he should not enjoy the woman then, even though she may
be easily gained over at that time. A wise man having a regard for his
reputation should not think of seducing a woman who is apprehensive,
timid, not to be trusted, well guarded, or possessed of a father-in-law, or
mother-in-law.
CHAPTER III.
EXAMINATION OF THE STATE OF A WOMAN'S MIND.
When a man is trying to gain over a woman he should examine the state of
her mind, and acts as follows.
If she listens to him, but does not manifest to him in any way her own
intentions, he should then try to gain her over by means of a go-between.
If she meets him once, and again comes to meet him better dressed than
before, or comes to him in some lonely place, he should be certain that she
is capable of being enjoyed by the use of a little force. A woman who lets a
man make up to her, but does not give herself up, even after a long time,
should be considered as a trifler in love, but owing to the fickleness of the
human mind, even such a woman can be conquered by always keeping up a
close acquaintance with her.
When a woman avoids the attentions of a man, and on account of respect
for him, and pride in herself, will not meet him or approach him, she can be
gained over with difficulty, either by endeavouring to keep on familiar
terms with her, or else by an exceedingly clever go-between.
When a man makes up to a woman, and she reproaches him with harsh
words, she should be abandoned at once.
When a woman reproaches a man, but at the same time acts affectionately
towards him, she should be made love to in every way.
A woman who meets a man in lonely places, and puts up with the touch of
his foot, but pretends, on account of the indecision of her mind, not to be
aware of it, should be conquered by patience, and by continued efforts as
follows:
If she happens to go to sleep in his vicinity he should put his left arm round
her, and see when she awakes whether she repulses him in reality, or only
repulses him in such a way as if she were desirous of the same thing being
done to her again. And what is done by the arm can also be done by the
foot. If the man succeeds in this point he should embrace her more closely,
and if she will not stand the embrace and gets up, but behaves with him as
usual the next day, he should consider then that she is not unwilling to be
enjoyed by him. If however she does not appear again, the man should try
to get over her by means of a go-between; and if, after having disappeared
for some time she again appears, and behaves with him as usual, the man
should then consider that she would not object to be united with him.
When a woman gives a man an opportunity, and makes her own love
manifest to him, he should proceed to enjoy her. And the signs of a woman
manifesting her love are these:
1. She calls out to a man without being addressed by him in the first
instance.
2. She shows herself to him in secret places.
3. She speaks to him tremblingly and inarticulately.
4. She has the fingers of her hand, and the toes of her feet moistened with
perspiration, and her face blooming with delight.
5. She occupies herself with shampooing his body and pressing his head.
6. When shampooing him she works with one hand only, and with the
other she touches and embraces parts of his body.
7. She remains with both hands placed on his body motionless as if she
had been surprised by something, or was overcome by fatigue.
8. She sometimes bends down her face upon his thighs, and when asked
to shampoo them does not manifest any unwillingness to do so.
9. She places one of her hands quite motionless on his body, and even
though the man should press it between two members of his body, she
does not remove it for a long time.
10. Lastly, when she has resisted all the efforts of the man to gain her over,
she returns to him next day to shampoo his body as before.
When a woman neither gives encouragement to a man, nor avoids him, but
hides herself and remains in some lonely place, she must be got at by means
of the female servant who may be near her. If when called by the man she
acts in the same way, then she should be gained over by means of a skilful
go-between. But if she will have nothing to say to the man, he should
consider well about her before he begins any further attempts to gain her
over.
Thus ends the examination of the state of a woman's mind.
A man should first get himself introduced to a woman, and then carry on a
conversation with her. He should give her hints of his love for her, and if he
finds from her replies that she receives these hints favourably, he should
then set to work to gain her over without any fear. A woman who shows her
love by outward signs to the man at his first interview should be gained
over very easily. In the same way a lascivious woman, who when addressed
in loving words replies openly in words expressive of her love, should be
considered to have been gained over at that very moment. With regard to all
women, whether they be wise, simple, or confiding, this rule is laid down
that those who make an open manifestation of their love are easily gained
over.
CHAPTER IV.
ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF A GO-BETWEEN.
(1). A woman who, having observed the mutual passion of a man and
woman, brings them together and arranges it by the power of her own
intellect, such an one is called a go-between who takes upon herself the
whole burden of the business. This kind of go-between is chiefly employed
when the man and the woman are already acquainted with each other, and
have conversed together, and in such cases she is sent not only by the man
(as is always done in all other cases) but by the woman also.—The above
name is also given to a go-between who, perceiving that the man and the
woman are suited to each other, tries to bring about a union between them,
even though they be not acquainted with each other.
(2). A go-between who, perceiving that some part of the affair is already
done, or that the advances on the part of the man are already made,
completes the rest of the business, is called a go-between who performs
only a limited part of the business.
(3). A go-between, who simply carries messages between a man and a
woman, who love each other, but who cannot frequently meet, is called the
bearer of a letter or message.
This name is also given to one who is sent by either of the lovers to
acquaint either the one or the other with the time and place of their meeting.
(4). A woman who goes herself to a man, and tells him of her having
enjoyed sexual union with him in a dream, and expresses her anger at his
wife having rebuked him for calling her by the name of her rival instead of
by her own name, and gives him something bearing the marks of her teeth
and nails, and informs him that she knew she was formerly desired by him,
and asks him privately whether she or his wife is the best looking, such a
person is called a woman who is a go-between for herself. Now such a
woman should be met and interviewed by the man in private and secretly.
The above name is also given to a woman who having made an agreement
with some other woman to act as her go-between, gains over the man to
herself, by the means of making him personally acquainted with herself,
and thus causes the other woman to fail. The same applies to a man who,
acting as a go-between for another, and having no previous connection with
the woman, gains her over for himself, and thus causes the failure of the
other man.
(5). A woman, who has gained the confidence of the innocent young wife of
any man, and who has learned her secrets without exercising any pressure
on her mind, and found out from her how her husband behaves to her, if this
woman then teaches her the art of securing his favour, and decorates her so
as to show her love, and instructs her how and when to be angry, or to
pretend to be so, and then, having herself made marks of the nails and teeth
on the body of the wife, gets the latter to send for her husband to show these
marks to him, and thus excite him for enjoyment, such is called the go-
between of an innocent young woman. In such cases the man should send
replies to his wife through the same woman.
(6). When a man gets his wife to gain the confidence of a woman whom he
wants to enjoy, and to call on her and talk to her about the wisdom and
ability of her husband, that wife is called a wife serving as a go-between. In
this case the feelings of the woman with regard to the man should also be
made known through the wife.
(7). When any man sends a girl or a female servant to any woman under
some pretext or other, and places a letter in her bouquet of flowers, or in her
ear ornaments, or marks something about her with his teeth or nails, that
girl or female servant is called a mute go-between. In this case the man
should expect an answer from the woman through the same person.
(8). A person, who carries a message to a woman, which has a double
meaning, or which relates to some past transactions, or which is
unintelligible to other people, is called a go-between who acts the part of
the wind. In this case the reply should be asked for through the same
woman.
Thus end the different kinds of go-betweens.
A female astrologer, a female servant, a female beggar, or a female artist are
well acquainted with the business of a go-between, and very soon gain the
confidence of other women. Any one of them can raise enmity between any
two persons if she wishes to do so, or extol the loveliness of any woman
that she wishes to praise, or describe the arts practised by other women in
sexual union. They can also speak highly of the love of a man, of his skill in
sexual enjoyment, and of the desire of other women, more beautiful even
than the woman they are addressing, for him, and explain the restraint under
which he may be at home.
Lastly a go-between can, by the artfulness of her conversation unite a
woman with a man, even though he may not have been thought of by her, or
may have been considered beyond his aspirations. She can also bring back a
man to a woman, who, owing to some cause or other, has separated himself
from her.
CHAPTER V.
ABOUT THE LOVE OF PERSONS IN AUTHORITY FOR
THE WIVES OF OTHER MEN.
Kings and their ministers have no access to the abodes of others, and
moreover their mode of living is constantly watched and observed and
imitated by the people at large, just as the animal world, seeing the sun rise,
get up after him, and when he sits in the evening, lie down again in the
same way. Persons in authority should not therefore do any improper act in
public, as such are impossible from their position, and would be deserving
of censure. But if they find that such an act is necessary to be done, they
should make use of the proper means as described in the following
paragraphs.
The head man of the village, the King's officer employed there, and the
man[63] whose business it is to glean corn, can gain over female villagers
simply by asking them. It is on this account that this class of woman are
called unchaste women by voluptuaries.
The union of the above mentioned men with this class of woman takes
place on the occasions of unpaid labour, of filling the granaries in their
houses, of taking things in and out of the house, of cleaning the houses, of
working in the fields, and of purchasing cotton, wool, flax, hemp, and
thread, and at the season of the purchase, sale, and exchange of various
other articles, as well as at the time of doing various other works. In the
same way the superintendents of cow pens enjoy the women in the cow
pens; and the officers, who have the superintendence of widows, of the
women who are without supporters, and of women who have left their
husbands, have sexual intercourse with these women. The intelligent
accomplish their object by wandering at night in the village, and while
villagers also unite with the wives of their sons, being much alone with
them. Lastly the superintendents of markets have a great deal to do with the
female villagers at the time of their making purchases in the market.
During the festival of the eighth moon, i.e., during the bright half of the
month of Nargashirsha, as also during the moonlight festival of the month
of Kartika, and the spring festival of Chaitra, the women of cities and towns
generally visit the women of the King's harem in the royal palace. These
visitors go to the several apartments of the women of the harem, as they are
acquainted with them, and pass the night in conversation, and in proper
sports, and amusement, and go away in the morning. On such occasions a
female attendant of the King (previously acquainted with the woman whom
the King desires), should loiter about, and accost this woman when she sets
out to go home, and induce her to come and see the amusing things in the
palace. Previous to these festivals even, she should have caused it to be
intimated to this woman that on the occasion of this festival she would
show her all the interesting things in the royal palace. Accordingly she
should show her the bower of the coral creeper, the garden house with its
floor inlaid with precious stones, the bower of grapes, the building on the
water, the secret passages in the walls of the palace, the pictures, the
sporting animals, the machines, the birds, and the cages of the lions and the
tigers. After this, when alone with her, she should tell her about the love of
the King for her, and should describe to her the good fortune which would
attend upon her union with the King, giving her at the time a strict promise
of secrecy. If the woman does not accept the offer, she should conciliate and
please her with handsome presents befitting the position of the King, and
having accompanied her for some distance should dismiss her with great
affection.
(2). Or, having made the acquaintance of the husband of the woman whom
the King desires, the wives of the King should get the wife to pay them a
visit in the harem, and on this occasion a female attendant of the King,
having been sent thither, should act as above described.
(3). Or, one of the King's wives should get acquainted with the woman that
the King desires, by sending one of the female attendants to her, who
should, on their becoming more intimate, induce her to come and see the
royal abode. Afterwards, when she has visited the harem, and acquired
confidence, a female confidante of the King, sent thither, should act as
before described.
(4). Or, the King's wife should invite the woman, whom the King desires, to
come to the royal palace, so that she might see the practice of the art in
which the King's wife may be skilled, and after she has come to the harem,
a female attendant of the King, sent thither, should act as before described.
(5). Or, a female beggar, in league with the King's wife, should say to the
woman desired by the King, and whose husband may have lost his wealth,
or may have some cause of fear from the King: "This wife of the King has
influence over him, and she is, moreover, naturally kind-hearted, we must
therefore go to her in this matter. I shall arrange for your entrance into the
harem, and she will do away with all cause of danger and fear from the
King." If the woman accepts this offer, the female beggar should take her
two or three times to the harem, and the King's wife there should give her a
promise of protection. After this, when the woman, delighted with her
reception and promise of protection, again goes to the harem, then a female
attendant of the King, sent thither, should act as directed.
(6). What has been said above regarding the wife of one who has some
cause of fear from the King applies also to the wives of those who seek
service under the King, or who are oppressed by the King's ministers, or
who are poor, or who are not satisfied with their position, or who are
desirous of gaining the King's favour, or who wish to become famous
among the people, or who are oppressed by the members of their own caste,
or who want to injure their caste fellows, or who are spies of the King, or
who have any other object to attain.
(7). Lastly, if the woman desired by the King be living with some person
who is not her husband, then the King should cause her to be arrested, and
having made her a slave, on account of her crime, should place her in the
harem. Or the King should cause his ambassador to quarrel with the
husband of the woman desired by him, and should then imprison her as the
wife of an enemy of the King, and by this means should place her in the
harem.
Thus end the means of gaining over the wives of others secretly.
The above mentioned ways of gaining over the wives of other men are
chiefly practised in the palaces of Kings. But a King should never enter the
abode of another person, for Abhira,[64] the King of the Kottas was killed by
a washerman while in the house of another, and in the same way Jayasana
the King of the Kashis was slain by the commandment of his cavalry.
But according to the customs of some countries there are facilities for Kings
to make love to the wives of other men. Thus in the country of the
Andras[65] the newly married daughters of the people thereof enter the
King's harem with some presents on the tenth day of their marriage, and
having been enjoyed by the King are then dismissed. In the country of the
Vatsagulmas[66] the wives of the chief ministers approach the King at night
to serve him. In the country of the Vaidarbhas[67] the beautiful wives of the
inhabitants pass a month in the King's harem under the pretence of affection
for the King. In the country of the Aparatakas[68] the people gave their
beautiful wives as presents to the ministers and the
Kings. And lastly in the country of the Saurashtras[69] the women of the city
and the country enter the royal harem for the King's pleasure either together
or separately.
There are also two verses on the subject as follows:
"The above and other ways are the means employed in different countries
by Kings with regard to the wives of other persons. But a King, who has the
welfare of his people at heart, should not on any account put them into
practice."
"A King who has conquered the six[70] enemies of mankind, becomes the
master of the whole earth."
CHAPTER VI.
ABOUT THE WOMEN OF THE ROYAL HAREM; AND OF
THE KEEPING OF ONE'S OWN WIFE.
The women of the royal harem cannot see or meet any men on account of
their being strictly guarded, neither do they have their desires satisfied,
because their only husband is common to many wives. For this reason
among themselves they give pleasure to each other in various ways as now
described.
Having dressed the daughters of their nurses, or their female friends, or
their female attendants, like men, they accomplish their object by means of
bulbs, roots, and fruits having the form of the Lingam, or they lie down
upon the statue of a male figure, in which the Lingam is visible and erect.
Some Kings, who are compassionate, take or apply certain medicines to
enable them to enjoy many wives in one night, simply for the purpose of
satisfying the desire of their women, though they perhaps have no desire of
their own. Others enjoy with great affection only those wives that they
particularly like, while others only take them according as the turn of each
wife arrives in due course. Such are the ways of enjoyment prevalent in
Eastern countries, and what is said about the means of enjoyment of the
female is also applicable to the male.
By means of their female attendants the ladies of the royal harem generally
get men into their apartments in the disguise or dress of women. Their
female attendants, and the daughters of their nurses, who are acquainted
with their secrets, should exert themselves to get men to come to the harem
in this way by telling them of the good fortune attending it, and by
describing the facilities of entering and leaving the palace, the large size of
the premises, the carelessness of the sentinels, and the irregularities of the
attendants about the persons of the royal wives. But these women should
never induce a man to enter the harem by telling him falsehoods, for that
would probably lead to his destruction.
As for the man himself, he had better not enter a royal harem, even though
it may be easily accessible, on account of the numerous disasters to which
he may be exposed there. If however he wants to enter it, he should first
ascertain whether there is an easy way to get out, whether it is closely
surrounded by the pleasure garden, whether it has separate enclosures
belonging to it, whether the sentinels are careless, whether the King has
gone abroad, and then, when he is called by the women of the harem, he
should carefully observe the localities, and enter by the way pointed out by
them. If he is able to manage it, he should hang about the harem every day,
and, under some pretext or other, make friends with the sentinels, and show
himself attached to the female attendants of the harem, who may have
become acquainted with his design, and to whom he should express his
regret at not being able to obtain the object of his desire. Lastly he should
cause the whole business of a go-between to be done by the woman who
may have access to the harem, and he should be careful to be able to
recognize the emissaries of the King.
When a go-between has no access to the harem, then the man should stand
in some place where the lady, whom he loves, and whom he is anxious to
enjoy, can be seen.
If that place is occupied by the King's sentinels, he should then disguise
himself as a female attendant of the lady who comes to the place, or passes
by it. When she looks at him he should let her know his feelings by outward
signs and gestures, and should show her pictures, things with double
meanings, chaplets of flowers, and rings. He should carefully mark the
answer she gives, whether by word or by sign, or by gesture, and should
then try and get into the harem. If he is certain of her coming to some
particular place he should conceal himself there, and at the appointed time
should enter along with her as one of the guards. He may also go in and out,
concealed in a folded bed, or bed covering, or with his body made invisible,
[71]
by means of external applications, a receipt for one of which is as
follows:
The heart of an ichneumon, the fruit of the long gourd (Tumbi), and the
eyes of the serpent, should all be burnt without letting out the smoke, the
ashes should then be ground and mixed in equal quantities with water. By
putting this mixture upon the eyes a man can go about unseen.
Other means of invisibility are prescribed by Duyana Brahmans and
Jogashiras.
Again the man may enter the harem during the festival of the eight moon in
the month of Nargashirsha, and during the moonlight festivals when the
female attendants of the harem are all busily occupied, or in confusion.
The following principles are laid down on this subject.
The entrance of young men into harems, and their exit from them, generally
take place when things are being brought into the palace, or when things are
being taken out of it, or when drinking festivals are going on, or when the
female attendants are in a hurry, or when the residence of some of the royal
ladies is being changed, or when the King's wives go to gardens, or to fairs,
or when they enter the palace on their return from them; or, lastly, when the
King is absent on a long pilgrimage. The women of the royal harem know
each other's secrets, and having but one object to attain, they give assistance
to each other. A young man, who enjoys all of them, and who is common to
them all, can continue enjoying his union with them so long as it is kept
quiet, and is not known abroad.
Now in the country of the Aparatakas the royal ladies are not well
protected, and consequently many young men are passed into the harem by
the women who have access to the royal palaces. The wives of the King of
the Ahira country accomplish their objects with those sentinels in the harem
who bear the name of Kashtriyas. The royal ladies in the country of the
Vatsagulmas cause such men as are suitable to enter into the harem along
with their female messengers. In the country of the Vaidarbhas the sons of
the royal ladies enter the royal harem when they please, and enjoy the
women, with the exception of their own mothers. In the Stri-rajya the wives
of the King are enjoyed by his caste fellows and relations. In the Ganda
country the royal wives are enjoyed by Brahmans, friends, servants, and
slaves. In the Samdhava country, servants, foster children, and other
persons like them enjoy the women of the harem. In the country of the
Haimavatas adventurous citizens bribe the sentinels and enter the harem. In
the country of the Vanyas and the Kalmyas, Brahmans, with the knowledge
of the King, enter the harem under the pretence of giving flowers to the
ladies, and speak with them from behind a curtain, and from such
conversation union afterwards takes place. Lastly, the women in the harem
of the King of the Prachyas conceal one young man in the harem for every
batch of nine or ten of the women.
Thus act the wives of others.
For these reasons a man should guard his own wife. Old authors say that a
King should select for sentinels in his harem such men as have their
freedom from carnal desires well tested. But such men, though free
themselves from carnal desire, by reason of their fear or avarice, may cause
other persons to enter the harem, and therefore Gonikaputra says, that Kings
should place such men in the harem as may have had their freedom from
carnal desires, their fears, and their avarice well tested. Lastly, Vatsyayana
says that under the influence of Dharma[72] people might be admitted, and
therefore men should be selected who are free from carnal desires, fear,
avarice, and Dharma.[73]
The followers of Babhravya say that a man should cause his wife to
associate with a young woman who would tell him the secrets of other
people, and thus find out from her about his wife's chastity. But Vatsyayana
says, that as wicked persons are always successful with women, a man
should not cause his innocent wife to be corrupted by bringing her into the
company of a deceitful woman.
The following are the causes of the destruction of a woman's chastity:
And such other persons as may be found necessary for the particular object
to be acquired.
The following kinds of men may be taken up with simply for the purpose of
getting their money.
When a courtesan is living as a wife with her lover, she should behave like
a chaste woman, and do everything to his satisfaction. Her duty in this
respect, in short, is, that she should give him pleasure, but should not
become attached to him, though behaving as if she were really attached.
Now the following is the manner in which she is to conduct herself, so as to
accomplish the above mentioned purpose. She should have a mother
dependent on her, one who should be represented as very harsh, and who
looked upon money as her chief object in life. In the event of there being no
mother, then an old and confidential nurse should play the same role. The
mother or nurse, on their part, should appear to be displeased with the lover,
and forcibly take her away from him. The woman herself should always
show pretended anger, dejection, fear, and shame on this account, but
should not disobey the mother or nurse at any time.
She should make out to the mother or nurse that the man is suffering from
bad health, and making this a pretext for going to see him, she should go on
that account. She is, moreover, to do the following things for the purpose of
gaining the man's favour, viz.:
Sending her female attendant to bring the flowers used by him on the
previous day, in order that she may use them herself as a mark of affection,
also asking for the mixture of betel nut and leaves that have remained
uneaten by him; expressing wonder at his knowledge of sexual intercourse,
and the several means of enjoyment used by him; learning from him the
sixty-four kinds of pleasure mentioned by Babhravya; continually
practising the ways of enjoyment as taught by him, and according to his
liking; keeping his secrets; telling him her own desires and secrets;
concealing her anger; never neglecting him on the bed when he turns his
face towards her; touching any parts of his body according to his wish;
kissing and embracing him when he is asleep; looking at him with apparent
anxiety when he is wrapt in thought, or thinking of some other subject than
herself; showing neither complete shamelessness, nor excessive bashfulness
when he meets her, or sees her standing on the terrace of her house from the
public road; hating his enemies; loving those who are dear to him; showing
a liking for that which he likes; being in high or low spirits according to the
state that he is in himself; expressing a curiosity to see his wives; not
continuing her anger for a long time; suspecting even the marks and
wounds made by herself with her nails and teeth on his body to have been
made by some other woman; keeping her love for him unexpressed by
words, but showing it by deeds, and signs, and hints; remaining silent when
he is asleep, intoxicated, or sick; being very attentive when he describes his
good actions, and reciting them afterwards to his praise and benefit; giving
witty replies to him if he be sufficiently attached to her; listening to all his
stories, except those that relate to her rivals; expressing feelings of
dejection and sorrow if he sighs, yawns, or falls down; pronouncing the
words "live long" when he sneezes; pretending to be ill, or to have the
desire of pregnancy, when she feels dejected; abstaining from praising the
good qualities of any body else, and from censuring those who possess the
same faults as her own man: wearing anything that may have been given to
her by him; abstaining from putting on her ornaments, and from taking food
when he is in pain, sick, low-spirited, or suffering from misfortune, and
condoling and lamenting with him over the same; wishing to accompany
him if he happens to leave the country himself or if he be banished from it
by the King; expressing a desire not to live after him; telling him that the
whole object and desire of her life was to be united with him; offering
previously promised sacrifices to the Deity when he acquires wealth, or has
some desire fulfilled, or when he has recovered from some illness or
disease; putting on ornaments every day; not acting too freely with him;
reciting his name and the name of his family in her songs; placing his hand
on her loins, bosom and forehead, and falling asleep after feeling the
pleasure of his touch; sitting on his lap and falling asleep there; wishing to
have a child by him; desiring not to live longer than he does; abstaining
from revealing his secrets to others; dissuading him from vows and fasts by
saying "let the sin fall upon me;" keeping vows and fasts along with him
when it is impossible to change his mind on the subject; telling him that
vows and fasts are difficult to be observed, even by herself, when she has
any dispute with him about them; looking on her own wealth and his
without any distinction; abstaining from going to public assemblies without
him, and accompanying him when he desires her to do so; taking delight in
using things previously used by him, and in eating food that he has left
uneaten; venerating his family, his disposition, his skill in the arts, his
learning, his caste, his complexion, his native country, his friends, his good
qualities, his age, and his sweet temper; asking him to sing, and to do other
such like things, if able to do them; going to him without paying any regard
to fear, to cold, to heat, or to rain; saying with regard to the next world that
he should be her lover even there; adapting her tastes, disposition and
actions to his liking; abstaining from sorcery; disputing continually with her
mother on the subject of going to him, and, when forcibly taken by her
mother to some other place, expressing her desire to die by taking poison,
by starving herself to death, by stabbing herself with some weapon, or by
hanging herself; and lastly assuring the man of her constancy and love by
means of her agents, and receiving money herself, but abstaining from any
dispute with her mother with regard to pecuniary matters.
When the man sets out on a journey, she should make him swear that he
will return quickly, and in his absence should put aside her vows of
worshipping the Deity, and should wear no ornaments except those that are
lucky. If the time fixed for his return has passed, she should endeavour to
ascertain the real time of his return from omens, from the reports of the
people, and from the positions of the planets, the moon and the stars. On
occasions of amusement, and of auspicious dreams, she should say "Let me
be soon united to him." If, moreover, she feels melancholy, or sees any
inauspicious omen, she should perform some rite to appease the Deity.
When the man does return home she should worship the God Kama (i.e.,
the Indian Cupid), and offer oblations to other Deities, and having caused a
pot filled with water to be brought by her friends, she should perform the
worship in honour of the crow who eats the offerings which we make to the
manes of deceased relations. After the first visit is over she should ask her
lover also to perform certain rites, and this he will do if he is sufficiently
attached to her.
Now a man is said to be sufficiently attached to a woman when his love is
disinterested; when he has the same object in view as his beloved one; when
he is quite free from any suspicions on her account; and when he is
indifferent to money with regard to her.
Such is the manner of a courtesan living with a man like a wife, and set
forth here for the sake of guidance from the rules of Dattaka. What is not
laid down here should be practised according to the custom of the people,
and the nature of each individual man.
There are also two verses on the subject as follows:
"The extent of the love of women is not known, even to those who are the
objects of their affection, on account of its subtlety, and on account of the
avarice, and natural intelligence of womankind."
"Women are hardly ever known in their true light, though they may love
men, or become indifferent towards them; may give them delight, or
abandon them; or may extract from them all the wealth that they may
possess."
CHAPTER III.
OF THE MEANS OF GETTING MONEY. OF THE SIGNS
OF THE CHANGE OF A LOVER'S FEELINGS, AND OF
THE WAY TO GET RID OF HIM.
A woman should always know the state of the mind, of the feelings, and of
the disposition of her lover towards her, from the changes of his temper, his
manner, and the colour of his face.
The behaviour of a waning lover is as follows:
1st. He gives the woman either less than is wanted, or something else than
that which is asked for.
2nd. He keeps her in hopes by promises.
3rd. He pretends to do one thing, and does something else.
4th. He does not fulfil her desires.
5th. He forgets his promises, or does something else than that which he has
promised.
6th. He speaks with his own servants in a mysterious way.
7th. He sleeps in some other house under the pretence of having to do
something for a friend.
8th. Lastly, he speaks in private with the attendants of a woman with whom
he was formerly acquainted.
Now when a courtesan finds that her lover's disposition towards her is
changing, she should get possession of all his best things before he becomes
aware of her intentions, and allow a supposed creditor to take them away
forcibly from her in satisfaction of some pretended debt. After this, if the
lover is rich, and has always behaved well towards her, she should ever treat
him with respect; but if he is poor and destitute, she should get rid of him as
if she had never been acquainted with him in any way before.
The means of getting rid of a lover are as follows:
1st. Describing the habits and vices of the lover as disagreeable and
censurable, with the sneer of the lip, and the stamp of the foot.
2nd. Speaking on a subject with which he is not acquainted.
3rd. Showing no admiration for his learning, and passing a censure upon it.
4th. Putting down his pride.
5th. Seeking the company of men who are superior to him in learning and
wisdom.
6th. Showing a disregard for him on all occasions.
7th. Censuring men possessed of the same faults as her lover.
8th. Expressing dissatisfaction at the ways and means of enjoyment used by
him.
9th. Not giving him her mouth to kiss.
10th. Refusing access to her Jaghana, i.e., the part of the body between the
navel and the thighs.
11th. Showing a dislike for the wounds made by his nails and teeth.
12th. Not pressing close up against him at the time when he embraces her.
13th. Keeping her limbs without movement at the time of congress.
14th. Desiring him to employ her when he is fatigued.
15th. Laughing at his attachment to her.
16th. Not responding to his embraces.
17th. Turning away from him when he begins to embrace her.
18th. Pretending to be sleepy.
19th. Going out visiting, or into company, when she perceives his desire to
enjoy her during the day time.
20th. Mis-constructing his words.
21st. Laughing without any joke, or at the time of any joke made by him,
laughing under some pretence.
22nd. Looking with side glances at her own attendants, and clapping her
hands when he says anything.
23rd. Interrupting him in the middle of his stories, and beginning to tell
other stories herself.
24th. Reciting his faults and his vices, and declaring them to be incurable.
25th. Saying words to her female attendants calculated to cut the heart of
her lover to the quick.
26th. Taking care not to look at him when he comes to her.
27th. Asking him what cannot be granted.
28th. And, after all, finally dismissing him.
There are also two verses on this subject as follows:
"The duty of a courtesan consists in forming connections with suitable men
after due and full consideration, and attaching the person with whom she is
united to herself; in obtaining wealth from the person who is attached to
her, and then dismissing him after she has taken away all his possessions."
"A courtesan leading in this manner the life of a wife is not troubled with
too many lovers, and yet obtains abundance of wealth."
CHAPTER IV.
ABOUT RE-UNION WITH A FORMER LOVER.
When a courtesan abandons her present lover after all his wealth is
exhausted, she may then consider about her re-union with a former lover.
But she should return to him only if he has acquired fresh wealth, or is still
wealthy, and if he is still attached to her. And if this man be living at the
time with some other women she should consider well before she acts.
Now such a man can only be in one of the six following conditions, viz.:
1st. He may have left the first woman of his own accord, and may even
have left another woman since then.
2nd. He may have been driven away from both women.
3rd. He may have left the one woman of his own accord, and be living with
another woman.
5th. He may have been driven away from the one woman, and left the other
of his own accord.
6th. He may have been driven away by the one woman, and may be living
with another.
(1). Now if the man has left both women of his own accord, he should not
be resorted to, on account of the fickleness of his mind, and his indifference
to the excellencies of both of them.
(2). As regards the man who may have been driven away from both women,
if he has been driven away from the last one because the woman could get
more money from some other man, then he should be resorted to, for if
attached to the first woman he would give her more money, through vanity
and emulation to spite the other woman. But if he has been driven away by
the woman on account of his poverty, or stinginess, he should not then be
resorted to.
(3). In the case of the man who may have left the one woman of his own
accord, and been driven away by the other, if he agrees to return to the
former and give her plenty of money beforehand, then he should be resorted
to.
(4). In the case of the man who may have left the one woman of his own
accord, and be living with another woman, the former (wishing to take up
with him again) should first ascertain if he left her in the first instance in the
hope of finding some particular excellence in the other woman, and that not
having found any such excellence, he was willing to come back to her, and
to give her much money on account of his conduct, and on account of his
affection still existing for her.
Or, whether, having discovered many faults in the other woman, he would
now see even more excellences in herself than actually exist, and would be
prepared to give her much money for these qualities.
Or, lastly, to consider whether he was a weak man, or a man fond of
enjoying many women, or one who liked a poor woman, or one who never
did anything for the woman that he was with. After maturely considering all
these things, she should resort to him or not, according to circumstances.
(5). As regards the man who may have been driven away from the one
woman, and left the other of his own accord, the former woman (wishing to
re-unite with him) should first ascertain whether he still has any affection
for her, and would consequently spend much money upon her; or whether,
being attached to her excellent qualities, he did not take delight in any other
women; or whether, being driven away from her formerly before
completely satisfying his sexual desires, he wished to get back to her, so as
to be revenged for the injury done to him; or whether he wished to create
confidence in her mind, and then take back from her the wealth which she
formerly took from him, and finally destroy her; or, lastly, whether he
wished first to separate her from her present lover, and then to break away
from her himself. If, after considering all these things, she is of opinion that
his intentions are really pure and honest, she can re-unite herself with him.
But if his mind be at all tainted with evil intentions, he should be avoided.
(6). In the case of the man who may have been driven away by one woman,
and be living with another, if the man makes overtures in return to the first
one, the courtesan should consider well before she acts, and while the other
woman is engaged in attracting him to herself, she should try in her turn
(through keeping herself behind the scenes) to gain him over, on the
grounds of any of the following considerations, viz.:
1st. That he was driven away unjustly and for no proper reason, and now
that he has gone to another woman, every effort must be used to bring him
back to myself.
2nd. That if he were once to converse with me again, he would break away
from the other woman.
3rd. That the pride of my present lover would be put down by means of the
former one.
4th. That he has become wealthy, has secured a higher position, and holds a
place of authority under the King.
5th. That he is separate from his wife.
6th. That he is now independent.
7th. That he lives apart from his father, or brother.
8th. That by making peace with him I shall be able to get hold of a very rich
man, who is now prevented from coming to me by my present lover.
9th. That as he is not respected by his wife, I shall now be able to separate
him from her.
10th. That the friend of this man loves my rival, who hates me cordially; I
shall, therefore, by this means separate the friend from his mistress.
11th. And lastly, I shall bring discredit upon him by bringing him back to
me, thus showing the fickleness of his mind.
When a courtesan is resolved to take up again with a former lover, her
Pithamurda and other servants should tell him that his former expulsion
from the woman's house was caused by the wickedness of her mother; that
the woman loved him just as much as ever at that time, but could not help
the occurrence on account of her deference to her mother's will; that she
hated the union of her present lover, and disliked him excessively. In
addition to this, they should create confidence in his mind by speaking to
him of her former love for him, and should allude to the mark of that love
that she has ever remembered. This mark of her love should be connected
with some kind of pleasure that may have been practised by him, such as
his way of kissing her, or manner of having connection with her.
Thus end the ways of bringing about a re-union with a former lover.
When a woman has to choose between two lovers, one of whom was
formerly united with her, while the other is a stranger, the Acharyas (sages)
are of opinion that the first one is preferable, because his disposition and
character being already known by previous careful observation, he can be
easily pleased and satisfied; but Vatsyayana thinks that a former lover,
having already spent a great deal of his wealth, is not able or willing to give
much money again, and is not, therefore, to be relied upon so much as a
stranger. Particular cases may, however, arise differing from this general
rule on account of the different natures of men.
There are also verses on the subject as follows:
"Re-union with a former lover may be desirable so as to separate some
particular woman from some particular man, or some particular man from
some particular woman, or to have a certain effect upon the present lover."
"When a man is excessively attached to a woman, he is afraid of her
coming into contact with other men; he does not then regard or notice her
faults; and he gives her much wealth through fear of her leaving him."
"A courtesan should be agreeable to the man who is attached to her, and
despise the man who does not care for her. If while she is living with one
man a messenger comes to her from some other man, she may either refuse
to listen to any negotiations on his part, or appoint a fixed time for him to
visit her, but she should not leave the man who may be living with her and
who may be attached to her."
"A wise woman should only renew her connection with a former lover if
she is satisfied that good fortune, gain, love, and friendship, are likely to be
the result of such a re-union."
CHAPTER V.
OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF GAIN.
It sometimes happens that while gains are being sought for, or expected to
be realised, that losses only are the result of our efforts, the causes of these
losses are:
Weakness of intellect.
Excessive love.
Excessive pride.
Excessive self conceit
Excessive simplicity.
Excessive confidence.
Excessive anger.
Carlessness.
Recklessness.
Influence of evil genius.
Accidental circumstances.
A bawd.
A female attendant.
An unchaste woman.
A dancing girl.
A female artisan.
A woman who has left her family.
A woman living on her beauty.
And, finally, a regular courtesan.
All the above kinds of courtesans are acquainted with various kinds of men,
and should consider the ways of getting money from them, of pleasing
them, of separating themselves from them, and of re-uniting with them.
They should also take into consideration particular gains and losses,
attendant gains and losses, and doubts in accordance with their several
conditions.
Thus end the considerations of courtesans.
There are also two verses on the subject as follows:
"Men want pleasure, while women want money, and therefore this Part,
which treats of the means of gaining wealth, should be studied."
"There are some women who seek for love, and there are others who seek
for money; for the former the ways of love are told in previous portions of
this work, while the ways of getting money, as practised by courtesans, are
described in this Part."
End of Part VI.
PART VII.
ABOUT THE MEANS OF ATTRACTING
OTHERS TO YOURSELF.
CHAPTER I.
ON PERSONAL ADORNMENT; ON SUBJUGATING THE
HEARTS OF OTHERS; AND ON TONIC MEDICINES.
When a person fails to obtain the object of his desires by any of the ways
previously related, he should then have recourse to other ways of attracting
others to himself.
Now, good looks, good qualities, youth, and liberality are the chief and
most natural means of making a person agreeable in the eyes of others. But
in the absence of these a man or a woman must have resort to artificial
means, or to art, and the following are some recipes that may be found
useful.
(a). An ointment made of the tabernamontana coronaria, the costus
speciosus or arabicus, and the flacourtia cataphracta, can be used as an
unguent of adornment.
(b). If a fine powder is made of the above plants, and applied to the wick of
a lamp, which is made to burn with the oil of blue vitrol, the black pigment
or lamp black produced therefrom, when applied to the eye-lashes, has the
effect of making a person look lovely.
(c). The oil of the hog weed, the echites putescens, the sarina plant, the
yellow amaranth, and the leaf of the nymphæ, if applied to the body, has the
same effect.
(d). A black pigment from the same plants produce a similar effect.
(e). By eating the powder of the nelumbrium speciosum, the blue lotus, and
the mesna roxburghii, with ghee and honey, a man becomes lovely in the
eyes of others.
(f). The above things, together with the tabernamontana coronaria, and the
xanthochymus pictorius, if used as an ointment, produce the same results.
(g). If the bone of a peacock or of an hyena be covered with gold, and tied
on the right hand, it makes a man lovely in the eyes of other people.
(h). In the same way, if a bead, made of the seed of the jujube, or of the
conch shell, be enchanted by the incantations mentioned in the Atharvana
Veda, or by the incantations of those well skilled in the science of magic,
and tied on the hand, it produces the same result as described above.
(i). When a female attendant arrives at the age of puberty, her master should
keep her secluded, and when men ardently desire her on account of her
seclusion, and on account of the difficulty of approaching her, he should
then bestow her hand on such a person as may endow her with wealth and
happiness.
This is a means of increasing the loveliness of a person in the eyes of
others.
In the same way, when the daughter of a courtesan arrives at the age of
puberty, the mother should get together a lot of young men of the same age,
disposition, and knowledge as her daughter, and tell them that she would
give her in marriage to the person who would give her presents of a
particular kind.
After this the daughter should be kept in seclusion as far as possible, and
the mother should give her in marriage to the man who may be ready to
give her the presents agreed upon. If the mother is unable to get so much
out of the man, she should show some of her own things as having been
given to the daughter by the bridegroom.
Or, the mother may allow her daughter to be married to the man privately,
as if she was ignorant of the whole affair, and then pretending that it has
come to her knowledge, she may give her consent to the union.
The daughter, too, should make herself attractive to the sons of wealthy
citizens, unknown to her mother, and make them attached to her, and for
this purpose should meet them at the time of learning to sing, and in places
where music is played, and at the houses of other people, and then request
her mother, through a female friend, or servant, to be allowed to unite
herself to the man who is most agreeable to her.[77]
When the daughter of a courtesan is thus given to a man, the ties of
marriage should be observed for one year, and after that she may do what
she likes. But even after the end of the year, when otherwise engaged, if she
should be now and then invited by her first husband to come and see him,
she should put aside her present gain, and go to him for the night.
Such is the mode of temporary marriage among courtesans, and of
increasing their loveliness, and their value in the eyes of others. What has
been said about them should also be understood to apply to the daughters of
dancing women, whose mothers should give them only to such persons as
are likely to become useful to them in various ways.
Thus end the ways of making oneself lovely in the eyes of others.
(a). If a man, after anointing his lingam with a mixture of the powders of
the white thorn apple, the long pepper, and the black pepper, and honey,
engages in sexual union with a woman, he makes her subject to his will.
(b). The application of a mixture of the leaf of the plant vatodbhranta, of the
flowers thrown on a human corpse when carried out to be burnt, and the
powder of the bones of the peacock, and of the jiwanjiva bird, produces the
same effect.
(c). The remains of a kite who has died a natural death, ground into powder,
and mixed with cowach and honey, has also the same effect.
(d). Anointing oneself with an ointment made of the plant emblica
myrabolans has the power of subjecting women to one's will.
(e). If a man cuts into small pieces the sprouts of the vajnasunhi plant, and
dips them into a mixture of red arsenic and sulphur, and then dries them
seven times, and applies this powder mixed with honey to his lingam, he
can subjugate a woman to his will directly that he has had sexual union with
her, or, if, by burning these very sprouts at night and looking at the smoke,
he sees a golden moon behind, he will then be successful with any woman;
or if he throws some of the powder of these same sprouts mixed with the
excrement of a monkey upon a maiden, she will not be given in marriage to
any body else.
(f). If pieces of the arris root are dressed with the oil of the mango, and
placed for six months in a hole made in the trunk of the sisu tree, and are
then taken out and made up into an ointment, and applied to the lingam, this
is said to serve as the means of subjugating women.
(g). If the bone of a camel is dipped into the juice of the plant eclipta
prostata, and then burnt, and the black pigment produced from its ashes is
placed in a box also made of the bone of a camel, and applied together with
antimony to the eye lashes with a pencil also made of the bone of a camel,
then that pigment is said to be very pure, and wholesome for the eyes, and
serves as a means of subjugating others to the person who uses it. The same
effect can be produced by black pigment made of the bones of hawks,
vultures, and peacocks.
Thus end the ways of subjugating others to one's own will.
Now the means of increasing sexual vigour are as follows:
(a). A man obtains sexual vigour by drinking milk mixed with sugar, the
root of the uchchata plant, the piper chaba, and liquorice.
(b). Drinking milk mixed with sugar, and having the testicle of a ram or a
goat boiled in it, is also productive of vigour.
(c). The drinking of the juice of the hedysarum gangeticum, the kuili, and
the kshirika plant mixed with milk, produces the same effect.
(d). The seed of the long pepper along with the seeds of the sanseviera
roxburghiana, and the hedysarum gangeticum plant, all pounded together,
and mixed with milk, is productive of a similar result.
(e). According to ancient authors, if a man pounds the seeds or roots of the
trapa bispinosa, the kasurika, the tuscan jasmine, and liquorice, together
with the kshirakapoli (a kind of onion), and puts the powder into milk
mixed with sugar and ghee, and having boiled the whole mixture on a
moderate fire, drinks the paste so formed, he will be able to enjoy
innumerable women.
(f). In the same way, if a man mixes rice with the eggs of the sparrow, and
having boiled this in milk, adds to it ghee and honey, and drinks as much of
it as necessary, this will produce the same effect.
(g). If a man takes the outer covering of sesamum seeds, and soaks them
with the eggs of sparrows, and then, having boiled them in milk, mixed
with sugar and ghee, along with the fruits of the trapa bispinosa and the
kasurika plant, and adding to it the flour of wheat and beans, and then
drinks this composition, he is said to be able to enjoy many women.
(h). If ghee, honey, sugar, and liquorice in equal quantities, the juice of the
fennel plant, and milk are mixed together, this nectar-like composition is
said to be holy, and provocative of sexual vigour, a preservative of life, and
sweet to the taste.
(i). The drinking of a paste composed of the asparagus racemosus, the
shvadaushtra plant, the guduchi plant, the long pepper, and liquorice, boiled
in milk, honey, and ghee, in the spring, is said to have the same effect as the
above.
(j). Boiling the asparagus racemosus, and the shvadaushtra plant, along with
the pounded fruits of the premna spinosa in water, and drinking the same, is
said to act in the same way.
(k). Drinking boiled ghee, or clarified butter in the morning during the
spring season, is said to be beneficial to health and strength, and agreeable
to the taste.
(1). If the powder of the seed of the shvadaushtra plant and the flower of
barley are mixed together in equal parts, and a portion of it, i.e., two palas
in weight, is eaten every morning on getting up, it has the same effect as the
preceding recipe.
There are also verses on the subject as follows:
"The means[78] of producing love and sexual vigour should be learnt from
the science of medicine, from the Vedas, from those who are learned in the
arts of magic, and from confidential relatives. No means should be tried
which are doubtful in their effects, which are likely to cause injury to the
body, which involve the death of animals, and which bring us in contact
with impure things. Such means should only be used as are holy,
acknowledged to be good, and approved of by Brahmans, and friends."
CHAPTER II.
OF THE WAYS OF EXCITING DESIRE, AND
MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS, AND RECIPES.
1. "The armlet" (Valaya) should be of the same size as the lingam, and
should have its outer surface made rough with globules.
2. "The couple" (Sanghati) is formed of two armlets.
3. "The bracelet" (Chudaka) is made by joining three or more armlets,
until they come up to the required length of the lingam.
4. "The single bracelet" is formed by wrapping a single wire around the
lingam, according to its dimensions.
5. The Kantuka or Jalaka is a tube open at both ends, with a hole through
it, outwardly rough and studded with soft globules, and made to fit the
side of the yoni, and tied to the waist.
When such a thing cannot be obtained, then a tube made of the wood apple,
or tubular stalk of the bottle gourd, or a reed made soft with oil and extracts
of plants, and tied to the waist with strings, may be made use of, as also a
row of soft pieces of wood tied together.
The above are the things that can be used in connection with or in the place
of the lingam.
The people of the southern countries think that true sexual pleasure cannot
be obtained without perforating the lingam, and they therefore cause it to be
pierced like the lobes of the ears of an infant pierced for earrings.
Now, when a young man perforates his lingam he should pierce it with a
sharp instrument, and then stand in water so long as the blood continues to
flow. At night he should engage in sexual intercourse, even with vigour, so
as to clean the hole. After this he should continue to wash the hole with
decoctions, and increase the size by putting into it small pieces of cane, and
the wrightia antidysenterica, and thus gradually enlarging the orifice. It may
also be washed with liquorice mixed with honey, and the size of the hole
increased by the fruit stalks of the sima-patra plant. The hole should be
annointed with a small quantity of oil.
In the hole made in the lingam a man may put Apadravyas of various forms,
such as the "round," the "round on one side," the "wooden mortar," the
"flower," the "armlet," the "bone of the heron," the "goad of the elephant,"
the "collection of eight balls," the "lock of hair," the "place where four
roads meet," and other things named according to their forms and means of
using them. All these Apadravyas should be rough on the outside according
to their requirements.
The ways of enlarging the lingam must be now related.
When a man wishes to enlarge his lingam, he should rub it with the bristles
of certain insects that live in trees, and then, after rubbing it for ten nights
with oils, he should again rub it with the bristles as before. By continuing to
do this a swelling will be gradually produced in the lingam, and he should
then lie on a cot, and cause his lingam to hang down through a hole in the
cot. After this he should take away all the pain from the swelling by using
cool concoctions. The swelling, which is called "Suka," and is often brought
about among the people of the Dravida country, lasts for life.
If the lingam is rubbed with the following things, viz., the plant physalis
flexuosa, the shavara-kandaka plant, the jalasuka plant, the fruit of the egg
plant, the butter of a she buffalo, the hastri-charma plant, and the juice of
the vajra-rasa plant, a swelling lasting for one month will be produced.
By rubbing it with oil boiled in the concoctions of the above things, the
same effect will be produced, but lasting for six months.
The enlargement of the lingam is also effected by rubbing it or moistening
it with oil boiled on a moderate fire along with the seeds of the
pomegranate, and the cucumber, the juices of the valuka plant, the hasti-
charma plant, and the egg-plant.
In addition to the above, other means may be learnt from experienced and
confidential persons.
The miscellaneous experiments and recipes are as follows:
(a). If a man mixes the powder of the milk hedge plant, and the kantaka
plant with the excrement of a monkey, and the powdered root of the
lanjalalika plant, and throws this mixture on a woman, she will not love any
body else afterwards.
(b). If a man thickens the juice of the fruits of the cassia fistula, and the
eugenia jambolana by mixing them with the powder of the soma plant, the
vernonia anthelmintica, the eclipta prostata, and the lohopa-jihirka, and
applies this composition to the yoni of a woman, and then has sexual
intercourse with her, his love for her will be destroyed.
(c). The same effect is produced if a man has connection with a woman who
has bathed in the butter-milk of a she-buffalo mixed with the powders of the
gopalika plant, the banu-padika plant, and the yellow amaranth.
(d). An ointment made of the flowers of the nauclea cadamba, the hog
plum, and the eugenia jambolana, and used by a woman, causes her to be
disliked by her husband.
(e). Garlands made of the above flowers, when worn by the woman,
produce the same effect.
(f). An ointment made of the fruit of the asteracantha longifolia
(kokilaksha) will contract the yoni of a Hastini or elephant woman, and this
contraction lasts for one night.
(g). An ointment made by pounding the roots of the nelumbrium speciosum,
and of the blue lotus, and the powder of the plant physalis flexuosa mixed
with ghee and honey, will enlarge the yoni of the Mrigi or deer woman.
(h). An ointment made of the fruit of the emblica myrabolans soaked in the
milky juice of the milk hedge plant, of the soma plant, the calotropis
gigantea, and the juice of the fruit of the vernonia anthelmintica, will make
the hair white.
(i). The juice of the roots of the madayantaka plant, the yellow amaranth,
the anjanika plant, the clitoria ternateea, and the shlakshnaparni plant, used
as a lotion, will make the hair grow.
(j). An ointment made by boiling the above roots in oil, and rubbed in, will
make the hair black, and will also gradually restore hair that has fallen off.
(k) If lac is saturated seven times in the sweat of the testicle of a white
horse, and applied to a red lip, the lip will become white.
(l). The colour of the lips can be regained by means of the madayantika and
other plants mentioned above under (i).
(m). A woman who hears a man playing on a reed pipe which has been
dressed with the juices of the bahupadika plant, the tabernamontana
coronaria, the costus speciosus or arabicus, the pinus deodora, the
euphorbia antiquorum, the vajra and the kantaka plant, becomes his slave.
(n). If food be mixed with the fruit of the thorn apple (Dathura) it causes
intoxication.
(o). If water be mixed with oil and the ashes of any kind of grass except the
kusha grass, it becomes the colour of milk.
(p). If yellow myrabolans, the hog plum, the shrawana plant, and the
priyangu plant be all pounded together, and applied to iron pots, these pots
become red.
(q). If a lamp, trimmed with oil extracted from the shrawana and priyangn
plants, its wick being made of cloth and the slough of the skins of snakes, is
lighted, and long pieces of wood placed near it, those pieces of wood will
resemble so many snakes.
(r). Drinking the milk of a white cow who has a white calf at her feet is
auspicious, produces fame, and preserves life.
(s). The blessings of venerable Brahmans, well propitiated, have the same
effect.
There are also some verses in conclusion:
"Thus have I written in a few words the 'Science of love,' after reading the
texts of ancient authors, and following the ways of enjoyment mentioned in
them."
"He who is acquainted with the true principles of this science pays regard to
Dharma, Artha, Kama, and to his own experiences, as well as to the
teachings of others, and does not act simply on the dictates of his own
desire. As for the errors in the science of love which I have mentioned in
this work, on my own authority as an author, I have, immediately after
mentioning them, carefully censured and prohibited them."
"An act is never looked upon with indulgence for the simple reason that it is
authorised by the science, because it ought to be remembered that it is the
intention of the science, that the rules which it contains should only be
acted upon in particular cases. After reading and considering the works of
Babhravya and other ancient authors, and thinking over the meaning of the
rules given by them, the Kama Sutra was composed, according to the
precepts of Holy Writ, for the benefit of the world, by Vatsyayana, while
leading the life of a religious student, and wholly engaged in the
contemplation of the Deity."
"This work is not intended to be used merely as an instrument for satisfying
our desires. A person, acquainted with the true principles of this science,
and who preserves his Dharma, Artha, and Kama, and has regard for the
practices of the people, is sure to obtain the mastery over his senses."
"In short, an intelligent and prudent person, attending to Dharma and Artha,
and attending to Kama also, without becoming the slave of his passions,
obtains success in everything that he may undertake."
End of Part VII.
CONCLUDING REMARKS.
Thus ends, in seven parts, the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana, which might
otherwise be called a treatise on men and women, their mutual relationship,
and connection with each other.
It is a work that should be studied by all, both old and young; the former
will find in it real truths, gathered by experience, and already tested by
themselves, while the latter will derive the great advantage of learning
things, which some perhaps may otherwise never learn at all, or which they
may only learn when it is too late ("too late" those immortal words of
Mirabeau) to profit by the learning.
It can also be fairly commended to the student of social science and of
humanity, and above all to the student of those early ideas, which have
gradually filtered down through the sands of time, and which seem to prove
that the human nature of to-day is much the same as the human nature of
the long ago.
It has been said of Balzac [the great, if not the greatest of French novelists]
that he seemed to have inherited a natural and intuitive perception of the
feelings of men and women, and has described them with an analysis
worthy of a man of science. The author of the present work must also have
had a considerable knowledge of the humanities. Many of his remarks are
so full of simplicity and truth, that they have stood the test of time, and
stand out still as clear and true as when they were first written, some
eighteen hundred years ago.
As a collection of facts, told in plain and simple language, it must be
remembered that in those early days there was apparently no idea of
embellishing the work, either with a literary style, a flow of language, or a
quantity of superfluous padding. The author tells the world what he knows
in very concise language, without any attempt to produce an interesting
story. From his facts how many novels could be written! Indeed much of
the matter contained in parts iii. iv. v. and vi., has formed the basis of many
of the stories and the tales of past centuries.
There will be found in part vii., some curious recipes. Many of them appear
to be as primitive as the book itself, but in later works of the same nature
these recipes and prescriptions appear to have increased, both as regards
quality and quantity. In the Anunga Runga or "The Stage of Love,"
mentioned at page 5 of the Preface in Part i., there are found no less than
thirty-three different subjects for which one hundred and thirty recipes and
prescriptions are given.
As the details may be interesting, these subjects are described as follows:
Of the one hundred and thirty recipes given, many of them are absurd, but
not more perhaps than many of the recipes and prescriptions in use in
Europe not so very long ago. Love-philters, charms, and herbal remedies
have been, in early days, as freely used in Europe as in Asia, and doubtless
some people believe in them still in many places.
And now, one word about the author of the work, the good old sage
Vatsyayana. It is much to be regretted that nothing can be discovered about
his life, his belongings, and his surroundings. At the end of Part vii. he
states that he wrote the work while leading the life of a religious student
[probably at Benares] and while wholly engaged in the contemplation of the
Deity. He must have arrived at a certain age at that time, for throughout he
gives us the benefit of his experience, and of his opinions, and these bear
the stamp of age rather than of youth; indeed the work could hardly have
been written by a young man.
In a beautiful verse of the Vedas of the Christians it has been said of the
peaceful dead, that they rest from their labours, and that their works do
follow them. Yes indeed, the works of men of genius do follow them, and
remain as a lasting treasure. And though there may be disputes and
discussions about the immortality of the body or the soul, nobody can deny
the immortality of genius, which ever remains as a bright and guiding star
to the struggling humanities of succeeding ages. This work, then, which has
stood the test of centuries, has placed Vatsyayana among the immortals, and
on This, and on Him no better elegy or eulogy can be written than the
following lines:
"So long as lips shall kiss, and eyes shall see,
So long lives This, and This gives life to Thee."
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Dharma is acquisition of religious merit, and is fully described in Chapter 5,
Volume III., of Talboys Wheeler's 'History of India,' and in the edicts of Asoka.
[2] Artha is acquisition of wealth and property, etc.
[3] Kama is love, pleasure and sensual gratification.
These three words are retained throughout in their original, as technical terms.
They may also be defined as virtue, wealth and pleasure, the three things
repeatedly spoken of in the Laws of Manu.
[4] These were certainly materialists who seemed to think that a bird in the hand
was worth two in the bush.
[5] Among the Hindoos the four classes of men are the Brahmans or priestly
class, the Kshutrya or warlike class, the Vaishya or agricultural and mercantile
class, and the Shoodra or menial class. The four stages of life are, the life of a
religious student, the life of a householder, the life of a hermit, and the life of a
Sunyasi or devotee.
[6] Bali was a demon who had conquered Indra and gained his throne, but was
afterwards overcome by Vishnu at the time of his fifth incarnation.
[7] Dandakya is said to have abducted from the forest the daughter of a
Brahman, named Bhargava, and being cursed by the Brahman, was buried with
his kingdom under a shower of dust. The place was called after his name the
Dandaka forest, celebrated in the Ramayana, but now unknown.
[8] Ahalya was the wife of the sage Gautama. Indra caused her to believe that he
was Gautama, and thus enjoyed her. He was cursed by Gautama and
subsequently afflicted with a thousand ulcers on his body.
[9] Kichaka was the brother-in-law of King Virata, with whom the Pandavas had
taken refuge for one year. Kichaka was killed by Bhima, who assumed the
disguise of Draupadi. For this story the Mahabarata should be referred to.
[10] The story of Ravana is told in the Ramayana, which with the Mahabarata
form the two great epic poems of the Hindoos; the latter was written by Vyasa,
and the former by Valmiki.
[11] The author wishes to prove that a great many things are done by people
from practice and custom, without their being acquainted with the reason of
things, or the laws on which they are based, and this is perfectly true.
[12] The proviso of being married applies to all the teachers.
[13] This term would appear to apply generally to an inhabitant of Hindoostan. It
is not meant only for a dweller in a city, like the Latin Urbanus as opposed to
Rusticus.
[14] Gift is peculiar to a Brahman, conquest to a Kshatrya, while purchase,
deposit, and other means of acquiring wealth belongs to the Vaishya.
[15] Natural garden flowers.
[16] Such as quails, partridges, parrots, starlings, &c.
[17] The calls of nature always performed by the Hindoos the first thing in the
morning.
[18] A colour made from lac.
[19] This would act instead of soap, which was not introduced until the rule of
the Mahomedans.
[20] Ten days are allowed when the hair is taken out with a pair of pincers.
[21] These are characters generally introduced in the Hindoo drama; their
characteristics will be explained further on.
[22] Noonday sleep is only allowed in summer, when the nights are short.
[23] These are very common in all parts of India.
[24] In the 'Asiatic Miscellany,' and in Sir W. Jones's works, will be found a
spirited hymn addressed to this goddess, who is adored as the patroness of the
fine arts, especially of music and rhetoric, as the inventress of the Sanscrit
language, &c., &c. She is the goddess of harmony, eloquence, and language, and
is somewhat analogous to Minerva. For further information about her, see
Edward Moor's 'Hindoo Pantheon.'
[25] The public women, or courtesans (Vesya), of the early Hindoos have often
been compared with the Hetera of the Greeks. The subject is dealt with at some
length in H. H. Wilson's 'Select Specimens of the Theatre of the Hindoos,' in two
volumes, Trubner & Co., 1871. It may be fairly considered that the courtesan
was one of the elements, and an important element too, of early Hindoo society,
and that her education and intellect were both superior to that of the women of
the household. Wilson says, "By the Vesya or courtesan, however, we are not to
understand a female who has disregarded the obligation of law or the precepts of
virtue, but a character reared by a state of manners unfriendly to the admission
of wedded females into society, and opening it only at the expense of reputation
to women who were trained for association with men by personal and mental
acquirements to which the matron was a stranger."
[26] According to this description a Pithamarda would be a sort of professor of
all the arts, and as such received as the friend and confidant of the citizens.
[27] A seat in the form of the letter T.
[28] The Vita is supposed to represent somewhat the character of the Parasite of
the Greek comedy. It is possible that he was retained about the person of the
wealthy and dissipated as a kind of private instructor, as well as an entertaining
companion.
[29] Vidushaka is evidently the buffoon and jester. Wilson says of him that he is
the humble companion, not the servant, of a prince or man of rank, and it is a
curious peculiarity that he is always a Brahman. He bears more affinity to
Sancho Panza, perhaps, than any other character in western fiction, imitating
him in his combination of shrewdness and simplicity, his fondness of good living
and his love of ease. In the dramas of intrigue he exhibits some of the talents of
Mercury, but with less activity and ingenuity, and occasionally suffers by his
interference. According to the technical definition of his attributes he is to excite
mirth by being ridiculous in person, age, and attire.
[30] This means, it is presumed, that the citizen should be acquainted with
several languages. The middle part of this paragraph might apply to the Nihilists
and Fenians of the day, or to secret societies. It was perhaps a reference to the
Thugs.
[31] This term does not apply to a widow, but to a woman who had probably left
her husband, and is living with some other person as a married woman,
maritalement, as they say in France.
[32] Any woman fit to be enjoyed without sin. The object of the enjoyment of
women is twofold, viz., pleasure and progeny. Any woman who can be enjoyed
without sin for the purpose of accomplishing either the one or the other of these
two objects is a Nayika. The fourth kind of Nayika which Vatsya admits further
on is neither enjoyed for pleasure or for progeny, but merely for accomplishing
some special purpose in hand. The word Nayika is retained as a technical term
throughout.
[33] High unions are said to be better than low ones, for in the former it is
possible for the male to satisfy his own passion without injuring the female,
while in the latter it is difficult for the female to be satisfied by any means.
[34] The strength of passion with women varies a great deal, some being easily
satisfied, and others eager and willing to go on for a long time. To satisfy these
last thoroughly a man must have recourse to art. It is certain that a fluid flows
from the woman in larger or smaller quantities, but her satisfaction is not
complete until she has experienced the "spasme génêsique," as described in a
French work recently published and called "Breviare de l'Amour Experimental
par le Dr. Jules Guyot."
[35] This is a long dissertation very common among Sanscrit authors, both when
writing and talking socially. They start certain propositions, and then argue for
and against them. What it is presumed the author means, is, that though both
men and women derive pleasure from the act of coition, the way it is produced is
brought about by different means, each individual performing his own work in
the matter, irrespective of the other, and each deriving individually their own
consciousness of pleasure from the act they perform. There is a difference in the
work that each does, and a difference in the consciousness of pleasure that each
has, but no difference in the pleasure they feel, for each feels that pleasure to a
greater or lesser degree.
[36] This paragraph should be particularly noted, for it specially applies to
married men and their wives. So many men utterly ignore the feelings of the
women, and never pay the slightest attention to the passion of the latter. To
understand the subject thoroughly, it is absolutely necessary to study it, and then
a person will know that, as dough is prepared for baking, so must a woman be
prepared for sexual intercourse, if she is to derive satisfaction from it.
[37] From this it would appear that in ancient times the breasts of women were
not covered, and this is seen in the painting of the Ajunta and other caves, where
we find that the breasts of even royal ladies and others are exposed.
[38] Men who are well acquainted with the art of love are well aware how often
one woman differs from another in her sighs and sounds during the time of
congress. Some women like to be talked to in the most loving way, others in the
most abusive way, and so on. Some women enjoy themselves with closed eyes in
silence, others make a great noise over it, and some almost faint away. The great
art is to ascertain what gives them the greatest pleasure, and what specialities
they like best.
[39] This practice appears to have been prevalent in some parts of India from a
very ancient time. The "Shushruta," a work on medicine some two thousand
years old, describes the wounding of the lingam with the teeth as one of the
causes of a disease treated upon in that work. Traces of the practice are found as
far back as the eighth century, for various kinds of the Auparishtaka are
represented in the sculptures of many Shaiva temples at Bhuvaneshwara, near
Cuttack, in Orissa, and which were built about that period. From these sculptures
being found in such places, it would seem that this practice was popular in that
part of the country at that time. It does not seem to be so prevalent now in
Hindustan, its place perhaps is filled up by the practice of sodomy, introduced
since the Mahomedan period.
[40] The fresh juice of the cocoa nut tree, the date tree, and other kinds of palm
trees are drunk in India. It will not keep fresh very long, but ferments rapidly,
and is then distilled into liquor.
[41] The characteristics of these three individuals have been given in Part I. page
31.
[42] A definition of the sixty-four parts, or divisions, is given in Chapter II., page
45.
[43] The flight of a blue jay on a person's left side is considered a lucky omen
when one starts on any business; the appearance of a cat before anyone at such a
time is looked on as a bad omen. There are many omens of the same kind.
[44] Such as the throbbing of the right eye of men and the left eye of women,
etc.
[45] Before anything is begun it is a custom to go early in the morning to a
neighbour's house, and overhear the first words that may be spoken in his family,
and according as the words heard are of good or bad import, so draw an
inference as to the success or failure of the undertaking.
[46] A disease consisting of any glandular enlargement in any part of the body.
[47] A woman, the palms of whose hands and the soles of whose feet are always
perspiring.
[48] These last few lines have been exemplified in many ways in many novels of
this century.
[49] There is a good deal of truth in the last few observations. Woman is a
monogamous animal, and loves but one, and likes to feel herself alone in the
affections of one man, and cannot bear rivals. It may also be taken as a general
rule that women either married to, or kept by, rich men love them for their
wealth, but not for themselves.
[50] These forms of marriage differ from the four kinds of marriage mentioned
in Chapter I., and are only to be made use of when the girl is gained over in the
way mentioned in Chapters III. and IV.
[51] About this, see a story on the fatal effects of love at page 114 of "Early
Ideas; a Group of Hindoo Stories," collected and collated by Anaryan. W. H.
Allen and Co., London, 1881.
[52] About the Gandharvavivaha form of marriage, see note to page 28 of
Captain R. F. Burton's "Vickram and the Vampire; or Tales of Hindu Devilry."
Longman, Green & Co., London, 1870. This form of matrimony was recognised
by the ancient Hindus, and is frequent in books. It is a kind of Scotch Wedding
—ultra-Caledonian—taking place by mutual consent without any form or
ceremony. The Gandharvas are heavenly minstrels of Indra's court, who are
supposed to be witnesses,
[53] This probably refers to a girl married in her infancy, or when very young,
and whose husband had died before she arrived at the age of puberty. Infant
marriages are still the common custom of the Hindoos.
[54] A name given to the maid servants of the zenana of the Kings in ancient
times, on account of their always keeping their breasts covered with a cloth
called Kanchuki. It was customary in the olden time for the maid servants to
cover their breasts with a cloth, while the Queens kept their breasts uncovered.
This custom is distinctly to be seen in the Ajunta cave paintings.
[55] The meaning of this word is a superior woman, so it would seem that a
Mahallarika must be a person in authority over the maid servants of the house.
[56] This was also appertaining to the rank of women employed in the harem. In
latter times this place was given to eunuchs.
[57] As Kings generally had many wives, it was usual for them to enjoy their
wives by turns. But as it happened sometimes that some of them lost their turns
owing to the King's absence, or to their being unwell, then in such cases the
women whose turns had been passed over, and those whose turns had come,
used to have a sort of lottery, and the ointment of all the claimants were sent to
the King, who accepted the ointment of one of them, and thus settled the
question.
[58] On peut tout attendre et tout supposer d'une femme amoureuse.—Balzac.
[59] The wife of the sage Gautama, she was seduced by Indra the king of the
Gods.
[60] The heroine of one of the best, if not the best, of Hindoo plays, and the best
known in Sanscrit dramatic literature. It was first brought to notice by Sir
William Jones, and has been well and poetically translated by Dr. Monier
Williams under the title of Sakoontala, or the lost ring, an Indian drama,
translated into English prose and verse from the Sanscrit of Kalidasa.
[61] It is presumed that something like the following French verses are intended.
Quand on a juré le plus profond hommage
Voulez-vous qu'infidè le on change de langage
Vous seule captive mon esprit ou mon cœur
Que je puisse dans vos bras seuls goûter le bonheur;
Je voudrais, mais en vain, que mon cœur en délire
Couche où ce papier n'oserait vous dire.
Avec soin, de ces vers lisez leur premiers mots,
Vous verrez quel remède il faut à tous mes maux.
Or these:
Quand on vous voit, on vous aime;
Quand on vous aime, où vous voit-on.
[62] It is supposed that storms, earthquakes, famines and pestilent diseases are
here alluded to.
[63] This is a phrase used for a man who does the work of everybody, and who is
fed by the whole village.
[64] The exact date of the reign of these kings is not known. It is supposed to
have been about the beginning of the Christian era.
[65] The modern country of Tailangam, which is to the South of Rajamundry.
[66] Supposed to be a tract of the country to the south of Malwa.
[67] Now known by the name of Berar. Its capital was Kundinpura, which has
been identified with the modern Oomravati.
[68] Also called Aparantakas, being the northern and southern Concan.
[69] The modern provinces of Katteeawar. Its capital was called Girinaguda, or
the modern Junagurh.
[70] These are Lust, Anger, Avarice, Spiritual Ignorance, Pride, and Envy.
[71] The way to make oneself invisible; the knowledge of the art of
transmigration, or changing ourselves or others into any shape or form by the
use of charms and spells; the power of being in two places at once, and other
occult sciences are frequently referred to in all Oriental literature.
[72] This may be considered as meaning religious influence, and alludes to
persons who may be gained over by that means.
[73] It may be noted from the above remarks that eunuchs do not appear to have
been employed in the King's harem in those days, though they seem to have
been employed for other purposes. See Part II., page 43.
[74] In England the lower classes of courtesans walk the streets; in India and
other places in the East they sit at the windows, or at the doors of their houses.
[75] On the completion of a vow a festival takes place. Some trees such as the
Peepul and Banyan trees, are invested with sacred threads like the Brahman's,
and on the occasion of this ceremony a festival is given. In the same way when
gardens are made, and tanks or temples built, then also festivals are observed.
[76] The souls of men who die with their desires unfulfilled are said to go to the
world of the Manes, and not direct to the Supreme Spirit.
[77] It is a custom of the courtesans of Oriental countries to give their daughters
temporarily in marriage when they come of age, and after they have received an
education in the Kama Sutra and other arts. Full details are given of this at page
76 of "Early Ideas, a group of Hindoo stories, collected and collated by Anaryan.
W. H. Allen and Co., London, 1881."
[78] From the earliest times Oriental authors have occupied themselves about
aphrodisiacs. The following note on the subject is taken from page 29 of a
translation of the Hindoo Art of Love, otherwise the Anunga Runga, alluded to
in the preface of this work, Part I., pages 3 and 5:—"Most Eastern treatises
divide aphrodisiacs into two different kinds: 1., the mechanical or natural, such
as scarification, flagellation, etc.; and 2., the medicinal or artificial. To the
former belong the application of insects, as is practised by some savage races;
and all orientalists will remember the tale of the old Brahman, whose young wife
insisted upon his being again stung by a wasp."
Works issued by the Council of the Kama Shastra
Society.
DETAILED PROSPECTUSES CAN BE HAD.
II.
ANANGA-RANGA,
(Stage of the Bodiless One)
OR THE
HINDOO ART OF LOVE,
(Ars Amoris Indica,)
XVIth Century.
Transcriber's note
All occurrences of "i.e." have been italicized for consistency.
On Page 128 there is a paragraph listed as "(2)". However, there is no
preceding paragraph listed as "(1)". This is unchanged.
The following changes have been made to the text:
Page 3: "Sancrit literature" changed to "Sanscrit literature".
Page 4: "calied Pachivedas" changed to "called Pachivedas".
Page 9: "sensual grat fication" changed to "sensual gratification".
Page 12: "written by Nundi in one" changed to "written by Nandi in one".
Page 12: "Babhravya, an inheritant" changed to "Babhravya, an inhabitant".
Page 27: "at the botttom" changed to "at the bottom".
Page 29: "should be understand" changed to "should be understood".
Page 32: "heir heads shaved" changed to "their heads shaved".
Page 39: "highesf union" changed to "highest union".
Page 41: "if ihe ways" changed to "if the ways".
Page 45: "neither has the rice seven colours" changed to "neither has the
rice five colours".
Page 51: "is is called a" changed to "it is called a".
Page 52: "passion is e ces ve" changed to "passion is excessive".
Page 52: "Middllng" changed to "Middling".
Page 53: "breasts, it is called the" changed to "breasts, is called the".
Page 70: "the ennuch moves about" changed to "the eunuch moves about".
Page 70: "passes the tongue ever the end" changed to "passes the tongue
over the end".
Page 71: "sonthern bank of the Jumna" changed to "southern bank of the
Jumna".
Page 72: "be made nse of" changed to "be made use of".
Page 73: "can then eat sweatmeats" changed to "can then eat sweetmeats".
Page 76: "End of Part II" added.
Page 82: "he should them embrace" changed to "he should then embrace".
Page 101: "remarried, or a concubine" changed to "re-married, or a
concubine".
Page 104: "Tho followers of Babhravya says" changed to "The followers of
Babhravya say".
Page 106: "the ttme of her turn" changed to "the time of her turn".
Page 110: "if his inaccesibility" changed to "if his inaccessibility".
Page 112: "A covetuous woman" changed to "A covetous woman".
Page 117: "better dressed that before" changed to "better dressed than
before".
Page 128: "moon-light" changed to "moonlight".
Page 132: "t lling them" changed to "telling them".
Page 133: "easily accesible" changed to "easily accessible".
Page 133: "whem he is anxious" changed to "whom he is anxious".
Page 135: "fear of avarice" changed to "fear or avarice".
Page 136: "ways for seduciug" changed to "ways of seducing".
Page 138: "own maintainance" changed to "own maintenance".
Page 140: "beauty, and aimiability" changed to "beauty, and amiability".
Page 140: "to ssess activity" changed to "to possess activity".
Page 145: "him." f," changed to "him." If,".
Page 146: "account of its subtletly" changed to "account of its subtlety".
Page 159: "aud well-to-do" changed to "and well-to-do".
Page 168: "incanations mentioned" changed to "incantations mentioned".
Page 171: "trapa bisqinosa" changed to "trapa bispinosa".
Page 173: "he of the same size" changed to "be of the same size".
Page 175: "seeds of the pomegranite" changed to "seeds of the
pomegranate".
Page 179: "ready deliverence" changed to "ready deliverance".
Footnote #7: "now nnknown" changed to "now unknown".
Footnote #29: "fiction, imitiating him" changed to "fiction, imitating him".
Footnote #32: "technical term throughont" changed to "technical term
throughout".
Footnote #49: "Woman is a monaganous animal" to "Woman is a
monogamous animal".
Footnote #61:
"jurè" changed to "juré".
"profound" changed to "profond".
"Voulez vous qu'infidele" changed to "Voulez-vous qu'infidèle".
"language" changed "langage".
"seul" changed to "seule".
"et" changed to "ou".
"gouter" changed to "goûter".
"delire" changed to "délire".
"ou" changed to "où".
"remede" changed to "remède".
"a" changed to "à".
"ou vous voit on" changed to "où vous voit-on".
Footnote #68: "Apar ntakas" changed to "Aparantakas".
Footnote #74: "In India" changed to "in India".
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