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The Kama Sutra of Vatsayayana
Sir Richard Burton, translator
(1883)
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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 deal 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 Vatsyayana had passed away, but who still
considered him as the 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 Ratirahasya, or secrets of love
The Panchasakya, or the five arrows
The Smara Pradipa, or the light of love
The Ratimanjari, or the garland of love
The Rasmanjari, or the sprout of love
The Anunga Runga, or the stage of love; also called Kamaledhiplava,
or a boat in the ocean of love.
The author of the 'Secrets of Love' 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 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, 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' 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' 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' 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' was a poet called Bhanudatta. It
appears from the last verse of the manuscript that he was a resident
of the province of Tirhoot, and 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' 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.
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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 contain 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 sixth century of the Christian era, on the
following grounds. He mentions that Satakarni Satavahana, 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.D., 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.D.,
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 century A.D., because while treating
of the sixty-four arts an example is taken from the 'Kavyaprakasha'
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
lie 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. 1789, 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 Shastri. 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.
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PART I
CHAPTER I
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 inheritant of the Punchala (South of
Delhi) country. These one hundred and fifty chapters were then put
together under seven heads or parts named severally
Sadharana (general topics)
Samprayogika (embraces, etc.)
Kanya Samprayuktaka (union of males and females)
Bharyadhikarika (on one's own wife)
Paradika (on the wives of other people)
Vaisika (on courtesans)
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
Suvarnanabha (second part)
Ghotakamukha (third part)
Gonardiya (fourth part)
Gonikaputra (fifth part)
Kuchumara (seventh part), respectively.
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: INTRODUCTORY
Preface
Observations on the three worldly attainments of Virtue, Wealth,
and Love
On the study of the Sixty-four Arts
On the Arrangements of a House, and Household Furniture; and about
the Daily Life of a Citizen, his Companions, Amusements, etc.
About classes of Women fit and unfit for Congress with the Citizen,
and of Friends, and Messengers
PART II: ON SEXUAL UNION
Kinds of Union according to Dimensions, Force of Desire, and Time;
and on the different kinds of Love
Of the Embrace
On Kissing
On Pressing or Marking with the Nails
On Biting, and the ways of Love to be employed with regard to Women
of different countries
On the various ways of Lying down, and the different kinds of
Congress
On the various ways of Striking, and of the Sounds appropriate to
them
About females acting the part of Males
On holding the Lingam in the Mouth
How to begin and how to end the Congress. Different kinds of
Congress, and Love Quarrels
PART III: ABOUT THE ACQUISITION OF A WIFE
Observations on Betrothal and Marriage
About creating Confidence in the Girl
Courtship, and the manifestation of the feelings by outward signs
and deeds
On 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
On the different Forms of Marriage
PART IV: ABOUT A WIFE
On the manner of living of a virtuous Woman, and of her behaviour
during the absence of her Husband
On the conduct of the eldest Wife towards the other Wives of her
Husband, and of the younger Wife towards the elder ones. Also on the
conduct of a Virgin Widow remarried; of a Wife disliked by her
Husband; of the Women in the King's Harem; and of a Husband who has
more than one Wife
PART V: ABOUT THE WIVES OF OTHER PEOPLE
On the Characteristics of Men and Women, and the reason why Women
reject the Addresses of Men. About Men who have Success with Women,
and about Women who are easily gained over
About making Acquaintance with the Woman, and of the efforts to
gain her over
Examination of the State of a Woman's mind
The Business of a Go-Between
On the Love of Persons in authority with the Wives of other People
About the Women of the Royal Harem, and of the keeping of one's own
Wife
PART VI: ABOUT COURTESANS
Of the Causes of a Courtesan resorting to Men; of the means of
Attaching to herself the Man desired, and the kind of Man that it is
desirable to be acquainted with
Of a Courtesan living with a Man as his Wife
Of the Means of getting Money; of the Signs of a Lover who is
beginning to be Weary, and of the way to get rid of him
About a Reunion with a former Lover
Of different kinds of Gain
Of Gains and Losses, attendant Gains and Losses, and Doubts; and
lastly, the different kinds of Courtesans
PART VII: ON THE MEANS OF ATTRACTING OTHERS TO ONE'S SELF
On Personal Adornment, subjugating the hearts of others, and of
tonic medicines
Of the means of exciting Desire, and of the ways of enlarging the
Lingam. Miscellaneous Experiments and Receipts
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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.
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CHAPTER II
ON THE ACQUISITION OF DHARMA, ARTHA AND KAMA
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 always be
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 1 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 today than a peacock tomorrow;
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 of men and their four stages of
life. 2
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 that Bali 3
was raised to the throne of Indra by destiny, and was also put down by
the same power, and it is destiny only that call reinstate him.
Answer
It is not right to say so. As the acquisition of every object
presupposes 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, 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, was made to suffer for it. In a like manner the mighty
Kichaka, who tried to seduce Draupadi, and Ravana, who attempted to
gain over Sita, were punished for their crimes. These and many others
fell by reason of their pleasures. 4
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.
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Footnotes
1 These were certainly materialists who seemed to think that a bird
in the hand was worth two in the bush.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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 Bamayana, but now
unknown.
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.
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.
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.
|
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. 1 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: the daughter of a nurse brought up with her and already
married, 2 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:
Singing
Playing on musical instruments
Dancing
Union of dancing, singing, and playing instrumental music
Writing and drawing
Tattooing
Arraying and adorning an idol with rice and flowers
Spreading and arranging beds or couches of flowers, or flowers upon
the ground
Colouring the teeth, garments, hair, nails and bodies, i.e.
staining, dyeing, colouring and painting the same
Fixing stained glass into a floor
The art of making beds, and spreading out carpets and cushions for
reclining
Playing on musical glasses filled with water
Storing and accumulating water in aqueducts, cisterns and
reservoirs
Picture making, trimming and decorating
Stringing of rosaries, necklaces, garlands and wreaths
Binding of turbans and chaplets, and making crests and top-knots of
flowers
Scenic representations, stage playing Art of making ear ornaments
Art of preparing perfumes and odours
Proper disposition of jewels and decorations, and adornment in
dress
Magic or sorcery
Quickness of hand or manual skill
Culinary art, i.e. cooking and cookery
Making lemonades, sherbets, acidulated drinks, and spirituous
extracts with proper flavour and colour
Tailor's work and sewing
Making parrots, flowers, tufts, tassels, bunches, bosses, knobs,
etc., out of yarn or thread
Solution of riddles, enigmas, covert speeches, verbal puzzles and
enigmatical questions
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
The art of mimicry or imitation
Reading, including chanting and intoning
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
Practice with sword, single stick, quarter staff and bow and arrow
Drawing inferences, reasoning or inferring
Carpentry, or the work of a carpenter
Architecture, or the art of building
Knowledge about gold and silver coins, and jewels and gems
Chemistry and mineralogy
Colouring jewels, gems and beads
Knowledge of mines and quarries
Gardening; knowledge of treating the diseases of trees and plants,
of nourishing them, and determining their ages
Art of cock fighting, quail fighting and ram fighting
Art of teaching parrots and starlings to speak
Art of applying perfumed ointments to the body, and of dressing the
hair with unguents and perfumes and braiding it
The art of understanding writing in cypher, and the writing of
words in a peculiar way
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
Knowledge of language and of the vernacular dialects
Art of making flower carriages
Art of framing mystical diagrams, of addressing spells and charms,
and binding armlets
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.
Composing poems
Knowledge of dictionaries and vocabularies
Knowledge of ways of changing and disguising the appearance of
persons
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
Various ways of gambling
Art of obtaining possession of the property of others by means of
muntras or incantations
Skill in youthful sports
Knowledge of the rules of society, and of how to pay respect and
compliments to others
Knowledge of the art of war, of arms, of armies, etc.
Knowledge of gymnastics
Art of knowing the character of a man from his features
Knowledge of scanning or constructing verses
Arithmetical recreations
Making artificial flowers
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes
1 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.
2 The proviso of being married applies to all the teachers.
|
CHAPTER IV
THE LIFE OF A CITIZEN
HAVING thus acquired learning, a man, with the wealth that he may
have gained by gift, conquest, purchase, deposit, 1 or inheritance
from his ancestors, should become a householder, and pass the life of
a citizen. 2 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 3 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, 4 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, 5 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, 6 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 substance 7 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. 8 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, 9 and then should be taken the midday sleep. 10 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:
Holding festivals 11 in honour of different Deities
Social gatherings of both sexes
Drinking parties
Picnics
Other social diversions
Festivals
On some particular auspicious day, an assembly of citizens should
be convened in the temple of Saraswati. 12 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, 13 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,
etc.
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 mango 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 14 is a man without wealth, alone in the world, whose
only property consists of his Mallika, 15 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 16 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 houseliolder, 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 17 (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 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, 18
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.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes
1 Gift is peculiar to a Brahman, conquest to a Kshatrya, while
purchase, deposit, and other means of acquiring wealth belongs to the
Vaishya.
2 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.
3 Natural garden flowers.
4 Such as quails, partridges, parrots, starlings, etc.
5 The calls of nature are always performed by the Hindoos the first
thing in the morning.
6 A colour made from lac.
7 This would act instead of soap, which was not introduced until
the rule of the Mahomedans.
8 Ten days are allowed when the hair is taken out with a pair of
pincers.
9 These are characters generally introduced in the Hindoo drama;
their characteristics will be explained further on.
10 Noonday sleep is only allowed in summer, when the nights are
short.
11 These are very common in all parts of India.
12 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, etc. etc. She is the goddess
of harmony, eloquence and language, and is somewhat analogous to
Minerva. For farther information about her, see Edward Moor's Hindoo
Pantheon.
13 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 and 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.'
14 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 citizen
15 A seat in the form of the letter T.
16 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.
17 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.
18 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.
|
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, 1 is neither enjoined nor
prohibited. The object of practising Kama with such women is pleasure
only.
Nayikas, 2 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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
By being united with this woman, I shall kill her husband, and so
obtain his vast riches which I covet.
Or thus:
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:
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:
The husband of this woman has violated the chastity of my wives, I
shall therefore return that injury by seducing his wives.
Or thus:
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:
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:
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:
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, or 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 of 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
These friends should possess the following qualities:
They should tell the truth
They should not be changed by time
They should be favourable to your designs
They should be firm
They should be free from covetousness
They should not be capable of being gained over by others
They should not reveal your secrets
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.
A messenger should possess the following qualities:
Skilfulness
Boldness
Knowledge of the intention of men by their outward signs
Absence of confusion, i.e. no shyness
Knowledge of the exact meaning of what others do or say
Good manners
Knowledge of appropriate times and places for doing different
things
Ingenuity in business
Quick comprehension
Quick application of remedies, i.e. quick and ready resources
And this part ends with a verse:
'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.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes
1 This term does not apply to a widow, but to a woman who has
probably left her husband, and is living with some other person as a
married woman, maritalement, as they say in France.
2 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.
|
PART II
CHAPTER I
KINDS OF SEXUAL UNION ACCORDING TO DIMENSIONS, FORCE OF DESIRE OR
PASSION, TIME
Kind 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 his 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 has 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 1 are better than the low.
There are also nine kinds of union according to the force of
passion or carnal desire, as follows:
MEN
WOMEN
MEN
WOMEN
Small
Small
Small
Middling
Middling
Middling
Small
Intense
Intense
Intense
Middling
Small
Middling
Intense
Intense
Small
Intense
Middling
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,
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.' 2
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 results, 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 versa. 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. 3
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. 4
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 Kind of Love
Men learned in the humanities are of opinion that love is of four
kinds:
Love acquired by continual habit
Love resulting from the imagination
Love resulting from belief
Love resulting from the perception of external objects
Love resulting from the constant and continual performance of some
act is called love acquired by constant practice and habit, as for
instance the love of sexual intercourse, the love of hunting, the love
of drinking, the love of gambling, etc., etc.
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.
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.
The love resulting from the perception of external 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes
1 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.
2 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 génêtique', as described in a French work
recently published and called Brevaire as l'Amour Experimental par le
Dr Jules Guyot.
3 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.
4 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
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:
Touching
Rubbing
Piercing
Pressing
The action in each case is denoted by the meaning of the word which
stands for it.
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'.
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 take place only between persons who
do not, as yet, speak freely with each other.
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'.
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:
Jataveshtitaka, or the twining of a creeper.
Vrikshadhirudhaka, or climbing a tree.
Tila-Tandulaka, or the mixture of sesamum seed with rice.
Kshiraniraka, or milk and water embrace.
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'.
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.
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'.
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:
The embrace of the thighs.
The embrace of the jaghana, i.e. the part of the body from the
navel downwards to the thighs.
The embrace of the breasts.
The embrace of the forehead.
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'.
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'.
When a man places his breast between the breasts of a of Vatsyayana
woman and presses her with it, it is called the 'embrace of the
breasts'.
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: 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: 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 sorts of kisses:
The nominal kiss
The throbbing kiss
The touching kiss
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'.
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'.
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:
The straight kiss
The bent kiss
The turned kiss
The pressed kiss
When the lips of two lovers are brought into direct contact with
each other, it is called a 'straight kiss'.
When the heads of two lovers are bent towards each other, and when
so bent, kissing takes place, it is called a 'bent kiss'.
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'.
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: 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 on her 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 this 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 a 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:
Sounding
Half moon
A circle
A line
A tiger's nail or claw
A peacock's foot
The jump of a hare
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, 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:
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.
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.
The curved mark with the nails, which is impressed on the neck and
the breasts, is called the 'half moon'.
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.
A mark in the form of a small line, and which can be made on any
part of the body, is called a 'line'.
This same line, when it is curved, and made on the breast, is
called a 'tiger's nail'.
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.
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'.
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
courtesans, 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, 1 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes
1 From this it would appear that in ancient times the breasts of
women were not covered, and this is seen in the paintings of the
Ajunta and other caves, where we find that the breasts of even royal
ladies and others are exposed.
|
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:
The hidden bite
The swollen bite
The point
The line of points
The coral and the jewel
The line of jewels
The broken cloud
The biting of the boar
The biting, which is shown only by the excessive redness of the
skin that is bitten, is called the 'hidden bite'.
When the skin is pressed down on both sides, it is called the
'swollen bite'.
When a small portion of the skin is bitten with two teeth only, it
is called the 'point'.
When such small portions of the skin are bitten with all the teeth,
it is called the 'line of points'.
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 th |
