-

,,.,

Erotic figures in Indian art

Presented by
Marc de Stnedt

Translated by
David MacRae

Liber
I I be 1\,unu \utr.1. a s.-zcrt·d tt'xt
1:\. 1nu ~utr.l tht: \Try namt- j., laden with crotll ,\.,sou
.H ton'> I 'en rho.,c w h<) h:n e never read 1t know. or bd te" c.
th,H It '' ,\ trcatl'..c on rhc· numerou'> po\tun:., of loH'
de,l..lthl·d m Indian rr.td1t1on. lr i-; true that the 1:\.anu ~utra
'" 1 trcatt't' on loH' wrmcn about the thtrd centur\ :\1) hv
.1 .Br.thm.tn . Varwav.ma. who pn:~ent<:d. Ill a u)ndcmcll
torm. a nHH.h older l>ody of learnm~ aln:ady <.''<l..,ttn~ in rhc
.uKtt·nt ....tcrcd .tnd c'oteric te'\t'> ot lnd1a and whJCii mor<.·-
m l'f \\a... an tnrcgr.d parr or the ntu.ll governing day to
d.t\ hum:1n relations
1lowl'VtT. 111 rh.n .country \Vhich g<l\T rise .to one of rht:
••rear ~,,, dt;attom ot the world. the nonon ot love wa'i not
~nntincd mcrch· to the r<.·w do7en movcmcntli Jnd contor'>lom
'' lmh lll:t\' Ill: ob.,crvcd tn amorom lwhavtor. The erotiC
,.._-.rurn are .tcru.lllv nothing more than thL· nd minatton of
in enure dtm:Hl'. ot a ventablc parade of loH' 111 whtch L')'L''>.
h.mJ .... pcrlUlllL''>, color.,. jewe!s. poetry. mm1~ ~md an :l\\llrl-
llllnt of "lt!ll.., all com l.'') tlw lmL' vanatton.., of tcdm~. <lnd all
dw ron.1l1riL·.., \lt dc-;irc and ~ubrle d1ftC.:rc:nn:''> of .'ipproach
\\on:m t:r tiH'"e l:\..1nu ~utr.l I ''aphon:-..~~:-... of Inn:") :liT
protnundh· ~..mhedded 111 lndt_an rel1g!on. ot_tcnng .•l'> thn· Jo.
.hh t\ c foi· the lurmontom Lntt'~TT,ltlon ot the memh<.T'> of
'-<>lll't\ .•md ,tlo.,o in rhe umver'ial coc;m1c order whtch ,..,
~rl\'L·rnL·d [,, rhe ple1Jd of l-!mdu ~oth ..each liymbolt/ln~ :1
-~l,ll'tltUI.lr t\ pc of energy, _<l torce-tfow ot LTUCI.ll 1mportan~c
i>1· thl' nrlkrh workma ~
ot our enure ~~aLH.:rtc wc;tem
'
In rhto.,
o.,cnse thi~ treatise. \Vhtle not datmmg ro be a rchg10m book.
'" closclr related to the Vedas, which are among rhc mo\1
.mc1ent of all sacred texts and arc the ha<,to., for ~one of the
oldt.·-;r religionli in the world. That reltgton 1.., remark.tble not
nnlv for 1ts a1Te but also for 1ts wealth ot Interesting feature.,
m · complex~ cos':logony. tts abundant mythology. tt..,
rcchn1yues of mednanon <.uch ao; tlw vanom tvpc~ ot ~·oga
and pranayama (control of breathing-), as welf ac;; a lordh
moral code which gave rise to both brahman1sn1 and the ca~te
"Y"tem. In India the links between the gmh and men an:
indi . . -.oluhle, since they are part of thl' -.ame cosrnogonK
fabric: the individual ~-.;ou l (atman) and the univer'>al" <;oul
(brahman) are li.nked, bt'ing the product of the same_crcatwn.
The word yoga ttself c~me;s from the r~}otyug, mca1~111g boJ!d .
rie or yoke; and the prmctple unJcrlytng the cxcrc1scs whiCh
tr contams JS mtcndcd preCisely to lmk the human hcmg to
rhc . CO'ill~ic energies. Our wor~ relif.4U.m deriye~ from' rhc
I ,,11 111 re!Jgare. ana thus has a Slmtlar baste mcanmg- \-\ Jthout.
hmvever, the techniques for producing ..,df-:~waren't-o.,:-.
2 Tbe rt~vtb of creation
\\'hat, then, has love g<_>l 10 do wnh all rhi~;: It 1s, prect~d) .
present e' erywherl'. \Vtthout De.,1rc, the pnmord1al Bcml!:
l>rajapari (rh'e Purusha, or "he of every bcgmning"> \-\ ouiCI
not h<l\C \Vanted to father creatton I kre we ... hall yuotl' one
of the amusing myths on the ~ubject which cxi'>t 1n 'evcral
\'t.:r-. ton.,.
7
 "The Sole Being was unhappy ~v.ith his solitary state. and
began to look for a second bemg. I hen he became as lHg as
a man and a woman locked 111 an embrace. He divided that
body, which was himself, into two parts, which became
hus&and and wife ... "
'That is why the human body -at least .before man takes
a woman -Is ltke the rw.o halves of a split. pea:·· lie was
united with her and mankmd was born of the1r umon.
"Then she thOlwht: ''How can he, having engendered me
from himself. then1>e uni_red with me? Clearly I must hide"'
\'\!hereupon she turned Into a cow; bur he became a bulL
mated with her and brou<Tht carrie into being. She then
turned into a marc. and he 5ecame a stallion ; sl1e turned into
a female donkey. and he becune a mule: goats and sheep
wen:: thus created. In this way he produced e'Verything which
CXISt'i in pair!'. dmvn to the ants. " thing is a lila, a game, while living forms arc nothing mo.re
''Jlc rhen acknowledged his J)owers : "In actual fact 1 am
mvself creation. as 1 have pro< uced tht· entire world". In
hi~ way he came to be called Creation."
As tn all comogonit.·<;. a Primordtal Desire. a wish w create,
lie~ at the basis of our universe, its forms and beings. l•:ach
parr of the \Vhole is linked to rhe others by a son ot'chromo-
-;omic. cellular vital chain which is Life itseil. That Life would
not ext'it \Vere it not for the desire ro live, to procreate and to
continue the chain _of evolution. In other Indian myths we.
tlnd the con~cpt. c~l :1 golden egg floatmg on the waters. of
non -being, tertthzmg those \V:tten and thus engendenng
existence~ Which C\'Cr version one consider-; the mo~ement of
Genc:o,J'> i'l .1lwap seen to involve a sort of sexual interplay
benvccn two cornpl~menrary entiti~s, a calorific rubbing,
~~ petw~ra[lon. a c~urnm.g (as tn on~· ot the besr-k!.10wn n;yths,
m w·h1ch tht' pnmordtal mountam Mandara churns the
intlnitc ocean of milk). alwavs the image of union, of a fertile
O\rlW'Iis which transforms ·the couple inro a new energy.
One plus two eguals three. and -;o on endlessly from this
beginning. It is mterestingto note that none of these myths
cl~1<>h witl1 the findings of n\odern science. according to which
life emerged after ~1 very '110\·V proce::.s of chemical and
ekcrrir.tl ~n:: trtion" "virhit; the 111a~., of mnkcule-. of the
prt nwrdt;ll ocean.
?. Fbc god und bis sbakti
I hrt'l' prinetpal god::. c\' <.:ll~ually cnn-;ol ida ted their power
1l\'t'r :til the other ~otb :1nd he1nl2·'> and O\Tr '\fawre : they form
rht: I I'I!Tlllrll . •lll entttv trulv cZ>n~ttruting .1 form of energy.
I h.... , .trc Hrahm,L, dw LTC.Jl<)r. \ 'i-..hnu the~protcctor and shl~·a
the 'de<arover; 111 this wav rhe birth-life-death cycle which
I" pre-.ent 'rh rou~hout all '-:rages of our life, i~. rendered a!1d
~o\.ern-. the whole process. Fach ot rhc.;;e gods ts ~1ccompan1ed
bv <1 shakti. whicli is both its female d<~uble and irs power
nT manifestation. Thc-:e "divine Mothcr'i" arc unanimously
rcspccrcd in [ndia and each wnman is regarded as their
Incarnation .;;incc she can hersdf he a mother and a pro-
rr.c:ltor ... the place. the means and the rcfu~e of tl~e continuity
of crt·arJon. \Ve can rhus <;ee the extent to whtch amorous
relations. as described in t h<.· Kama Surra. are imbued with
respect <1nd tndtSSl.)lubly bmd sptrtt and matter together.
I' h...· whole of Indian· culture ;md spirituality be~u rht· imprint
of croriosm: but it i-; a naturally codified 'eroticism, unlike
rlw d t'>embodied, suppressed ,·,1riery ro be found in our
Western cu ltures. The lingas (stone phalluses) and their
yonis (vulvas) of which there are tens of millions are uni -
\,ersally respected throughout the Indian subcontinent, as a
sign of re~pect for the organ of creation and the womb, the
source of life.
Krishna.. the favorite god of the pantheon (and the i~carn­
atton of Vtshnu) was famous for h1s love for the Gopts , the
legendary shepherdesses who worshipped him, and to whom
he taught genuine communion With the divine essence,
transcending and at the same time proceeding through
physical Jove. He seduced the shepherdesses one by one,
danced and played with them and loved them; then, JUSt as
each of them imagined she possessed him he would disappear,
~hus showing that life was <TOVernc:d by an illusion and that
tdeal love must go beyond fhe des1re for possess1on. Every-
than~ a reflection of its divine form.
Hinduism proved able to ennoble sexual intercourse. both
within and beyond the couple, on condition that the partners
should sec in themselves and their motions the effen of
essentially divine fundamental energies; the act of love thus
reproduces the first stages of the creation of the world, as the
male pri~ciplc. be.comes united to its complement, the shakti,
or femtntne pnnctr.le.
Then comes the erotic union, which is both tram -
physiological and transpsychic. in which the man and the
woman embody their divine status in the act, which can and
should he made to last a long time and take whatever forms
the lovers choose. ~
The woman gives her enjoyment to the man, while he
give~ her hi.:; strength, which is extended, though not emitted,
within her body. 'the: texts emphasize the fact that "he who
has immobilized the essence of his spirit through identity
ol enjoyment in the stare of the Innate One, instantly becomes
a mag1cian; he fears neither old age nor death. Anyone who
~ecures a strong lock to the entrance of the breath and makes
the spirit a lam~p shining in the consequent terrible darkneo;s,
while enablin g the jewel of the jina to touch the supreme
he~tven, a,~ Kanha has said, reaches the nirvana while enJoying
ex1stcnce .
4. Preserving the seed
All oriental treatises on love advise against repeated
ejaculation; the man is thus able to conserve his vigor while
not wasting it needlessly, to acquire self-control wirh the
much vaster potential for action and heightcnetl psycho-
somatic ener15y which it produces and to come into contact
with th<: reality of the present moment. the here and now
The satisfaction of his partner '.vhich radiates from his rock-
like male sexual force opens up endless oeP.orrunities for him
and also for her in the act of love. r hi-; is a union of
constraints, blended in a timeless unity and leading- to a
higher stage of awareness contained in its own "void". In
Indian tradition, this moment of absolute concentration
whi<:h carnal love can and should provide, this moment of
communion during which two beings find each other is the
moment of highest respect: opposing and complementary
forces mesh in the same act, bevond thought itself. 111 the
same cosmic dance as at the beginning of creation. It is a
participation in the movement of the worlJ , a link to the
9
v1t~l urge, and a phase in awareness of oneself and of the
un1vcrsc.
Ahout the time the Kama Surra was written, new theories,
having practical applications, began to develop from the
ancient sacred Vedic traditions and rheir awareness
techniques; these new roots were to lead to a genuine sexual
yoga known as tantrism. This notion denves from the
word tantra which means "expansion" . in rh1s case that of
tht! faculties of the body and the awareness of rhe mind.
One tanrric text says that: ''One should raise oneself hy
means of that which causes one to fall. The very aspect~ of
our nature which impede us can he the cornerstones of our
liberatton." In such an approach the sexual impulses become
a path ope~ing ~P the rca!ities of the cosmos and pointing to
the unttv ot the hnttc: and mfintrc.
.\s tt (Jc,·t·loped, the mual of the tanrric asanas ga' e m t' 1o
an 1mpressiv<.: scncs of psychophysical practices promoting
rhe tvpe of di..,cipline wh1di leads to medttation. In perform-
in()" rhe asana the man and the woman are united, and m
fuffilnH.·nr liec; in the experience of joy. During inrercourc;e,
those skillt·d in this art withdraw their awareness of the
environment The 11pirit aspires to be free. Retention hctgh-
ten:-. the pre'isure of :-.cxual energy. raising it to incandescence,
so that the psychic now is released.
.'i. Ta ntrisnz
The Tantra asana shows the way to control over one\
sexual energy for the promotion of sexual fulfilment. lt
rcachc.., u-; to l'xplore our senses rather than to tame them.
\\ c -;hall n:fer also ro the ten aspects (or steps) \·VhiCh tan -
rric .,,·ml>olt..;m .t:-.cribes to the shakti, or femminc phase of
co~mic energ-y They a~e. as follows:
l. Kalt, the power ot tllne.
2. 1 ara, the power of procreation.
3. Sodas1, die incarnation of the sixteen forms of desire
+. Bhuvanesvan, the . . uhsrantial forces of the material
world.
5". Bhaira\ 1, mulriplied m an infinite number of form 'I and
bcmg ....
6. Chmnarnasta, the distributor of vital energy in the
cmmos.
7. Dhamabati, associated with frustrated desires.
8. B.1gala. destroyer of negative forces.
9. N\at.lngi. the r)owcr to dominate.
I 0. Kamala. the state of restored unity.
The tantras constantly empha~ize that those who makl.'
love for erotic reasons alone arc merely abusing- them~clvc~
and run the risk of losing their vital energy. On the other
hand, to the extent that one engage!:. in !lexual pleasure'> with
an intense awareness of the spintual (Goethe would call them
"elective") affinities between the j)artncro;, if one disregard.:;
the call of the ego, then the act of ovc a~sumes it'> full fiber-
acing dimension. Only then can the existential awarencs<; of
unity become unveiled and reali1.ed in the notion proclaimed
uy all mystics:
"There is no difference bcnvcen You and ~'-'\c".
Maithuna, the yoga of love, makes it possible
- to awaken the Kundalini, the symholic Sl'rpcnr coded ;H
the hase of the vertebral column which ts the form of latent
energy available to us and wh1ch is at work m our vertebral
columns (our vital axis) and 111 our nervt·.., in a highh. un -
controlled way; ... ·
to to learn how to use one's Prana, or breath ofltfe. ""htch
is the same as that of the universe;
-to become blended with each other so as to dte to oncsdL
and then to live again with a hctghtcncd awarcncs.., of the
world around one.
6. The sexual act as an honor
In Lhis way the sexual ace is not rckgatcd to the shadow~
of the um:onscious and its phantoms; instead it is maglllticd,
and illuminated with a light which properly displav~ all irs
countless facets. The Kama Surra is rhcrefon: an ill'ustrarivc
educational manual which, though wrinen for one particular
type of socierv, carries a message of great relevance to our
modern worlc'i: its refined sentiments, gentle prdtmin.lr\'
,·oluptuousness. and a variety of ~harcd postures amount to
a set of esthetic precepts conduetve to plea-,ure. l"ht~ '" .1
romantiCISm of enjoyment which acquire., ir~ full mcallln!.!
,.,..hen interwoven wtth the superb rniniatun.~.., offered tn thl-.
book. This is a Kama Surra such as ha'i never hcen publt,hcd
before: it is a tribute to the magic of love, a practtcal gUide.
a virruoc;o display of the art of seduction , and tntrodurt~on to
the t~1iryland of an ancient culture, a stud~ in moral tty and .t
hymn 'to life; may this selection of texr~ and iiJUStfat!On'i
truly convev this centuries-old wisdom which held rhaL
eroticism sllould properlv transcend the purdy phystctl and
merge with that cosmic' energy which movcs uc.; ·just a'> It
moves life and the orbits of the celestial bodie'i .
.~1\arc de Smedr
.. •

-·•• ........
-
"'
.••..
•••
·-·- \*.
••••
•:.
·-... •
•••
•••
•
•:. •:. •
••
.... •• ·=· --~ .

#
.
,. ~
~~

•""
...,
~
~~
.,. •:.
., •J,
it. #:•
••••
 "ller shapely back is as lithe as a serpent;
it blends harmoniously with her buttocks and her broad lup.1,
whLch resemble the bust of the green dove."

Four types of women and the qualities peculiar to each

Generally speaking Indian authors divide women into four categories, according to their physical and moral
characteristics.
The perfect type is the Padm ini, or Lotus Woman; there i~ virtually no kind of merit which is not attribmcd
to her. Here is a summary of them:
She is as beautiful as a lotus bud, like Rathi (desire). l lcr slender waist contrasts nicely with the fullness of her
hips. She has the carriage of a swan and walks gently and gracefully.
ller supple and elegant body has the scent of sandalwood: it is upright and svelte like the ciricha tree and has
the sheen of the mirobolam stem.
l lcr tender, smooth ~kin is soft to the touch, like the trunk of a young elephant. It has the color of gold anJ
sparkles like lightning.
Her voice is the song of the male kolika enchanting Its mate; her words are of ambrosia.
Her sweat has the odor of musk; she naturally exhales more perfumes than any other woman. The bee~ follovv
her like a sweet honey-scented flower.
H cr long, curled silken hair. which is itself aromatic, black Iike the bees. makes a del ightful frarnc for her LKe,
which resembleo.; the disk of the full moon, and falls in jade strands over her rich shoulders.
Her forehead is pure; her well-arched eyebrow c.; arc two crescents; when slightly moved by emotion they far
transcend the arc of Kama.
Her lin ely shaped eyes are shining. gentle and ttmid I ike those of the gazelle, and red in the corners. The
eyehalls. black as night deep inside their orhits, sparkle I ike stars in a dark sky. Her long silken la~he~ lend a
fac.;cinattng ~ofrness ro her gaze.
tier no\e. which resembles the sesame bud. is straight and then becomes rounded like a parrot's beak.
Her voluptuous lips are pink like a flower bud which is about to open or red like coral or the fruit of the btmb<l. •
I ter teeth. which are white as the jasmine of Arabia, have the !>heen of ivory; when ~he smiles, they appc;lr I ike
a string of pearls mounted on coral.
Her round polished neck is like a golden rower. l ler shoulders are attached to it by tlnc bonds. a\ well a~ to her
superbly molded arms which are like the stem of the mango tree, ending in two delicate hands which remind one:
of the hranches of the as hoka tree.
Her full and f1rm breasts are like the fruit of the vilva; they are like two upturned cups of gold crowned with
the bud of the pomegranate flower.
l ler shapely hack i!> as lithe as a serpent; it blends harmoniou~ly with her buttock c.; and her broad hips . '"' hich
re\emble the huo.;t of the ...green dove .
Her dl'ep navel, '>hining like a ripe berry. can be ~een on her pure. delicately rounded jagdana (belly). rhc -..kin
.trounJ her watst forms a belt made of three graceful fold~, JUSt above the hips.
Her butwcks are marvclou!>: she is a Nitamhint (the nymph Sakuntala was a :\itambini).
I.ike the lotu!> blooming in the shade of a tender p<ltch of kusha gra~s (the sacred gra~s fh7r e.n:ellcncc ). her
'imall yoni opens mysteriously under the pubis sheltered by a hairy veil six inches across.
•
12
•

,
 "She enjoys the pleasures of Love with her husband and knows hov..1
to excite his desire by means of caresses.
The god of love would be in ecstasy at her side."

Her loveseed is perfumed like a freshly blooming lily; her firm, plump rouhd thighs arc like the stem of a
young banana tree.
Her tiny. dainty feet are finely joined to her legs, like two lotus flowers.
VVhen she bathes in a sacred pool her every gesture speaks of love; the gods would be troubled to sec her at
play in the water.
Pearls rremb~e on her ears; on her bosom there rests a necklace of precious stones. IIer beauty is enhanced by
ornaments- few in number-on her arms and ankles.
She likes white garments, white flowers, fine jewels and rich apparel. She wears a garment made of three
layers of striped muslin.
As delicate as the betel flower, she is fond of sweet, pure and light food; she eats but little and ~lecps lightly.
She is well versed in the thirty-two musical modes of Ra.dha; like the lover of Krishna she sings harmoniously
accompanying herself on the vina, which she plays with graceful strokes of her slender, agile fingers.
When she dances, the supple and harmonious motion of her arms form the most graceful curves, almost, at
times. as if she wanted to hide her personal charms, for her modesty is very great (in India women always dance
alone).
Her conversation is pleasant and her smile spreads bliss around her; she is mischievous, playful and fond of
pleasure.
She excels in the tasks which are hers.
She avoids the society of dishonest people and does her duty scrupulously; lying is alien to her.
She constantly adores and worships the Brahmans, her father and the gods; she seeks out the convers.uion
of the Brahmans; she is liberal towards them and charitable towards the poor, for whose sake she would willingly
relinquish her husband's wealth.
She enjoys the pleasures of love with her husband and knows how to excite his desire by means of carcs~cs.
The god of love would be in ecstasy at her side.
She is highly affectionate towards her husband and will show such tenderness to no other man. All her speech
is imbued with fondness, and she is absolutely devoted to her husband. She is perfect in all respect~.
One should add to this already flattering portrait some of the many phrases used by the poets in honor of the
Padmjni:
Treasure of love! Unbounded tenderness! Woman who loves but feels no desire! \Voman whose happiness
is manifest! vVoman like Rathi (desire), wife of Ananya (love), who bows under the weight of her well rounJeJ
bosom! \IV oman whose love intoxicates!
After the Padmini com~s the Chitrini, or Art \\loman.
The Cbitrini has a quick mind, and a light, vivacwus temperament. She resembles the Lotus, her throat i~
firm; her hair. woven in a single plait, falls over her rich shoulclers I ike black serpents; her voice has the sweetnes-.
of ambrosia; her hips arc narrow, while her gentle smooth thighs have the roundness of a banana tree stem: her
gait iii thar of a playful elephant: she loves pleasure, and is capable of both arousing and varying it.
The Hastini (name of the elephant) occupies the third place.
The Hastini has abundant hair which shines and hangs in long silken curls; her gaze would embarrass the god

14
'

;
 "The body of I his graceful woman is lzke a golden Iiana,
her earrings are studded with stones
and her garments are decorated with flowers.
Her firm well-rounded breasts resemble a pair ofgolden vase.1."

of love and bring a blush to the cheeks of the shepherd girls. The body of this graceful vvoman is like a ~olden
Iiana, her earrings are studded with stones and her garments arc decorated with flower~. l lcr firm. well rounded
breasts resemble a pair of golden vases.
The last type is the Sankhini (sow).
Her hair is plaited and coiled about her head; her face, which carries an expression of passion, is mt~shapcn ;
her body is like that of a pig. She always seems to be angry, scolding and complaining.
llcr breasts and her belly smel l of fish.
She is unclean; she cats anything at aiL and sleeps to excess. l fer eyes arc always dull and bleary.
I·our types of man correspond, as lover~ or hu~bands, to these four types of woman.
The llare i\1\an, who is active, lively and alert, i~ for the Pad mini.
'

.... Man, who seck!> affection in sexunl intcrcour~e. is lor the Chitrini .
!'he Stag
The Bull Man, having the strength and rhc temperament of the :m imal in question, i~ for the llastini.
The ll orsc Man, who has the vigor and the sprightl incs~ of a stallion, is for the Sankh ini.
According w the poets. there is one Padmini for every ten million women. one Chitrini for every ten thou<.,;md .
one lla~tini for every thousand, while the Sankhini is to be found everywhere.

16
 •

' I

~~
~
•"

~~ :i•
~·
,•,
~
'("
v

,..
"f'
~
.-·~
('
"
 " Voluptuous women znjlame the hearts of all men ·with thl'ir
lascivious graces;
they chat with one man, dart provocatzve glances at another
and a third occupies thezr heart."

Conversation

It often happened that conversations rook the form of exchanges of poetic improvisations and quor:mon'
benveen competing poets.
The following'- dialogue
... has been devised to '-give the reader a sample of this son of conversatiOn:
A u·ise Brahman: "\\'ho made this maze of uncertainty, this temple of immodesty, this receptacle of defe<:t\.
tin~ field sown with a thousand deceits. this barrier to the gates of heaven, this mouth of the infernal Cit),
thic; poison which has the c;cent of ambrosia, this cord which tics mortals to the earthly world- in a vvord,
..,,
woman:-
:1 courtesan: "The false sage who curse~, women is deceiving himself and others; for the fruit of pen itcncc i'
hca,·en ~wd heaven offers the Apsaras to thme who achieve it."
'!be Brahman: ''\\'omen have honey m their words and poi\on in their hearts; that is why one sucks the1r l1p-.
'' hile one strikes their chest "vith the hack of one's hand."
Tbe courtesan: "The madmen who flee from women obtain only hitter fruit; their stupidity and the god of
love punish thern cruelly. The day when honorable rnen succeed in mastering their senses, the Vindhyas
mountains will sv~'i rn across the oceans."
Tbc Brabn1an: "On rhi~ earth there is only a garden full of pernicious flowers, ,.,., hich is youth; it is the '><.:at of
p.l~'-IOn, rhe cause of suffering more inteme than that of a hundred hells, the germ of madness. the curtain of cloud
'" h1rh covers the light of learn in g. the sole weapon of the god of love, the chain of defect"> of all sorts."
The courtesan: "r\n old one-eyed Jog, limping and mans'Y· with only skin and hone. h1s mouth torn by the
pot'>herds which he gnaws, still runs after bitches; the god of love continues to torment men, even a'> death
approaches. \Vhen the ashoka tree is touched by the foot of a beautiful woman it'> flowers bloom at once.
·voluptuous women intlame the hearts of all men with their lascivious graces: they chat with one man. d.tn
pro,·ocati\·e glance' at another and a third occupies their heart."
Tbe Brabman: '' He who, with control over hi.., .'lenses. has merged his av..'arenes'> with the supreme soul c.HT\
nothing for the prattling of mistresses, the honey of their lips. the moon of their face and the love game'>, rl'pk·tl'
'"' ith sighs. in which their plump hosoms take part."
Tbe courtesan: "The only men who talk of renouncir1g: love arc the scholars who constantly have the sacred
~criprures at the tip of the tongue, yer even they do not mean what they say.
\Vho could t1ee from the hips of beautiful young women adorned with resonant belt'> ')trung with red bead-.'
[\'Cn Rrahma does not have the courage to \•Vithstand the acts of a woman in the stare of pas'>ion."
.4. mature nwn: "At an can be sure of his honor, virtue and wi~dom only when his heart and his tlrmne"' or'
re'lolvc have successfully withstood the onslaught of female corruption.
How manv men who could not have been bought hv all the gold in the world have succumhcJ ro their
~ ~ J ~

temptations !l'
A young man: "\:Vhat is the mosr beautiful of' sights?
The t:Ke of a -young woman in love.
~

\Vhat is rhe softest of perfumes? ll er sweet breath.

 "A faint smile on their lips) their glances at once timid and bold,
their joyous chatter~ flight and sudden return, continual jro'ltckmg
- young women wtth the eyes cf the gazelle are a constant delight
in everything they do."

\Vhat i~ the most agreeable of sounds? The voice of the loved one.
\Vhat i~ the mo~t exquisite of tastes? The dev.' which moistens her lips.
\\'hat is softest to the rouch? Her body.
\Vhat is the most pleasant picture a man can conjure up in his kind? That of her charms.
Everything ahout a young woman in love is appeal in g."
A young poet: "The young virgin is like the tender hud of a rose which has yet to bloom; in all it~ punt) It
grovv~ in peace in the shadow of the protective thicket, safe from danger; yet once her unveiled hmom lu~ lent
itself to rhe kisses of the seductive nightingale it is soon thereafter separated from the maternal stem anJ ignobl ~·
associated with the grass over vvhich the common mass eo.; might walk, it is exposed to the passers by in pub Iic
places: when it has rhus been dulled by a thousand impure kisses, one seeks in vain its original fre~hnes~."
.1notber young man: "A faint smile on their lips, their glances, at once timid and bold, their joyous ch<ttli:r.
tlight and sudden return. continual frolicking- young women \Vith the eyes of the gazelle arc a constant delight in
everything they do.
\Vhen they are away we long to see them return.
\\'hen we <;ec them we have only one desire. tO fed their embrace.
'
\\'hen '" e are in their arms. we can no longer tear ourselves away from them ..,
Tbe younp; poet: '·\Vhar mortal t<; destined to receive ~uch ravishing beauty, a<, fresh a~ a tlowcr \\'hO'-l' '-u: nr
ha" never been inhaled and whose nne down ha'-> never been touched, a tender bud wl11ch no morr.1l h,1, d.1rcd
break off from it<; 'Item. or a pearl still pure inside the protccti,·e mother-of-pearl where it wa., born?''

20
 "The two lovers often go up to the terrace of the house where they
enJOY the moonlight as they chat pleasantly together."

The elegant life : lovers' meetings

The dwelling must be well situated, along the banks of some clean watercourse. in a city or to\<\ n. or 'lome
place where people go for recreation.
rhe inner rooms must be placed towards the back of the building. the reception rooms in front, and all musr be
comfortably furnished and tastefully decorated.
1~ygiene. Every day one must take a bath and rub one's body 'vvith oil. Every three days lac should be appltcd
w the whole body; every four days the head must l>e shaved. and, once every five or ten days. the whole body.
Ti,metable. Three meals a day, in the morning, at noon and at night; a bath and a midday sleep; elcg<lnt whirc
clothes; flowers, an aviary; in the morning, some gan1es and pastimes with parasites, :md an afternoon passed
with friends.
After hrcakfa!>t a speech lesson to parrots and other birds, followed by fights between cocks, quails or pigeons.
In the evening, singing: then the master of the house. with his friends, in a suitably ornate and scented
reception room, awaits the arrival of his mistress; when she arrives she is received \Vith the customary courte'lie..,,
ami engages in a loving and agreeable conversation with all present.
\\'hen she is to spend the night in the house of her lover. she comes already bathed, perfumed and <.,Uitahly·
dressed. Her lover offers her refreshments: he invites her to sit on his left, takes her hair in hi'> hands , touche . .
the hem and the knot of her lower garment and puts his right arm gently around her wai\t. A rda:\cd ,md
plea~ant conversation then ensues, with many gay and \Vitty remarks, and erotic or amorou~ ~wries .Ire told
The assembled company then sings, with or without gestures; and there is music and much excited dnnkmg.
F.ventually, when the woman, aroused by such ermic sri mularion, betrays her own desires, the mac.,ter of the
household invites his guests to leave, giving them f1owers, bouquets and betel leaves.
The rwo lovers then remain alone. Having had their fill of pleasure, they modestly rise and, without so much
as a glance at each other, go separately to the toilet which is, in India, the bathroom.
Thcv' then come back to sit together
.._
and chew betel leaves. Then the man. with his own hand, rubs the body .
of the woman with an ointment of pure sandahvood or liome other aromatic essence: ne:\t he puts hi~ kft <trm
<1round her while saying sweet things to her, and he gives her a stimulating scented drink from a cup wh1ch he
hold<~ in hi.., left hand. Together they eat cakes and sweetmeats. c:;ip broths and gruel soup and drink fre..,h coconut
milk. !>herbctc::, mango juice and sweetened lemon juice: lastly. undisturbed hy intruder.,, they ..,avor the finc'r.
s,., eeresr anJ purest produce of the country.
'1 he nvo lo\'ers often go up to the terrace of the hou'le where they enjoy the moonlight a c., they chat plea,;mrh
together. Then. as the woman reclines on his kneec:;, her face towards the moon. the lover points out to h<:r thL·
variom planets, the morning star, the polar srar and the constellations.

22
 . '

.. ~ jl
;
i
fT

.... - ..
~

.
• \.
,
f._..
~'

'
 " Two persons love each other and unite their bodies
out of sympathy and mutual attraction."

Different types of sexual intercourse

There are "even types of intercourse:

'Spontaneous intercourse.' Two persons love each other and unite their bodies out of sympathy and mutual
attraction .
Barthiari says that love play, in the case of a woman of good birth, is full of charm. Fint the woman says "no!
no!", and feigns disdain for her lover's caresses; then her desire is aroused, though some shreds of modesty
remain; then her resistance slackens and her firmness is discarded; lastly she feels keenly the secret pleasure of
amorom ardor; setting aside all restraint she savors an ineffable bliss which causes her limbs to becorne tense.

'intercourse of ardent Love'. The man and the \Vornan have loved each other for some time and have found ir
difficult to meet; or one of the lovers comes back from a journey, or two lovers are reconciled after a quarrel.
In this case the two lovers are burning with an impatient desire to be united and give each other complete
satisfaction.

'Jntercourse.for nascent love'. This takes place between two partners whose love is still only a seed.

'Intercourse of art~ficial love'. Here the man perform,') the sexual act only by exciting himself through the
accessory means referred to in the Kama Surra-kisses, embraces - or the man and woman unite their bodies
without love, the heart of each of them being elsewhere. In this case they must make usc of all the methods for
generating excitement taught by the Kama Shastra.

'Intercourse of love'. One of the two partners, throughout the entire act, imagines that he is in the arms of
another person whom he truly loves.

'Intercourse of eunuchs'. The woman ts a water bearer or a servant of a caste lower than that of the man. so the
sexual act la<it<i only long enough to extingui,')h the man's desire. In this case there are no preliminary or acccc.,"ory
a<.:t'l

'Decei~ful intercourse'. Between a courtesan and a peasant. or between a well -educated m,u1 and a pe<l"'<lnt
woman ; it is limited to a brutal act. unle\s the woman is very beautiful.
'

24
 "The kiss should be moderate, contracted, pressed or soft,
depending on the part of the body to which it is applied."

Caresses which precede or accompany the sexual act

During their early meetings it is recommended that lovers avoid a great deal of ki~sing, embracing and other
accessories of the sexual act; though one can be lavi~h with such things on subsequent occasions.
One can kiss the forehead, the eyes, the cheeks, the throat, the chest, the breasts, the lips and the insiue of the
mouth.
~I he mhabitants of the f.aq also kiss their women at the joints of the thighs, on the arms and on the navel.
With a young woman there are three sorts of kiss;
The 'nominal'. the 'moving' and the ' wuching'.
The 'nominal' is a plain kiss on the mouth, as the lips of the two lovers are brought into contact.
Jn the 'moving kiss' the girl squeeze~ her lover's lower lip between her lips; she draws it into her mouth with a
sort of sucking motion.
~

In the 'touching kiss' she touches her lover's lip with her tongue, \Vhile closing her eyes, and place.., her two
hands in his.
Authors also refer to four other types of kiss:
'Straight', 'bent', 'turned' and 'pressed'.
In the 'straight kiss' the two lips are applied directly, those of the lover on those of his mistres"> .
In the 'bent kiss' the two lovers, their heads inclined, bend their lips towards each other.
In the 'turned kiss' one of the lovers turns the other's head towards him with his hand, while holdin!.!· hi.., ~

partner'c; chin with the other hand.

A ki\S is said to be 'pressed' when one of the partners presses the lower lip of the or her per!lon with hi::. t\\. o lip~
Jr is said ro be 'very pressed', when, having taken the lips between two fingers the lover touche::. it with hi~
tongue and presses it hard with one lip.
Lovers vie with each other to see who shall be first to seize the lower l!p of the other partner bet'vveen hi' 0\\. n
lip!l. If the woman loses she must cry our, repel her lover and beat the air with her hands, challenging him tn
another hour. If she loses a second time her resentment must be seen to be even 'greater: she must take advanrage ..
of a moment's inattention on the part of rhe man, or wait until he is asleep, ro seize his lo,ver lip between her
teeth, gripping it so hard that he can not work h1mself free. Once that is done she starts Ia ughing, shouting and
mocking her lover; she danccs and jumps about in front of him, jesting and saying whatever occurs ro her: ">he
fro\\ m <lnd makes eyes at h1m.
These are the games and wagers in which lovers engage when kissing.
Very passionate lovers do thc same with the other affectations which we shall con-; ider later on.
\Vhen the man kisses the upper lip of the woman while she. in return, kisses his lower lip. it is the
upper lip'.
When one of the lovers takes in his Iips the lips of his partner, it is the 'cla">ping kiss'.
\1\ihen, during this kiss, his tongue touches the teeth and palate of the other person, it is calkd the
rong·ue .
~

The kiss shouiJ be moderate, contracted, pressed or soft, depending on the part of the body ro which It '"

28
 •
... '
.' •
 "When one kisses the image oj a person rejlected in a'rmrrur or m
water, or hzs own shadow on a wall, it zs the' ktss oj declaratwn ·:·

applied.
The range of kisses can also be said to include ~ucking on the nipples-an act which, tn the song" of the
Bayadcrcs of ~outhern India, is mentioned as a natural prelude to intercourse.
\\'hen a woman kisses the face of her sleeping lover, it is the 'kis~ that kindles love'.
\\'hen a woman kisses her lover while he is distracted or husv,. it i~ the 'kiss that turns away'
'
\1\:'hcn ,1 lover comes home late and finds his mi<;tress in bed and ki~ses her as she sleep11, thm e\prco.,smg ht<;
destre for her. it i~ the 'kiss that awakens' . In ~uch a case, the \Voman may feign sleep -.,vhcn her lovt.:r arrivL'"·
in order to d icir this kiss.
\:Vhen one kisses the image of a person reflected in a mirror or in water, or his own shadow on :1 wall. ir i. .
the 'kis~ of t.kdaration '.
\Vhen one kisses a child sitting on one's knees, or a picture of :1 statue, in the presence of rhc loved per~on , n i~
the 'transferred kiss'.
\Vhen ac night,
.. at a theater or in a ....g;arhering.. of men of caste. a man approaches a woman and ki<;o.,cs one of her
finger~
.. (t!' 'ihc is standing) or her toe~ (if she is seated), or when a woman, while mas~agtng her lo\·cr\ ho~.h, l:n..,
'-- '- '-

her l~lce on hio., thigh. as if wishing ro make it a pillow so J.~ to <HOUSe his de11ires, and kissc~ hi:-- thigh or 1>1~ tol',
it i~
the 'provocative kiss'.
rhe J(>lJO\\ 111g verse~ have been quoted abOUt these kisses :
"\Vhatevcr one of the lovers ma_v do to the other. the same should be returned by that other person: k1.,.., for
ki'i~. careso.; for caress, blow for blow."

30
 "The rules of the Shastra should be obser·ued
as long as the passion is moderate,·
but once the wheel ~~Love begins to turn,
neither Shastra nor order should be jollowed."

The embrace

The embrace, whereby lovers show their fondness for each od1er, is of four kinds: 'touching', 'picrcmg',
'rubbing' and 'pressing'.
The first of these takes place when a man, on some pretext or other, places himself next to or in front of a
..voman so that their bodies come into contact.
fhe 'piercing embrace' occurs when, in some solitary place, a woman bends down to pick something up, and I
n.s ir were pierces a man with her breasts; the man, for his part, takes hold of her and squcc7.cs her.
These first two kinds of embrace are performed between persons who arc unable to sec or freely contact each
~
other.
The third embrace takes place when two persons who arc walking slowly in the clark or in some i~olarcd placl'
rub their bodies together.
v\'hen. in similar circum!ltances, one of the lovers presses the other's body hard agaimt a wall or a plll,tr, 1t ,..,
the 'pressing embrace'.
These last two contacts are carried out by common agreement.
When lovers meet they may make partial embraces: face against face, breast against breast, jagdana aga1nst I

jagdana (area between the navel and the thigh~). thighs against thighs, and also embraces of the whole body. \VI[h
all sorts of fond gestures, the woman letting her hair flow loosely.

'1 hese embraces have the following names: 'creeper', 'climbing a tree'. 'mixture of sesame seed and rice' and
the 'water and milk embrace'.
In the first two of these the man is standing, while the latter two are an actual part of intercourse. '
In the first, the woman dings to the man a~ the ivy clings to the tree; she inclines her head on his to kiss, while
uttering faint cries of "sut! sut!"; she embraces him and looks at him lovingly.
In the second, the woman places one foot on the man's foot and the other on his thigh. purring one of her arm'
around his back and the other on his shoulders. and singe; and coos softly. apparently wishing to climb up ro
receive a kiss.
In the third, the man and the woman arc lying down, embracing each other so rightly that their thighs and
arms are interwoven like two creepers. and are rubbing against each other.
In the fourth, the man anJ the woman are in such ecstasy that they are rendered obi ivious to everything . they
neither fear nor feel pain or injury: penetrating each other fully, they now form only a single body, one tll'o..h . I
I
whether rhe man has the woman sitting on hi~ knee!l. or on her side, or facing him, on a bed.
:\ poet has written the folJo,~.ring aphorism about this:
l
"It is good to learn and to discuss the embraces, since this is a way of arousing desire: but in the sexual .tcr
itself one should engage even in those which are not mentioned in the Kama Shastra. as long as they hcightc.:n
I
I
one's love and passion." I
•
The rules of the Shastra should be observed as long as the passion is moderate; but once the wheel of lovl'
bcgim to turn, neither S hastra nor order should be follo,ved.
I
32
•I
J

,
I
:

.I,

'
 "] ust as variety is necessary m lor1P.
so aLso variety, in zts tum, general f.\ lm1e."

Pressing, rubbing, scratching and marks made with the nails.

Generally speaking marks made with the nails should be imprinted on the armpits, the throat, the brea~r~. the
lips. the jagdana or midriff, and the thighs.
The~e. ~uite ac:; much as bites, are singular-and c:;ometimes feigned - evidence of love between mren'>ely
pa'>~ionatc lovers. They exchange these gestures at their first meeting. when leaving on a journey. on thc1r
return, during a reconciliation, and, lastly, when the woman is, for whatever reason. intoxicated.
The nads can be used to make eight marks. by scratching or pressing: 'sounding', 'half- moon', the 'c1rde'.
the 'lines', rhe 'nger's nail or cla\v mark'. the 'peacock's foot'. the 'hare's leap' and the 'blue lotus leaf'.
'Sounding' i~ done hy pressing the chin, the breasts, the lower lip or the jagdana so softly as nor ro make
any mark or ~cratch, and only in order that the hair will ~tand up through contact with the nail'>, rhc scratchmg
of which can be heard.
A lov<:r can do this with a young woman when he is ITta<;saging her or gently scratching her head, and whC'n hl'
wants to frighten her or disturb her

The 'half-moon' is the curve of a single nail imprint<:d on the neck or breasts.
The 'circle' iii a set of t\VO facing half-moons. Th1s mark is usually made on the navel, in the small dimple . .
'"' h1ch form around the buttocks in the standing postur<:, and in the groin.
The 'I me' is a short line made by the nail on any part of the body.
Th<: 'tig<:r's
... claw' is a curved line made on the brea~r.
The 'peacock's foot' is a similar curve made on the brealit with the five nails: this type of scratching reqlllr<:-.
real mastery.
ln the 'hare's leap' the mark of the five nails is made near one of the nipples.
The 'blue lotus leaf consists of marb made on the breasts or the hips in the form of lotus l<:aves.

There are also other marks; indeed there is no end to them, for, as an ancient author says: "The art of imprint-
ing the marks of love is familiar to all".
Vatsyayana adds: "just as variety is necessary in love, so also variety. in its turn, generates love".
That is why the courtesans, who arc fully versed in everything pertaining to love, are so desirahle.
Nail marks may nor be made on married women; however it is permitted to make special marb on rhe
hidden partli of th<:ir bodies. as a fond memory and in order ro heighten one's love.
hTn when they are old and have almost been effaced, nail marb remind a woman of previom momenr-; of
lm-c and r<:,·ive her passion, which might otherwise be s1mply lost.
-\ young woman on "'·hose breasts such marks are to he seen can impress even a stranger who see-. hl~r from a
disrance.
A man who bears nail and teeth marks on his body is successful with women, even those vvho res 1st love.

34
 •
• .• . .·.·..
• •••
• • • • • •

./ , • • •

, r

J,l

•• ' • -.-e ,,
• • • •
'
'

• ' •
• •
• •'
• • • . • •• •
• • • • •
'
• .• • • • •
•
.• • • • •• •
'
" '
 "When a Lover bites Ills mistress Izard,
she must, withfeigned anger,
bite him back twice as hard.,

Bites
One may bite all those parts of the body which arc kissed, except for the lower Iip, the inside of the mouth and
the eyes.
The qualities sought after in teeth are: brilliance, cvcnncs~. the right proportions, sharp tips.
Defective rceth are rough, soft, big and loose.

There arc various kinds of bites:

The 'hidden bire' leaves on the skin only a passing redness.
rhe 'swollen bite' occurs when the skin has been o.;eiL.cd and pulled, as though with pincers.
The 'point' i.s when a very small area of skin has been seized by only two teeth.
'Coral and jewel': the ski n is squeezed simu ltaneously by the teeth (the jewels) and the li ps (the coral).
The 'I inc of jewels' is formed by a bite involving all the teeth.
1 he 'broken cloud· is a broken line of poims undulating around a curve, due ro the (ipace between the teeth.
The 'bite of the boar' is imprinted on the breasts and the shoulders and consists of nvo lines of teeth marks. one
above the other, with a red gap.

The first three bites are made on the lo ..ver lip: the line of points and the jewels arc imprinted on the throat, rhc
dimple of the neck and the grom.
The plain line of points i!l imprinted on the forehead and the thighs.
T he 'swollen bite' and the 'coral anJ jewel bite' are always maJc on the left cheek, on w hich nail and teeth
marks are considered to be fine ornaments.

One can convey one's de(iire to a woman by making nail or teeth marks on the follo"ving objects which ~he
\Vcars or owns: any ornament of the forehead or ears. a bunch of flowers, and a betel or tamala leaf.
1 £ere arc some verses about th is:
"\.Vhen a lover bites his mistress hard, ~he must, \Vith feigned anger, bite him back nvice as hard".
This means that, for a point, she will return a line of point-;, and for a line of points a broken cloud.
If she is very excited, anJ because of his passionate condition <;tarts a kind of fight with her lover, she wdl
take him by the hair. pull his head towards her and bite his lower lip; then. in her delirium, she will bite him all
over hio; hotly. with her eyes dosed.
\nd e\'en in daytime and in public. when her lover ~hows her some mark that c.;he ha~ made on h1m. she mu-.r
smile at the sight of it, turn her head towards him a..., if ro scold h1111, and then, feigning irritation . ...,ho\\' him rht·
marks he has made on her.
\.Vhcn two lovers behave in this way. their pas~ion will last for ages w ithout slackening.

36
 "Sexual intercourse can be compared to a dispute,
because of the thousand contrarieties ~~love
and the ease with which lovers quarrel."

The various ways o f striking and the correspo nding sounds

Blow~ arc a form of love play.

Sexual intercourse can be compared to a dispute, because of the thousand contrarieties of love and the ease
with which lovers quarrel.
The parts of the body which may be struck out of passion arc: the shoulders, the head, the che~t bet ween the
breasts. the back, the jagdana, the hips and the sides.
Such blows may he administered with the back of the hand, with the fingers together like a pad, with the palm
of the hand and with the fist.
\Nhen the woman is struck she makes various hissing noises and any of eight sounds: 'phra', 'phat', \ur'
and 'plat'; the thundering, cooing and weeping sounds, and the sound 'hin '.
The sound 'phat· is like the splitting of bamboo.
The sound 'phut' i~ like something falling into the water.
rhe woman also savs certain \Vords, such as 'mother', 'father', etc.
'
Somcumes the sounds or words used expre!>S defense, the desire for separation. pain or approval.
To these assorted exclamations one may add the imitation of the buzzing of bees, the cooing of the dove. and
cuckoo, the call of the parrot or the sparrow, the his!>ing of the duck, and the sound!> of the quail and the peacock.
Punches may be applied to the back of the woman while she is seated on the man's knee~; she mmt respond
by feigning anger and uttering the cooing and weeping sounds.

During intercourse it is customary to tap between the rwo breasts with the back of the hand, faster and faster
as the level of excitement rises, until the end of the sexual act; at that point one should repeat the sound 'hin ·.or
some other preferred sound.
vVhen the man strikes the woman's head with the end of his fingers held tightly wgether. he utter~ the
~ounJ ·phar·. while the woman replies with the cooing sound and 'phat' and 'phut'.
\Vhen kts!:>ing and other forms of love play begin, the woman should always hiss.

A~ the e~citmenr grows. when the \Voman is not accustomed to such blows. she should continually utter the
word!> ''enough. enough!'' ! "finish now~''. as well a~ "mother". and "father", together \Vtth cncs and moan'. anJ
the thundering and weeping ~ounds.
Towards the end of intercourse the man should press the palm of his hand hard against the woman\ breast, ,
jagdana or sides, whereupon she should reply with the hissing of the goose, or the sound of the quail.

38
•
 "The women of the Audhra region have delicate limbs and are
highly salacious.
The women of Ganda are gentle in both language and body."

I
'

The sexual preferences of women in the various parts of India

The author gives information about the women from the different parts of India which is imendl'd for men
who mrght find themselves in need of it.
The women of the center, between the Ganges and the Jumma, have elevated feelings, and will under no
circumstances <lllow any man to make nail or teeth marks on them.
The women of Avanrika enjoy base pleasures and coarse behavior.
The women of 1\taharashtra lo\·e the sixty-four sorts of desire. They enjoy obscene remarks and arc C\trcmd~·
passronare.
The \-Vomcn of Pataliputra (the modern Parhna) have the '>arne capacity for passion as the latter, hut do not
drsplay it in public.
I
Dravidian women, despite caresses of all sorts, take a long time to become passionate anJ are very -.lm\ to
achieve their orgasm
... .
Tht: women of Vanavasi are quite cold and unresponsive to caresses and bodily contact and will not tokratc
obscene comments.
The won1en of Avanti are fond of all sorts of sexual intercourse, w ith the exception of the acccs.'-.ory Glresse'l .
The women of .Malva arc fond of being kissed, embraced and, in particular, of being struck; they do nor,
I
however, Iike bites and scratches.
The \Vomcn of the Punjah arc deliriously fond of auparishtaka (caresses with the tongue, and k"l>ian
pleasures)
The women of Aparatika and Lat are very pa..,sionate and are fond of uttering softly the sound \it' .
lhe women of OuJa are headstrong in their dc~Jre<;, their '\ccd flows abundantly - rndeed they -.rrmul.uc irs
tlow hy takrng medicauon.
The women of the Audhra region have delicate limbs and are highly salacious.
I'hc women of Ganda are gentle in both body anJ language.

40
 Man can be a hare, a bull or a stallion.
Woman can be a gaulle, a mare or an elephant.

Classification of men and women based on the size of their sexual organs

Men are divided into three classes, according to the dimensions of their linga.
Cla~s -'o. l : Hare; No.2: Bull : No.3: Stallion.
\Yom en can abo be divided into three classes corre~iponding to the dimensions of their yoni.
No. l: Ga7ellc; ~o. 2: Mare; No. 3: Elephant.
In this way there are three equal forms of mating, between classes which correspond to each other. and \I\
unequal. between cla~ses which do nor.
Mating between No. 2 (Bull) and );o. l (Gazelle), or between No. 3 (Stallion) and No. 2 (Marc) is ~a1d to be
'-'

supenor.
That of No. 3 (Stallion) and No. I (Gazelle) is said to he very superior.
tv1aring of No. l (H are) with No. 2 (Mare), or No. 2 (Bull) and No. 3 (Elephant) is said to be inferior.
The higher forms of mating arc those which provide the greatest degree of pleasure.
Sim ilarly, men and women can be classified according to the intensity of their orgasms: weak, mt:dium and t •

strong... .
This criterion produces as many mating combinations as the preceding one.
There is. moreover, a third classification of a sim ilar sort. w·hich is based on the length of time It takes the man
and '"'oman to achieve orgasm; the same number of combination~ is thus arrived at.
If the different numbers in these classification are combined, the total number of pmsibil itie~ i~ \-cry great
It i~ the duty of men, and particularly of husbands, to use the means \Vhich are most suitable, in each ca\e, for
the successful completion of inrercour~e.
\Vhen a couple first performs the sexual act, the pasc;ion of the man is intense and reaches it~ culmination in a
'ihort tJine: rhe opposite tends to happen on subsequent occasions. T he converse applies to vvomen.

42
 "The woman holds the lznga in her ;·onz,
as zn a vzce.
• 0 ''

Various positions and postures conducive to conception, for use in the sexual act.

In superior intercourse the woman should place herself so that the yoni will be opened.
In equal intercourse she lies on her back in the natural position and lets the man make her a necklace with his
arms.
In inferior intercourse she arranges her.., elf so as to contract the yoni; she ~hould also take m<.:dication to

induce the orgasm earlier than would othenvise be theca~<.:.

For the Gazelle Woman, lying down, there are three positions:
' lVide open'. Her ht:ad i~ held very low, so as to raise the middle of the hody. The man then has ro apply
saliva or '>Orne lubricant to either linga or yoni to facilitare penetration.
'Yawning'. The woman raises and parts her thighs.
'Position of the wife of.Indra'. She crosses her feet over her thighs - an act which require~ practice. Th i~o,
position is very suitable for very superior intercourse (Stall ion with G;:~zellc).

For inferior and very inferior degree~ of intercourse there are:

'Claspinp: position': the male partner, lyi ng down, has his legs stretched out and applied directly to those of the
female.
The pmition may be hon7.ontal or on rhe side; in thi~ latter posttion the man should lie on his left !ltJe.
This rule should be followed vvhenever the partners ar<.: lying down, regardless of rhe classification to \vhich the
woman belongs
.. .
'PressinK position'. After intercourse has taken place 111 the clasping position. the woman squec1e~ her lo\-cr
with her thighs
....
.

'Twininp; position·. The woman places one of her rhigh~ across the thigh of her lover.

'Position of the mare· . The woman hold') the linga tn her yoni, a'i in a vice. This is learnt only from pracncc
and is done mainly among the women of the Andra region.

Souvarnanabha also mentions:

'Rising position'. The \VOman lifts her legs straight up.

'Yawninx position'. The woman places hoth her legs on the man's shoulders.

44
 "Position ofthe crab: both the legs of the woman
are drawn up and placed on her stomach."

'Pressed position' . The man presses to his body the two crossed and raised feet of the woman; if only one foot
is raised, the position is known as 'half pressed'. The woman places one foot on the man\ shoulder and
suercheli the other leg out to the side; then she assumes a similar pose on the opposite side, and !>o on, alternating.

'nrivin~ in tbe nail' . One of the woman ·s legs i.s on the man's head and the other is stretched out to the side.

'Position oft be crab'. Both the legs of the woman arc drawn up and placed on her stomach.

'Package'. The "'·oman lifts and crosses her thighs.

'Lotlls position'. In this position the woman crosse her legs. keeping her thighs apart. This 1<. the liame ,1..,

the 'posinon of the "'·ife of lndra'. referred to above.

'Turnillf!, position'. During intercourse, the man turns around the woman without becoming di~cngaged from
her or imerrupring the act. while the woman k<:cps his body embraced; this can he mastcred only through
practice.
It is easy and recommended, says Souvernanahha, to perform the sexual act in all the possible ways whik in
the h;lth; but Vatsyayana condemns any intercourse in water as being contrary to religious law.
\.Yhen rhc woman gets down on her hand" and feet lik<.: a quadruped, and her lover mounts her liken bull. it IS
called the 'mating of the cov/. Jn this position all the love play normally performed on the front of the body may
be applied ro the back. The man may also seize \VIth hts right hand the woman's breasts. while tiullaung the
clitoris with his left and moving his linga inside the vagina: this augments the woman·, de~ire and can .tcccleratc
the process of achie\'lng orgasm. so that hers wtll coincide with that of the man.
This i'l the posiuon in \·vhich the womb is best placed for conception, as its interior is lower than tt<. ortticc
It is al"o the most natural and least voluptuom position, as. in it the clitoris is not touched, unlc~'l the lll<lll
Jcliber.nely pur' hi~ hand on it.

46
•

..
~
...
'•
•
' • .I
..
. •
•
. I

. •
 "An ingenious man
will use many different types of intercourse,
in imitation rif the beasts and the birds."

Attitudes designed exclusively to arouse desire

\Vhen the man and the woman perform the sexual act standing up, leaning against each other or against a wall
or pillar. it i.., \upported mating·.

\Vhen the man, with his back to the wall, raises and supports the woman who is seated on h1s joined hands
and benvecn his arms, while she, with her hands t\vined ahour his neck. embraces him with her thighs towards
the middle of his body, and moves herself by her feet which arc touching the wall against \vhich the man j..,
leaning, it is 'suspended mating'.
lt is also possible to imitate the act of the dog, the goat, the deer, the forcible mounting and penetration ol the
donkey and the cat, the leap of the tiger, the rubbing of the hoar, and the mounting of the marc by the stallion,
by behaving exactly as those animals do with their females.

VVhen a man caresses two women at the same time. it is known as 'double mating-'. ... J t can bc done whcn t\<\ o
vvomen lie on the edge of the bed, on top of each other, face to face like two lovers, \Vith their lep dangling o,·er
the edge of the bed; the linga passes from one yoni to the other. in a succession of strokes, first a recto, and then
a retro.

Sunultaneou intercourse with Se\·eral women i.., called 'mating·

... with a herd of cows· .
There is also 'mating in the water', which is how elephants inseminate several females, apparently only in rhe
water : 'mating with <;everal goats', or ·mating with several gazelles'. in other words, benveen the 111<1n and ;l
number of females.
In the Gramanere, several young men enjoy a woman who may be the wife of one of them, either in rurn or
all at the o.,ame time. The woman is stretched out on top of one of them. another inserts his linga in her yont,
a third uses her mouth and a fourth embraces her m iddlc part; and they go on in this V.'ay enjoying the variou~
part~ of her body alternately.
The same thing can he done when several men arc in the company of a courtesan. or vvhen there is on! y one
courre-;an to ~atisfy- the needs of many. men.
1 he rcvcro.,e may be done by the \Vomen of the royal harem when they accidentally get hold of a man .
In southern Ind ia they practise 'low mating·. whKh involves inserring the linga in the anm.
The following aphonsm concludes thi~ ~ubject:
"\n 111gentous man \·viii use many different type~ of intercourse. in imitation of the beast\ anJ the lHr<.b. ~tnce
theo.,e dtfferent methods. practised in accordance with the em toms of each country and the taste~ of 11101\ tdual ....
e,·oke lo\'e, frienchhip and respect in women ..,

48
 "The man mu.st do his utmost
to provzde the woman with plea.HlT£'."

The role of the man in intercourse

The man must do his utmmt to provide the woman with pleasure.
\\'hen the woman is on her bed and absorbed in his conversation. the man should undo the knot of her Ic)\\ er
..
garment; if she resists, he \viii shut her mouth with kisses .
Many authors are of the opinion that he should begin by sucking the woman's nipples.
\Vhen his linga is c.:rect he should touch her with his hands at various points and pleasantly caress the differcnr
parts of her body.
If the ,voman is shy and ha~ never previously met him, he should place his hand bctvveen her thighs. '"' lm:h
c:;he doses insrincti\'elv.

lf '>he is very young he '>hould place his hands on her breasts, which she will doubtles'> cover with her 0\\'11

hands, under the armpits and on the.: neck.

lf she is a mature woman he should do everything which might please both of them and which is suitable ror
the occasion.

rhen he should take her hair and her chin henveen his fingers
... to kiss them .

If the woman i.s vc.: ry young she will blush and clo<;e her eyes.
Hy the way she responds to his caresses he can judge what pleases her most in lovc-rnaking.
On this point. Souvarnanabha says: '''vVhatever man does for his own pleasure during intercourse. he ~hould
a! ways press the part of the \VOman 's body to\vards which she wrns her eyes ..,

llere are some of the signs of enjoyment and <;atisfaction shown hy a vvoman:

Her body relaxes, her eyes close, she loses all her timidity, and tries to ensure that the tvvo organs are UIHted
a' closely as possible.

On the or her hand \\hen she eA-perienccs no plea<;ure at all. she heat<; the bed with her hands, rcfme~ to allow
the man to advance: 'ihe i'> sulky, bites and kicks the man and continues to move her bodv even after the m.1n
' '
ha~ tir11sheJ.

ln such cases the man must rub the yoni with his hanJ and fingers (just as the elephant rubs with hi.-; trunk)
before engaging in intercourse, until it is moisr; on ly then should he insert his linga.

He resumes the same motion with his hand after his orgasm if the
~
\VOffi<lfl has not -vet reached hers.

50
 "By the way she responds to hts caresses
he can judge what pleases her most m love-making."

There are nine acts which the man must perform.

'Penetration' or :forward motion'. The two organs are brought towards each other directly.

'Cburninp;'. The linga, held in the hand, is turned round and round in the voni. around ito; edge'> Ll"> one
churn!) butter>.

'Piercinp;'. The yoni is lowered and the linga strikes ItS upper parr.

'Rubbinp;'. ln rhe same situation the linga strikes the lower part of the yoni.

·Pressing'. The I inga presses the yon i for a long time.

'Tbe hlow'. The linga is withdra\·vn from the yon i and rhcn driven in deep and hard: such removal re~torc~
"igor to the linga. delaying the male orgasm; the rapiJ return tends to accelerate that of the female.

'Tbe blow r~{tbe boar'. The linga, on re-insertion. strike~ only one part of the yoni.

'Tbe Now of the bull'. As it enter~. the linga strike<; horh '>ide~ of the yoni at the same time.

'Tbc sport rl tbe sparrow·. \Vithout leav·ing the yon i the linga IS moved to and fro very fast.
This occurs rather late in the sexual act, \Vhen the man feels he can no longer
'-
delay- his orgasm.
...

52
 "v
1 ou were my conqueror-
now I , in turn, wi!Jh to make you
cry out for mercy."

What happens when the woman takes the active role

\tV hen one of the lovers is in any. of several phy~ i ca l co n di ti on~! - parti cularly \V hen the man is tired after
fruith:ss efforrc., to produce an orgasm (some men can stay erect indefinitely in this wav) -the woman mav. /

decide to take the active role. Sometime~. in o,o doing, 'ihc i~ in f1 uenced bv rhe desire for change and l>v
... .I "" •

. .
CllriO"iltY.
rherc arc two situations: when the vvoman, Juring intercour~c. pivots on top of the man so a.., to cont1nue the
se\ual act without interrupting her pleasure: anJ when she rake"> the man's position from the very ..,tart.
In this latter 1nsrancc. , ...tith tlov.rer.:; in her loose hatr, her smile~ mingled with sighs, she c.;quce;c" her l>r<.:.t'>t'
a~ain~t her loH·r\ che~t. and, lov.·ering her head repeatedly c.,hc caresses him in all the wayo.., in which he u-..cd
ro care"" her .wd e'\Citc her, saying to him: "You were my conqueror - now, 1, 111 turn, "'i . . h to make you call
out for mercv."
Ar intcn·al.:; she wdl simulate shame, fatigue and the desire ro end the sexual act.

Jl cnvevcr, besides rhc nine acts ,.vh ich belong properly to the man she should also perform the follow111g three.

'Tbl.' pincers'. She holds the linga in the yoni, dravV"i it in by ;1 sort or repeated suction, squeezes ir and keep~ ir
vvirhin her for a long- rime.
~

·T be ph:ot'. Durin~ intercourse the vvoman turn"i ;lround the man Iike a hori7ontal wheel turning around
~ ~
,t

\·enical a'\1'>.

'Tbc ! alance·. rh1.:; 1<> rhe opposite of 'churning': the man ra1..,es the miJdle of hts bod" ,md tht '' nm.m
1

1mp.1rt" .t turning and oscillating motion to herO\\ n m1ddle par:s ;md ro the united orgam.
\\'hen the \\Oman is tired, she places her head on her 10\·er'c.; and stay~ in that posinon. ,.,1rhour "iCJ1<1LHing rhc
on.!,al'l'i.
...
\\'hen ~he ha~ rested, the man turn<; about her and resume<; the act .

56
l

- I
•

.,
 " In respect of the practices of love,
one should be guided only by the customs cif the region
and one~~ own taste."

Auparishtaka, or oral intercourse

There arc two sorts of eunuchs. those who dress up as men and those who seek to be taken for 'Nomen.
E\·eryrhmg that is done to the female jagJana is done in the mouth of ~uch eunuchs. It is called auparisbtaku.
r his is ho\v the~e eunuchs, who live like courtesans, ffi<lke a living.
L

Eunuchs who dress up as men hide their desires. When they wish to indulge them they serve as professional
masseuro.,.
A eunuch of this son draws towards him the thigh<; of the man he is massaging and touches him on the joint'
of the thighs and the jagdana.
If he finds rhc I inga erect he excites it with his hand.
If the man, thus apprised of his intentions. does not rcl l him to administer auparishtalw. he begins to set abour
it himself.
I Iowever, if the man actually asb him to do it. the eunuch pretends to be offended by such a propo"ition, and
.1grees to Jo it only \Vith great reluctance.

II<: then performs eight graded exercises, proceeding from one to the next only when told to do so by the lllan .

'Nonzinal intercourse'. J folding the linga in his hand ~1nd squeezing it between hi~ teeth, the eunuch move~
h1s mouth.

'Biting on the sides'. The eunuch encloses the end of the linga in his tightly cupped hanJ, like the bud oi' ,1
plant or a tlower, and ~queeLe'l its sides wrrh hi~ lip~ <IrHJ e\'en with hrs reerh.

'Krternal suction'. The eunuch presses the end of the lmga wirh his tightly dosed lips, e1ecting rr by n1L':m'>
of such prc-;sure and then rc inserting it with his lipo.,, several times.

'Jntenhd suction'. The eunuch imcrrs the linga into hi.;; mouth, S<luccLc~ H \NHh his l1p~ ,l!ld \\'lthdr,l\\.., rr :
he then puts rr back into his mouth and continues as before.

'Tbe kiss'. Holdin!.!, the ling<l

~ ... in his hand. the eunuch kisses tt in .the manner dt:<.icrihed for rhc kiss oi' the
lower Iip.

'Uckin:.( After the kio.,s, rhe eunuch rouchcs rhe linga on·.all sides with his tongue and licks the end.

'Sucki11K .1 mango'. The eunuch put' half the linga in,idc hi'l mouth and sucks it hard.

'Swal/oz_::illg'. The eunuch inscrrs the cntire ling<1 into his mouth, prcs~ing it in as far as it \Vtll go. as rf he
\\'ished ro 'wallow it.

58
 The tongue ma}' be wed to exrzte
the sexual organ of ezther man or woman.

1v1,de -,crvanrs <.,omctimcs perform auparisbtaka on their masters. It is also practi~ed among adult<, 111 pri,·,ne
:\ number of woman of the harem. with particularly ardent sexual desires. a[<;o do it to e;Kh other, joinin~
mouth and ynni (rhi.., is Jone in lesbian or Sapphic love: the titillation ofrhc clitoris by the tongue)
Some rncn can:..,.., the yoni in this 'vay. us111g the "iame type of love play as in the kis.., on the moulh. In -.uch
c,l..,C"-. ''hen the woman i"i rurneJ o,·er, head down, tow;lrd.., the man'<; feet, he care..,se~ her von1 \\ ith h1-. mouth
and ton~uc. 1'111.., 1.., the 'manng of the crow· (d]uqr.ucd 111 the underground temple of F.lephanu ).
I he1r pa-.;r.,ion for this kind of plea. . ure lead.., some women w ab<tndon highly meriroriou.., ;md ~CI1l'I"Oll" In\ cr . .
m order to go \\"lth . . len C'> and elephanr Jri\'cr....
In conrra"r '' 1rh the opmion" of the ancient Gl'>UI'>t", \\ ho an.~ more se\'Cre. Vab)'<l!<lll<l feels rh.n ,w[hmsbt.lk,r
1.., prohilmed on h. bet\\ een men and their wiH:'> t Je ,1dd-. rhar. 1r1 re..,pect of the practice-. of Ion·, one .,hould be
guided onh ln the custom'l ot" the reg1on ,mJ one\ own t,l"-ll'
~ 0 '-

60
 Various lands of artifice
which brzng pleasure in love.

The apadravyas, or accessories

In order to satisfy a woman, a man may also usc v\'hat are known as apadra<-~yas - objects which. when placed
on or around the linga, make it longer or thicker, so that it corresponds to the dimensions of the yoni.
Bathravia holds that these objects should be of gold, ~ilvcr, copper, iron, ivory, buffalo horn, certain woods,
leather or skin; they should be genrlc and cool. induce erection and generally be appropriate for their purpoo.,l·
In this respect Vatsyayana leaves the dcci~ion to each individual.

Here are the various sorts of apadravyas.

'The armlet' (valaya) is the same length as the linga; Its outer surface .;;hould be rough and covered \vith small
globules. forming a soft but lasting file.

'The couple' is formed of two armlets.

'The bracelet' (cbudaka) comists of several armlets the total length of which equals that of the llllga.

'The spiral" is made by rolling around the linga a metallic thread. perhaps hrass, very closely bound .

The jalaka is a metal tube open at both ends. Its outer surt~1ce is coar~ c and covered with hemi~phc:nc
protuberances which are soft to the touch; it is the same size as the yoni and i'i attached to the belt.
If a iafaka i"i unobtainable one should usc a wbe rnadc from the wood of the apple tree, or the tubular neck of
the gourd, or reeds softened wirh oils and essences, mrachcJ b_v string to the belt; or a large number of ..,maiL
,oft wooden rings. attached together.
The tubes can he mcJ either as a '>heath around the lmga,
....
or in~tead of it.

In rhc <.;outh of India ir is customary to make a hole in the sktn of the linga, ju:,t as one would pierce one\ car'
in order to \\car ·earring~ . Scveral apadrat~yas mav then be attached to this hole: tho..,e referred ro ahc}\"C as \\ell
as other.., conducive to the pleasure of the woman.
The :llJthor tells how to enlarge the Iinga for a month l>y rubbing it vvith certain plants.
He claims that, in the Dravidian areas. a lasting; enlargement can be assured hv rubbing the illl~a '" ith Llw
'- "- ./ L 4,..

sdk'i of ccrt.un msecr<.; v\'hich liYe in the trees. like the caterpdlaro.,, and then. fur two months. \\'Ith oil. .md then
ag-ain with the silks of insect~. and so on.
~

The lin,>":l trraJuallv svvells; when ir is big enough, the man lies down on a ham mock throu~h which <.l hok h.1 . .
.:""~ .I '- to. ...

hccn m<td<: for him to kt his linga hang; h<: then suppresses the pain of the swelling hy means of cold lot ton-,

62
l

.
I
 "The means ofproducing sexualvzgor and pasHon
must he taken from medicme, the Vedas,
magic and discreet relatives ..,

The aphro disiacs

'[ hl'\ .liT prep,1red :1s follow-;.

Put -.ome Ch;1h.1 pepper in sugared milk .mJ then aJJ to It: l) ,1 decoction of the uchal.1 roor. or -.cul-. of
s,mse~·wr,T, or roxbur._f!;biulhl; 2) bet~ys,zrum gLmgettCLIIJI, or· the -..1p of that pl<lnt wrrh rr. 3 ) the Ill I l l' ot the ku1t i
and rhL· k-.hrnka, or 4) a pa~re consisting of hranched a-;p.lragu-. ;md the sh\'adausrra and goudad1r pl.1m-. . '' 1th
the .tdditton of honey and mistletoe (rhi:-. Lnter plant t'i knm\ n to ha,·e been used tn rnagtc tonc<K'tton-. ll\ the
Drurd:-- >: or n a decoction or the last tv,·o pl.1nr-.. with the fruit" of the premna spi11oSt1, (i) ;;ug.lred mrlk tn "hrch
goar rc-.ridc-. have been boiled; 7) a blend of honcv. '>ug~1r ;md g:hee, in e<lu:1l proporttom . Fennel ILIICL' tn milk
i~ a numtrouo.; aphrndisi:l<.: which prolongs life and is drunk like nectar: 8) a multiple decoction . .-.tmiLrr rn thl'
lir'>t live given abov<:, \Vhipped \vith sparrow\ egg'> (this being :1 highly amorous bird). 111<1kc-. :1 m;tn c1palde ol
sari;;fvtng manv women.
.. 1.. •'

Another complicated recipe. containing only vcgcral>ks. enables a man to make love ro :111 unltmitL·d number
of \\'Of1l Cll
J'he l'ollm\ rng .1phori-; n1 'it't"i forth rhc general rule on thi.., -.ubjcct:
I he mec.11l" of productng: ~exu:1l vigor and pa-...,tol1 mu-.r he rakcn from medicine, the \'cda-. . rn;r~ic .md dr-.t-rt·u
•
re l.w H''>
One -.hould nc\'l'r rn anv
~ . aphrodisiac " ·hich hao., dubtou-. ct'fl'ch or ll1.l\.. be lurmful w the hc.tlth. or .111\'
.. '' hH.h
111\ oh L'" the ktllm!! of < ln ant mal or an\'
~ - unclean ronucr.
L "<..' -.hnuld Ill· nude only of rhosc \\'hich ,trL· healthy . \\ hrch h.wc been confirmed 1>: C\pcrtcncc .llld appr(l\·cd
h\· thL· Br:1hm.1n'i.

64
 t. .'i J

~·~=-~
---- ~
..-:;:::::.~

I
•
t

-- I
__,
 "She should try to conquer the heart
of a vigorous, good-looking young man.''

The young woman who conquers a husband

\Vhen a young woman endowed with fine qualities and a good education belongs to a f:1m ily of lowly 'lt~Hu~.
and therefore receives no attention from stmor<; of her cao;tc; or \Vhen a young woman who ob~erve'l the rule'
of her t:'lmily and caste i-, an orphan with no relatives to look <tfter her, she mu'lt rake It upon her~,eJf. \\ lwn
thl' wne comes. to tind a husband.
She should try ro conquer the hearr of a vigorous, good-lookmg young man, or a man "vho'le irre~olute nature
su~.!J.!.l''->ts
... .... ... is possible even without the consent of hi~ parents.
to her that marriage
She should use every possible means of captivating him. by seeing and talking to him frequently. H er mother
:-.hould also uo;c her friends and her foster sister as a way of arranging frequent meetings, either at her fnc1H.I'I ·
•
home'> or elsewhere. with the covered hu-;band. For her part. the young \Voman should try to be alone wJth hun.
111 ... ome safe place where they will nor he d1o;rurbeJ. and from t11ne to time should offer h1m gifts of tl<m cr ....
perfume' and here! nuts and lea,·es.
She should show him her talents in tlw :1 rr' of mao;saging. scratching and pressing With her nail~; she ... hould
d1'iCUS'I with him rhing-; which he iinds entertalllinQ"
L L"'~
or intcrcstinl!",
(~
includino·
b the ways
~
and means of WII111JIW~
the heart of a 'young woman.
....

,\ncienr authors agree that the .young- vVOman. e\·en i r '>he i'i in love, should not make the first 1110\'l', '>hl'
~ ~

'lhould merely encourage her suitor, ,11low h1m '>Ome mcao;urc of intimacy, and receive the manifestation., of
h1' lm·e without ap~warrng ro nor1ce his passion
\\'hen he tnes to 'lteal :1 k1o;;s o;;he should at lir'lt re~i~t ~ when he aliko; for inrercourlic .,he should refu..,c
•
.... he
should merely :11low him to touch cena1n h 1dden parts. while at the same time making it difficult for hm1, and
l'l''>lst ~1ny attempts to go funher.
Only when ~he is sure of his love and hi-., comtancy anJ he is determined to marry her promptly, . . hould ,he
mmen t tu \·ield rn h 1111 .
Once -.,he has rhtJ<, lmt her virginitv
~ . she can -;o inform her friend.,
66
 •
•

• •
•

•
•

•
.~ .
• •

•
•

..

..

.
.
•
l

•
 "Ganikapali thinks that there are circumstances whzch justl)y
intercourse wzth other men's wives."

Cases in which lo ve is permitted

\Vhcn 1t ic,; practi!>ed in marriage contracted in accordance with the rules outlined hy Manu, between per~on~
of the 'lame caste, Kama produce!~ legitimate offspring and general esteem.
It i-; prohibited with women of higher caste or wilh women of the sarne caste who have already belonged to
()[her men.
Kama ic,; neith<.:r prescribed nor prohibited with \Vomeq of lower caste or \.vorncn expelled from rhetr Gl.,te,
with courre'lan'i and with divorced women.
\Vnh ;111 rhc-;c women the practice of Kama c,;ervc'-. exdustvely to provide pleasure.
\\'omen \Vith whom mating is possible wirhour -,in arc known a~ Nayikas; these an: young \VOilll'n v. ho ~lre
dependent on no-om·, courtcsam and ,,·omen who have been married twice.
\'<nwarana includes in these three cate~oric~ w1dow'i, the daughters of courtesans, female '-.Cn anr.., who h.l\"C
• , L.... ~

not lost rhctr v1rgmity. and e,·en those cao;;tc worm:n who have exceeded the age of puberty '" tthout gcrnng
marncJ.
(;alllk<lJXHI rhtnks that there are circurnstann:~ vvl11ch ILI:-.Ufty rntcrcourse with other men 's wive~ . I or t'\ampk
the follow111g reasoning may be applied, dcpcndtng on the nature of the cao;;e:
" "I hi-; wnmcn wishes to make love wirh tTlt:, ami has already , made love with numcrou~ other mc-n bcrorc me;
.1lrhnugh o;he i'i of higher caste. she is in ctrcubtion likc a courtesan; so I can make love with her wirhout
' ...
. .
\ll111111g . "
•
"I h;w~.: .1n enemy who can do me great hurlll, tf his wife becomes my rni~tress she will change ht'> ho . . rtltt\'
to\\ ard" me''
"\\.nh rht· help of rhic,; or that \\Ornan. if I ,1m her lm·cr, I will he able to guarantee the ,·ictory of lllV lncnd
or rhc dcm·nfall of m.v enemy, or the succc~:-. of \OITH.' L'\l'l'cdingl~· difficult enterprise"
"I h.l,·c no resource~ .1nd no wav -
of ~ctllnl.!, anv.. , "o tnrnc:ourc,;c \\ ith this or that woman '"til lmn~
~ '- "
me '' u lrh
\\ tthout rt .... k."
"I Ill'- or rlut \\Oman lenT"> me Mdcnrh .1nd krHl\\''> .!II Ill\. '>elTCts. all mv
~ "
wcakneli">C'- .tnd <::IlL <tccordm ~h·. . du
~

lllL' ~ rea r h.1r111

~
tf I do not become her lover.'·
" \ hu,JJ.lnd h<~' ~educed my. \·vife. sol mu"t ...get tn\' own h;lck." \The Law of Ret,lltation ).

68
 "A man who has) through external signs)
recognized the feelings a young woman has for him
must do everything necessary to be united with her."

Seduction of a young woman with a view to marriage

First of all the suitor must win the young woman's foster-sister over to his cause, then he teaches her rhc
sixty-four ways of sexual enjoyment used by men and boast~ to her of his talent~ in this domain.
1Ie is ah·vays well dressed and makes the right impreso;ion on those who sec him ; young women fall in love
more easily with ~uitors who are good-looking and presentable.
A young woman ahvays betrays her amorous feeli ngs by certain signs or acts, such as the following. She
never looks the man in the face and feels embarrassed and ashamed when he looks at her. On some pretext or
other she shows him her ltmbs; she looks at him furtively when he goes away, lo\vers her head when he <1sks
her a question. and answers him awkwardly, in incomplete sentences. She is happy to be in his company for
long periods, and talks to his female attendants in a special tone so as to attract his attention 1vvhcn he is .1 certam
distance away. She takes care not to leave the place w here he is, devises pretexts for shovving him certain object~
and tells him long anecdotes, just so as to remain in his company a little longer. She kisses and embrace~ a child
who might be sitting on his knees, makes graceful or amusing gestures when her maids-in-v\·alting speak to her
111 the pre'icnce of the man she so ardently desires, and she is particularly trusting and deferential towards hi~

friends. She is kind to his servants, listens to them carefully. or talks to <;omeonc else about their master
'
\:Vhenever her foster-sister or her friends happen to have arranged a visit to hi<; house, she v.rillingly goc' ro talk
and play with him . She tries not to be seen by him in informal attire. and hali a friend show him her earring-;,
jewelry and garlands \vhich he ha<; asked to see. She ah"-ays \.vears things which he has given her, i., tcrribh
up-,et when her relatives even mention the name of ~:~ome other suitor and fli es into a rage at anyone who lbrL''
.,peak in ~upport ol a rival.

Here are <;orne verses on this subject:

"A man \vho has, through external signs, recognized the feeling<; a young \.voman ha~, for him mu.,t do
everyth ing necessary to he united with her. He will captivate a very young girl by childlike games, a young
woman br . his talents (in the Kama Surra. no doubt), and a woman \\. ho is in love with him through... go-bet\\
._ een.,
he trust~ .''
\\'hen the IO\'C'r has won the heart of the yo ung woman he completes the proce">s of seduction by va rious mean'>.
~uch as these:
vVhen he is wi th her, engaged in some game or exercise, he takes her hands meaningfully, and practise:-. on her
all the embraces de<icribcd in the Kama Sutr<l.
Somenmcs he -.hows her a figure cut in the leaf of a tree, depicting two lovers mating; he i~, \ 1sibly delighted
at the sight of new buds of flowers and leaves. and the ri5ing of the sap in <.ipring.
lie descnbes to her h1s torments, and tell.., her of a beautiful dream he has had about other women.
t\t gatherings or the caste he arranges to be near her, on some pretext he touches her, places hi.., foor on her:- :
he gently anJ gradually touches her toes with his and presses them "vith the tip of his nails.
If he 1., nor rejected he \\ill then take her feet in ht'- hand anJ clasp them delicately. I Ie shouiJ al\o '<.]Ueele

70
 "{f the time and place are propitiow,
a woman will put up no resistance
to the man she loves."

one of her fingers between his toes; whenever he recei\'es anything from her, or gives anything to her. he ~hould.
- h1" mdrlllcr and look, convey
hv .,
to her the full extent of his love. \,Vhen '<Vater is brought to him so that he mar
~ .
rime hi~ mouth, he ~hould sprinkle it over her.
\\'hen he is '"'ith her in some isolated place he c;;hould cares~ her lovingly, conveying to her his p<lsston, '"'ithout
upsemng or hurting her.
'vVhene\er he i~ seated next to her on the same bench or hcJ. he sh.ould take her aside, explaming that he nccJ..,
to talk to her privately: he should then express his love through gestures rather than words. l ie ..,houiJ tahe hcr
hand and place it on his forehead; if she is visiting him he should keep her with him claiming that he i'i about
to prepare a medication which would have no effect unless she also were to have a hand in making it.
\Nhen she leaves, he should urge her to come hack; then. when she has become a regular vi'iitor he <;hould
engage in long conversations with her, for, in the words of ( ~othakamou ka., "no matter how much a man loves
;1 woman, he will not win her unless he talks to her".

l.;ls rly. when he sees that the young woman is completely subjugateJ he can begin to enjoy hcr.
lf ~1 young~ man is unable to achieve these result~ on his own, he should enlist the aiJ of the ~irl\ fo~tcr-~..t'>tcr.
- L

She will persuade her to visit him - after which everything will go according to plan.
If therc 1!:> no toliter-sister he should c;;enJ her one of hili ~ervanr" who could become frienJiy with h<.:r JnJ \\ ork
on hili behalf.
lie should ~ee to it that he meets her at all public and pnvate meeting~. and \vhen he iii alone wtth her he c.Hl
enJoy her. Bee<lll<;e, as Vatsyayana says. "if the time anJ place are propitious, a woman v\ dl put up no rc'>l\tancc
w (he man she loves".

72
 "During the night if the tenth day, and not be)ore,
the husband may stay alone wtlh his wije."

The ho neymoon

\:Vhcn thl' fea'iting and ceremonies of marriage an: over (after puberty), during the night of the tenth day, <lnd
not before. the hushand may stay alone with his \Vifc; he ~hould ~ipe;tk to her tenderly, drav. ' her to him and pn:.,.,
her gentl_v to his breast, to begin 'vVith in the mannl'r preferred by the young woman herself, and on <..'.Kh occasion
for onlv a fl'w instants.
He '"ill then proceed to touch her. starting with the upper part of the hody. becau'>c it i., ;;impkr and c.t-.lcr.

lf rhc young woman i~ timid and completely ignorant .•md if he is still not familiar with her, he .,hould rr~ lw.
ltr'\l clrcs'>cs 111 the dark. If ~he comenrr.; he \viii put 1n her mouth a bambula (betel nut and le.tO. he'' dl deplo~·
hi~ full do(jucnce to p<:r~uade her to accept it, if necessary even kneeling before her; this i., bectusc a woman . no
m<Htl'r hov\' angry or rimid. will never reject a man kneeling imploringly at her feet.
A-; he gi,·e-, her the bambula he r.;hould kiss her gently on the mouth. Then he ">hould g:et her to calk ro him.
by .l'ik ing <.Juestion-; :1bout things he professes not to know, and which she can explain in a few words. If o.;hc doc..,
nor reply he ,viii be patient. repeating: his questions calmly. ;md encouraging her ro reply; for. a~ Covakamoukl-.. :1
-;,ty.., : "\ oung women li<;ren to everything men say, hm without uttering a \Vord."
By. l!l'>isring, he \Viii ensure that she replieo.;, if only by nodding. \:Vhcn he a<;ks her if ~he love;; l11111 or de-. ire-.
him. o.,he will remain <;ilent a long time; then. cH.'ntU<tlly. feeling herself under pre-.surc. she '"'ill not a-.,o.,cnr.
,\ frtl'nd., of herli, present for the occasion. m1ghr reply f(x her. and even have her say more than -,he IIHl·ndcd.
rhe ~·oung woman will -;cold her, smilingly. and Gl'>t <1 glance at her lover which indicate'> IK·r al(jllll'..,Cl'flet•

If the voung woman is familiar with her hu"ibanJ -.,he wdl place around his neck a garland of tlc)\'.cr-.. m
rcspon<;e to his express wir.,h; he will take advantage of this opportunity to touch her breast~ and fondle them wnh
his hnger'>. If c.,he tries to srop him. he should say: ''I will not starr again, a~ long ac., you keep embraung me.''
\Vhcn o.,hc rs in this position. he will place his hand 'leveral times on her neck <llld nearby parts of her hodv.
From un1c to time. he will place it on her knees. press it ro his bosom and seek her consent to intcrcour..,e. I( ..;he
hold~ back he should threaten H> make nail anJ t<:cth marks on her breasts and arms, and to make similar· m:Hk..,
on his own body, anJ then ro go about saving
~ ~ . that she wa~ the one who made them.
~

The ne\L rwo n1ght~. a~ rhe voung 'voman yields to him more and more fullv, he should c1rc..,s her .tll m L'r her
... • '- I •

hody and co\'t>r her '" ith kisse<;, placing hi~ h;mJ~ on her th1ghs anJ fondling them gently l rom there he -.,Jwuld
P~hS roth<: woin: If she remO\'e<; his hands, he -,hould a-.k . "\\' hat\ wrong with that?", and -.o pcr-..uadc her [l)
comply \\'lth hi~ \\'llihe'>.
ll.n 111g obtained this f:l\'or. he should touch her -,exual part~, undo her uclt and the knot -.ccuring her lo\\ cr
g.trment: he <.,hould also masr.;age the upper parr of her naked thighs. All the">e things will he done on \'at"lou"

74
 "Success is no! achieved by absoLute subrnt.'i .\lon
or b_y inflicting brutal vioL~'nce on I hr 7I IOJIUltl '.1 u•1ll."

prt>tc:\t~. but without :Ktually engaging in imercoursc. Then he should teach her the sixty-four way~ ol' K<tr11<1.
telling her or lw. love for her and of <111 that he expects from her. [ le should promise eternal 11ddiry .l!ld ;t~~tlT'l'
her that ..,he will never have a rival.
I .t..,tlv.
.. once he h,l'> overcome her shvne">~. he should comummare rhc union and enjov
~ . her vvtthouL frt~hrcntn~
... ~

her
lh ,tc.:rtn~ in tht'
...
,,.,w. accordtng to rhe indinatton-. of rhc womc.lll, rhc man gain~ her love and trtt'>t
~ l..- ~

. intlictin~ brutal violence on the woman\'' til : a nun "lw

';ucce..,, t'> not aLI11e\"CJ br. ahsolure <.,uUmt'>.,ton or by ~

I\ tOO C.t\11\ tntlucnccd h! a girl's rcfm,tl wtll be JC">j)l'>Cd by her, as being ignorant of the heart' of \\'OI11l'l1 .

\ ct <1 "om<ll1 \\ ho ha" been enjoyed again.,t her ,vdl 1\ ccrr,tin to hate rhc man vvho has sho\\'n . . uch dt-.rc,pclt
for her

76
 " It is po~sible t.o tell whether a young
woman ts pass zonal e
from her behavior, her conversatzon
and the movements of her hod_}.··

Obstacles to relations with the wives of other men

It 1' permitted ro ')<.:Juce the wife of another man, if on<.: runs the risk.of dying of love for her.
rhc imenc;itv . of this love has ten degrees related to thc following
~ .... effects:
I) lm-c of thc eyes ; 2) attachment of the mind: 3) constant rctlcction: 4) loss of sleep: ') loc..~ of ''-ctght:
()) Ji~lik<.: for entertainment: 7) neglect of decency:
.... - H) madness: 9) fainting; ....
10) death.
AccorJin()' to Vatc;yayana it is possible to tell vvheth<.:r a voun~ woman is pasc;ionate from her bchavtor, her
~ ; ~ ~

cotwer~ation and the movements of her hody.

-
:\sa general rule, says Gonikapouua. a m;ln's beauty always impresses a woman. and that of a \Voman ;1l,va~·s
imprcc;c;ec; a man; but more often than not various considerations prevent them from acting on this impresc.,ion.
The atritudcs of c.l woman in love arc as follo''.'S:
She lovcc; without \Vorrying about vvhat is right or wrong: she does not seek to conquer a man out of c.,clf
tnterl''-t. \ \'hen a nun courts her, her tirst imttnct t'> to rqen him, even if she desires him. But <..he\ iekh w
repeated. imt'ltcnt o\·enure<;.
On the other hand a man who is in lon· wtth ~1 wotTlan controls his passion. \\ hcther through -.cruple-. or
.
rca-.on. and l'\Tn though he is unable ro dtverr hie; thou!!ht-. from a certain "'·oman, he re~o,i<;tc., when ..,he trtc.., to
~

lead htm on
Somcttme:-. a m,ln <lOandons hie; campaign after one tnittal t:1tlurc.
\\'hen he h:1s c,·cntu<Ill y succeeded, he oft<.:n l>ecome<. i nd iffcren r.
.\ \\OtTwn may reject the advances of a man for the following reasons:
D<.:votion LO her husband: fear of having illegitimate childrct1; lack of suitable opportunity; hosriliry due roan
c\cc..,sivcl~, hlunr declaration on his part; differences of rank: uncertainty about his having robe away travclin~ :
fear that he lovc'i another woman; the thought that his friends might mean everything to lmn: f·<.:ar of indi~crction:
..,h~ t1l''-'> tnwnrds an e:-..tremely· famou<;. powerful or clever man; fe;H :1hout the ardor of hi~ pas~ ion.., tf ~h<.: i-. a
(~:l!cllc \\oman (voni '\o. I); the thought th:lt she may have previously been friendly with him: conrempr for
hi.;, lack of word!!· wisdom; disquiet about his bad reput;ltion; re~cntmcnt at his t~1ilure to undcrc.,tand her lm c
for him.
If -.he t<.. an rlcphant \\'onun. rhe thought th<tt he t<; ,l l fare \\an. or cold; fear that her pa~.,<,ton for htm mi~hr
h;1\'L' 1>.1d coth<.:<..Juences for her. distrust of her own charm11, fe.lr of being Jisco,·cred, dJ-;illu-;tonment at th<.. <..t~lu
ol" ht" whttL' h.ur or puny bod~, fear that he might have: been .;;ecr<.:ti:V asc;igned by her hml>and to check on hn
. and the thoughr rhat he mi~ht be too 'lC\"l'tT.
tidcltt\·: ~ ~

7R
 "Any man who is concerned.for his rPp'u/alion
never trie.s to seduce a young woman
who is fearful or timid."

Men who are successful with wo men

\len who arc 'uccessful with women arc the followtng: ~

.\kn well vcr~cJ in the science of love; men gifted :n tell in~ 'torics: those who have liH·d 'ince thtldlwod 111
~ ~

the company of women, those who know ho"'' to w1n their confidence; those who send rhem gtft'>: rhmc who
talk wdl, tlw~e who know how to satisfy their desires: rhosc who have not yer had any other \Vonwn, men who
art as messengers: those who know their vvcakne~~cs; men who are desired by
~ . decent vvomen; tho'>c who arc
good
~
lookin!..!,:
~
Lhme who have been raised with riH.:m; their neighbors; ~
men who can devote thcm-;dvc'
completely ro sc:-.ual pleasures, even if they are servants: the lover'> of foster-sisters; men who were until rccenth·
married and have since become widower~; those who :He fond of parties and eleg<lnt society: gctH.Tou.., men .
thchc who are renowned lor their strength (Bull tvlcn); br;.l\'l' and enrerpri,')ing men: men who arc -.upcrior ro rhc1r
0\\11 hu..,hand-. 111 knowledge, good look!:>, good qu<1lltic'> .md gcnero!lity~ men w·ho dress and live magnllin:ntl .r .

.\n;· man "ho j, concerned for h1s reput~ltion never tnc~ to 'educe a young woman who i~ fc;uful. timtd, nor
ro he rrmrcd. or well guarJcJ. or one \Vho has a brothcr-tn Ln\' or a mother-in-law: <lh;;rentton '' rccornrncndcd
'-

here for rea~on' of prudence, but not of mor.1lity or rel1gton.

\\hen .1 \\'Om,tn rakes offense and rudely rejects .t llhll1 who seek;, her favor. he -,hould ~1bandon ht"- effort., ,lt
once. On the other h<.tnd, if. while scoldin~ him , 'he contmuc" to be affectionate and !!_raciou' w hm1 , hl· 'hou ld
~ ~

.,p,tre no d"forr to \\' tn her 10\'C.

80
 "A woman who encourages a man
hut doeJ not yield to him
is a trickster i1l lo·ue."

How to recognize a ·woman's feelings and inclinatio ns

\Vhcnever a man is trying to o.,educe a woman he must recognize her inclinations and act accord1ngly.
If 'he I i'item to h1.-; flatten. without o.,how ing in :my way her own inrentions, the man ~hould seek the <;ervin.'' 1
of .l oo-hctween
t'

If, :1frcr a first meeting. o.,he comes to a second more beauufully

~ '
attired than before, or if she seeks out the ..,uitor
in \;()fl1<.' lonely pL.Ke. he can be tJUite sure that o.,he v\'ill put up only a weak resistance .
. \ ''oman who encourage' a man but does not v1clJ ro him i~ a trickster in love: yet, hecauo.,e of the ficklenc-...;
of the female minJ. she may eventually give in. a~ long as the man maintains a very intimate friendc;;hip wirh her.
\Vhen :1 woman flees from :1 man's advances and, our of respect for him and for herself, avoids bein~ in hi..,
comp.mv or cornmg near him, he ma.v be able to <;educe her, but only \o\ith great difficulty, either by ..,tri,·ing for
f;lrndi<Htt\' \Vith her orb\. using a cleHT !!.o-bet\\ cen.
" • L \.

\\'hen a wornan meets a man alone :md touches his loot, and then, through fear or inckci~ivene-,s, pretend'
that 'he dtd Jt h: mistake, ~ucce"s can h<."' achieved through patience and continual efforts. as follows.
If ~he happem ro go to sleep near htm the man "ihould put his left arm around her and sec if. when she \'vakc~
up, 'he reject~ h1m sternly or in a manner which suggests that she wanrs him ro start again. In the latter cao.,c
he ,hould embr.tee her more tightly. If "ihc break~ ,t\\'a.v and <;t,md<; up, bur without changing her norrn ..d m.lnner.
he ma\ conclude that she ts anxiom ro '>urrender to him. If. on the other hand, o.,hc doe~ not come back. he should
send her a go-bet ween. If she then returns, he may rake it that ~he consents to be enjoyed by him.
\\'hen .1 woman offers a m.m an opportunity to dcmonc;;rrarc his love for her. he o:,hould enjoy her immed iatcl~ •r
I Jere ~tre the ~i~ns \Vherelw
~ /
she may' manifest her love:
Slw ,·is it~ the house of tlw man she like~ \Vithout being .. invited .
She ,trranges to he "ieen by him in isolatt:d place'
\\.hen talking ro him she trembles and ts inarticubrc.
L

1 kr t1ngcro., and toes are wet from svvcat; her face bccomeo., f1ushcd vvith the pleasure of seeing hi rn.
' ~

She t.tke"i plcao.,urc in massaging hi<; hod~, and prc')sing htc;; head.
\\'hen ,he mas~ages htm 'he uses only one hand, with the other. she touches and embraces the parts of lw~ body
She ll':l\'Cii her Lwo han do., placed rnononlc<;<; on his body. as if under the influence of surprise or fatigue.
~he pi<Keli one of the han de;; quietly on his bod.v, and when he squceL.es that hand benveen two of ht' I1mb,
~he lc.lH''l it there 'everal m inures \Vtthour withJrawmg ._ Jt.
La~rly. ,,·hen she has l'l'SIStcd. for one whole day, all the man's attempts to seduce her, she comco., back the
next dav. to massa!_!c
._ him as b<:'fnre.
\\hen ,1 wom:m. \\ hde neither cncouraginf! ._ nor avoiding a man. hiJe., and renums alone. It 1s nece'i\arv ro
~ ~

arr:m~c for <1 servin!! !!,'irJ LOgo and talk ro her.

~ ..._ L .._

R2
 "She should constantly seek
to increase her experience and her talents,
and she must always be seen lo be liberal
and to enjoy pleasures and the arts."

The proper motivation o f courtesans

\Vhen· a courtesan loves the man to whom she has yielded her body, h<.:r acts are natural; when, however, she
has only' monev I
in mind. they are artif1cial and constrained. Even in thi'> instance, she must still behave a'> if she
I

were truly in love. since men trust \VOmcn who appear to lc>V<.: them. While affirming her love she must give the
impression that she stands to gain nothing; then, in order to avoid compromising her standing in men ·s eyes,
she must refrain from taking money by unlawful means.
A courtesan must stand, nicely dres~ed, at the door of her house: and, without making her'>clf too c\·idcnt. she
should look up and down the street so that she will be seen as an object on display in a shop window. She
musr b<.: friendly with anyone who can help her win men away from other women and get rich, or protect her
agaimt in'>ults or harassment. These are the guards of the town or the police, the agents and officers of the
courts of justic<.:; astrologers, powerful men and money-lenders; scholars, masters of th<.: sixty-four liberal
arts: jest<.:rs. jugglers, flower merchants, vendors of spirits, washermen, barbers and beggars; as well as anyone
else v.'ho may be useful to her for any purpose.
1\:kn whom she may take solely for their money are those who arc lawfully in possession of their inhentance.
young men, men who are free from all ties; civil servants, those who have assured incomes or means of support.
men who pride themselves on their good looks; braggarts: eunuchs who conceal their true status; men who Jete~r
their c'luals; those who arc naturally generous; those who arc in good standing with the king and his mtn tster . . .
men who alw:-tys succeed in their enterprises, those who take pride in their wealth; brothers who disobey their
elders, men on whom the members of' their caste keep an eye; the only sons of rich fathers: ascetics tormented
by the goad of the fle~h: brave men; the doctor of the king; former acquaintances.
·1he rourtesan may have relations vvith men endowed with excellent qualities, solely out of love or self-<.:~ teem,
such as:
,\ \en of noble birth, scholars, men with \vorldly wisdom and mature.: conduct: poets, entertaining storytellers.
men endovved with eloquence or some particular artistic gift; farsighted men, men ·with great minds, perse\·ering
~ - ._. I,.

men and those with unswerving dedication: those who never get angry; those who arc generous, affectionate
toward~ rheir parents and who enjoy the pleasures of society; those who are skilled at completing verse'> begun
by other<;, and at other intellectual pastimes: those who are in cxcell<.:nt health or who have great physical o;ucngth
or perfection; those who never drink to <.:xcess, those vvho arc powerful, sociable, fond or ~ex and having a
captivating way with women. without allowing themselves to be dominated by them; those who know nothing
of en\~· or je;llom suspicions.
f\s for the courtesan. she should be beautiful and pleasant and have on her body cerram auspicious signs.
She should like good qualities in m<.:n, even whil<.: in puro;uit of w<.:alth. She should enjoy sexual rclatiom
eman.uinu from love and should he, in ~uch cases. of th<.: same caste as the men to \ll.rhom .,he .viciJs her bodv.
~ .
She should comrantly seck to increao;;e her experience and h<.:r talents, and she must always he o;een to he liber.1l
and to enjoy pleasures and rhc arts.
Th<.: aurhor then lists the qualirie' \·vhich should be found in all women. They are those which could be
expected of them in all countries, plus the knowledge of th<.: Kama Sutra and the sixty-four talents which it
teaches.

86
 "The sole motives of the courtesan should bt:
love, the desire to escape from poverty I

and the acquisztion of wealth."

'
I

,
l\'e\t comes the It 'it of the men whom the courtesan should avotLL
fhey are the same as anywhere else. plu': soothsayers; men who allow themselves w he houg:ht, e\en by. thetr
m.vn enemies; amL lastly, excessively shy rnC'n.
In the opinion of certain ancient casuists, the author adds. courtesam may give themsclve~ a way out of lovl', 'I
kar, \·engcance, grief or resentment, curio~ity, and for rhe sake of money. pleasure or the a'lsiduity and con\lanL \'
of rel.nwns. in order w make a friend or nd rhem'ielve" of an importunate lover: bccauo,e of dharma (rclt~tou'
mend. t:lme and a resemblance to a lo\·ed per~on, the comtancy c.l!1d poverty of a partiCular man or bel.lll'>l' hL· I
h.tppens to live in the ~arne place or has the "ame numher a~ her for purposes of sexual inrercour~e. or. Lt'>tl~ · .
111 the hope of g-etting rich LJUick.

Vatsyayana, however. feels that the sole rnotivt·s of the courtesan should be: love, the desire ro escape from
pm·ert.\' and the acquisition of wealth.
;\\oney.· mu'it he her pnncipal objective and she should never sacrifice it for love. However. in c1se.., of fc.tr or
dtfticulries of one sort or ,mother, she should t:1ke account of strength and other qu<llines.
••

88
•
 "M akingfun ofhis Loyalty.
Parodying his words or gestures."

Ways of ridding oneself of a lover

RiJiculing and criticizing his habits and faulrs, while laughing in his t~Ke and stamping one's foot.
Talking about subjects he knows norl1ing about, belittling his knowledge, crushing hi~ self-esteem, anJ seeking
our the company of men superior to him in learn ing and intelligence.
Showing him contempt at all times, and criticizing men who have the same defects.
Dismissing as inadequate his efforts to arouse sexual pleasure; avoiding giving him one's mourh to k111~ or
J.llowmg him to touch one's jagdana; 11howing contempt for the bites and scratches \.vhich he has admin1<;rered
to one's body, remaining limp in response to hi~ embraces; lying ab11olurely still during intercourse.
Asking him to engage in sex when he is tired.
~~laking fun of his loyalty.
Refraining from returning his embraces, and turning away when he begins to make rhem.
\Vanting to sleep or to go out to some appointment or other whenever he wants to have sexual relations during
the Jav.
Parodying his \vords or gestures.
Laughmg when he has not made a joke, or, \vhen he has made a joke, laughing at something else.
Casring sidelong glances at one's own servants and twisting one's hands each time he open~ his mouth.
Interrupting him in the middle of what he is saying and starting to talk about something else.
Listing his vices and tlaws. while declaring them to be incurahle.
Making offensive remarks about him to his servants, in his company.
~ '
Pretending not to notice him as he approaches.
A~tking him to do things of which he is not capable.
AnJ. lastly. Jisrnissmg him.
There is an aphorism about the proper conduct for a courtesan:
''The professional duty of a courtesan is. after a thorough examination and profound thought, to a'>'>ol'latc
with a man endowed with what she \Vants; then to attach her~ elf to the man with whom lihe is Iiving, to get
\\·hat she can out of h1m, and. finally, when she has taken everything, to send him packing. A courte'lan who
ltves in this \\·ay like a married woman becomes rich without being exhausted by the number of her lover..,··

90
!' ••
.,.
•

.
'
••
 "When the woman is sterile or has no .son,
.she should take it upon herself
to persuade her husband to find another woman.''

Duties o f a n o lder wife towards the yo unger wives o f her husband

Dunng rhe ltfetirne of his first wife a man any take other wives, for the following reasons :
J\bdn cs" or foul temper on the part of the \vifc, her hushanJ's avers ion towards her. sterility. failure to produce
~ons. inconrinencc of the vvtfe.
\Vh cn the woman is sterile or has no son, she slwulJ take it upon herself to persuade her husband to finJ
ano th er woman. give that woman a higher rank than her own, regard her as a ~ister, offer her sound advice. rrcar
her chil dren as if thcv were her own, and behave Iikcw i ~e towards her servants , friends and relatives.
;

If there arc scver.1l women the oldest one should form a alli:1ncc with the one immediately after her tn age
and rank and ~hould try to stir up tr ouble hct\\Tt:n the cu rrent favorite and the women who has been replaced
by hcr in the master's esteem; then. h;.l\·ing united all the wive~ agains t the favorite. she· should opcnly \iJe
w1th the abandoned one and. without comprom1~111g ht~rsclf in any way. she should have the favonte denounced
.t.., ,l ... pneful, quarrebome per<;on.
If the hnontc doc~ tjUarrel \\ ith the hu~band. thr tir<;t wife 'lhould feign sym pathy for her. encouraging her
tn pre"" her grievances and hcightentng her feeling.., of re\entmcnt. But if. despite all her c:fforr~. the hmbanJ
contimte"> to love the f~worite. she should ~witch rarric~ and \vork to reconcile them so a~ to avoid 1:111 in -g from
f..tvor hcr..,elf.
•
 The linga and the yoni,
male and femaLe sex symbols,
are revered throughoullndia.

Ho w to make the acquaintance of a woman one desires

This is how a man can become united with the woman he loves:
t . The man should arrange to be seen by her. either by going to her house or by extending hospitalny to hn ;
or by meeting her at the house of a friend, a member of the same caste, a doctor or a minister, or also at weJJing~ .
-;acntlccs, partie'i, funerals and outings in the pub Iic gardens.
2. At each m<.:eting the man should look at her so as to convey to her the full ex rent of his emotion : pullrng on
his moustache, biting his lower lip or making noise \Vith his nails or ornaments he might be weanng. anJ nrher
signs may c;crve this purpose. When the woman looks at him, he should speak favorabl y of her in the presence
of her friends, comparing her to other women. and manifc~ting generosity and a love of pleasure. \:Vhen <;e:ned
next to another woman 111 her presence. he should feign boredom. distraction , fatigue and indifference to that
other woman'<; remarks ; he can also engage ~'-
in a conversation, with a child or a grown won1an . ·whrch ' ' laden
~

w·irh rnnuendo and dual meanings. c;o a~ w convey hie; true feelings to her while pretending to ralk about
c;omeone quite different.
The man ca n trace on the ground, with either fingers or a stick, figures which arc related to ht:r 111 <.,ome \\ay
In her presence, he might embrace a child or give it. on his tongue, a mixture of betel leaves and nut~. whde
~trokrng the child·s chin with hi~ hanJ. All of these things should he done at the right time and in the nghr place.

94
 ·"".. •

,..t~
, « "
•

~""

..
•

\ ,..
•
 "Openly paying him lengthy busmess v1sits,
ensuring that one thzng
will Lead to another."

3. The m<.tn should fondle a child ""ho may be seared on her lap, giving it something to play wtth and then
t<lkmg it a'"' <-ty again so as to ha\'e a chance to talk to her and 'A· in the favor of her family. lie should then proceed,
after 'iuch a beginning. to visit the house regularly, taktng care. during each visit, to talk about love when '>he 1s
Wlt:hm ear~hol. even if she i'o;; not in the !>arne rootTl.
1 k shoul d deposit with her some object or pledge. part of which can be taken hack from time to time: he should
also give her some perfumes or betel nuts to keep for him . The suitor should then establish a rclarwmhip
between her and his own wife, so rhat they ,.viii have confidential and private conversations. In order to increase
the freClucncy of their meetings he might arrange for the two families to have the same goldsmith, the same
baskct-lll<lker, rhe "iamc dyer and the (\arne washcrman. 11e will begin openly paying her lengthy business' tsit-,,
cmuring that one thing will lead to another.
~ ~

\\'hcnever .:;he needs anything, including money. or a knowledge of the sixty-four arts, he should po111t out
to her rhat he Is capable of doing all that she wanrc;; and of showing her everything that might plcac;;c her.
~tmtl~ul~, he should hold JiscussJOnc;; with hcr 111 the company of other people :1nd they should talk about tht
remark'> anJ acuon-. of or hers. a!:l well as subject.., Iike jc\vd ry and precious stones. ln this case he should shm\ h<:'r
certain obJeCt<; who.;;e value she cannot p<>s'>ibl} knm·v. and, if <ihe challenges his opin1on of rhetr '"'orrh ..1grcc
'" ith her on all points.
Th1., is the w.l\o to ach icve intimacv wirh a woman .
' I

96
 "The woman becomes angry,
starts shouting, undoes her hair
and lets it fall loosely over her should PrJ."

Go-betweens for amo rous intrigues

Charayana says that it is permissible to associate with persons of lower status in order to secure their help
tn aft~lirs of the heart: laundrymen, barbers, cattle drivers, florists, druggists, innkeepers, betel merchants.

pithamardas (~choolmasters) and vidashka~ (jesters).

1\ man may also be friendly with the wive~ of such people.
Go-betweens who arc necessary for amorous intrigues shouiJ have the following qualities: skill, boldnc~-,.
penetration, lack of scruples and s hamc, keen powers of observation and the ability to form an accurate
a<;scssmcnt of all that is said, done or inrended.
Good manners, a knowledge of the right time and place for any endeavor, sharp intelligence, swift judgment
and re<;ourcefulness in coping with emergencies.
The1 e are several kinds of go-bet weens or me<;sengcrs of love:
I. The go-between who does eve~ything is one \vho, having noticed the rn utual love of two people.
'~ponraneously set<; about bringing them rogether.
2. The go-between acting on her own account is a woman who looks for a man to seduce or one who, while
entrusted with an amorous intri~ue, works for herself.
~

3. The married \·vornan vvho works for her husband.

4 . Tbe go-between who mere£y carries a letter; she also brings the reply, \vhich is usually oral.
) \\'hen the love letter-like the reply - is hidden inside a bunch of flo'.-vers, the messenger if said to be 'mute'.
6. The go-between who acts the part of tbe wind is one who carries a message with two meaning~. the real
one of vvhich is mrell igible only to the person to whom ir is addre'\scd: the reply may be conveyed in rhc o.,ame
way.
Female astrologers or fortune-tellers, beggars. servants or maids are clever go-bctweens who quickly w1n the
rrusr of women.
·r hey know how ro sow disconL when necessary, and how to praise a woman's charms and her talents in the
art of lo' e.
I'hey are nor bashful when circumst<1nccs require them to speak openly of a man·~ love, his sexual pnnves~
and nf the vvomen -even more beautiful than the one he JS wooing - who would he happy to have him as rhe1r
lover: she expl~~ms how his farn iJy situation interferes \Vith his efforts.
Lasdv..;
ao-hctwcen can, bv well cho<;cn words, g-ive a man a woman who has nor even thought of him or '"'ho
<1 I:' .I ._ '-

would <;cern to him m be \veil beyond his aspirations.

She is aJ<;o able to bnng back a lover who hc.ts chosen to become separated for <;orne reason or other.

98
•
 "Few women can resist
a well-assisted man."

Cases in which love is forbidden

The school of Babhravya maintains that it is permiss1hle to enjoy any woman who has had five lovers; but
Ganakiputra thinks that, even in such a case, exceptions must be made for the wives of relatives, of a Brahman
and of the king. Vatsyayana says that few women can resist a well-assisted man.
It is forbidden to have intercourse with the women listed below:
Lepers, lunatics, omcasts, those unable to keep seuets. those who publicly proclaim their carnal desires, albinos
(there are impure) and those whose skin, which is intensely black, smells bad.
Women friends, women relatives, and ascetic women with whom intercourse is prohibited.
The following arc regarded as women friends with whom intercourse is prohibited:
Those with whom we have played in the dust (childhood friends), to whom we are beholden for services
rendered .
rhose who have our tastes and temperament.
Those who have been our fellow-students.
Tho'lc "d1o know our secrets and our shortcomings. as we know theirs.
Our foster-SISters and girb who were raised with us: hereditary friends, that is to say. girls from families unite<.l
to ours by hcrc<.litary friendship.
Thc<ic women friends must have the following qualities: sincerity. constancy, dedication, firmnes~. freedom
from coverousncc;s, incorruptibility, steadfast fidelity in keeping our secrets.

102
 .. ;.
•
'" * '~'•
r
• • •
t'
t'

•
.X ~

• • •
• ~
•
•
•
,
• ~
,
I

..
'l

l •
•
\•

... •

•
• ."• •

.;
' '
\ • "
t ' • '
•
•
\
"
 '
"The king accepts the gift of one of them,
who thus is notified of hzs choice."

Relations between the king and his wives

The king's \vivc~ li ve li ves of idleness, luxury and entertainment: the}' are never given an}'thin g tinng to do.
..... " '- 4.. ...

Thcy aw.:nd fe~uvals, concerts and shows. 'vvhcre they are treated 'vvith honor and are offered refreshment~ .
·1 her
;
arc not allowed to c..go out alone; onh.: \">Omen kriown to the -guards and attendant~ arc admttted tnto the
harem .
Fach morntng the \\.'Omen \vho serve the women of the harem bring gifts of flo\vers. lil.v-of-the \alley and
clothe-; from the king\ wi\·es to the king. The k111g then offers these gifts ro the \Vomen, :1<; well a~o, ~o,tmtl.lr
(o,... ._ ~ '-

objects vvorn by him the day before.

ln rhe afternoon the king, dad in his full regalia. \·ic.,its hie., wive.'l, who are also ornately Jre~~ed to receive him .
~ ~ '
He -.;how:-. them every sign of respect and as-;igns them to their pl aces; then he hold s a gay convcrc.,arton \\. ith
them
Ne,\ t he visits the remarried virgin widow·s , the concubines nnd rh e hayaders, each in her room.
\Vhcn the king has finilihed his miJday re~t. thl' lady-in-wa iting whose job it is to name the wtfc \Vith \\hom
he i-.. ro <;pend the nig ht comes to him, accompanicd by the rnaiJs of the wife 'vvhose turn ha~ come <lnd of thme
whml' turn may have hccn mi~seJ inadvertently nr rh rough illness.
liW'-tl' member~ of the royal retinue prc~cnt the king \.Vith c~~ence~ and perfumes ~ent by thetr mt~o,tre~~e-. .1nd
nurkt>d \\'trh the -;cal of their nng. and c\plain to him the purpose of the gifts.
1 hl· ktng ,H.:ccptc., the gift of one of them, who i" thu . . notttied of h1~ choice.
~oJTH.' klllg,, \\ hcther through ~cruplc' or comrxt..,,ion. tc.1l..e aphrodistacs, so that they can 'L' f'\ L' "L'' er.1l "'' l''-
on the -,,lnH.' ntghr. Others. ho\\'e,·er. mate onl! \\'Jth rho'><..' rhey preft:r. and neglect the other-.. ,\lmt km g-.. gt\'L'

each of rl"H'tr wi,·c, a turn.

104
.z \
 " T he desire which is born of nature,
enhanced by art and made safe by prudence
acquires strength and security."

In conclusion

Once a man has made the acquaintance of a woman, if she betrays her love by various external signs and by the
motions of her body, the man will go all the way; however, with a virgin, he should be delicate and careful.
\Vhen he has overcome her timidity he should exchange gifts, -clothes, rings and flowers with her; rhe~e
presents must be beautiful and costly. He should ask her to wear in her hair or carry in her hand the tlO\.ver~
which he had given her. Then he should take her aside, and kiss and embrace her. Finally, just as he i~
exchanging betel and flowers with her, he should touch and press her yoni, and, after duly exciting it, ~hould
complete the .seduction.
\tV hen courting one woman, one should not, at the <;arne time, rry
~ ,
ro seduce another. But when one has
succeeded with the first and enjoyed her for a fairly long time, one can keep her affection by offering her g1fr<;
ltkely to satisfy her, and then embark upon another conque<it.
\Vhen one sees that her husband ha<i gone somewhere not very far from the house, one should do nothu1g to
the woman, even if it is easy to win her consent.
To sum up, therefore. the man should arrange to be allowed into the woman's house and engage her m
conversation. He should declare his love by insinuation, and, if she encourages him, should promptly begin a
full-scale siege
.... .
A woman who, at the first meeting. shows her love by external signs. can be had very easily. In the same "'··1~:.
a woman who appears delighted as soon as she hears a suitor'!> remarks may be regarded as virtually \\on .
Generally speaking when a woman -whether wise, naive or trusting - does nothing to conceal her love. she has
already capitulated.
Hen: are a number of aphorisms on this point:
"Desire which is born of nature, enhanced by art and protected by prudence. acquires strength and security.
A clever and resourceful man will carefully nore the thougLrs and feei ings of women and avoid anythmg '" l11ch
m1ght hurt or displease them: in this ,...,,1y he usually succeed<; ,.vith them.,.
A cle,·er man who has learnt through the Shastras the ways of conquering the wives of others is nc\'cr ltJm'.elf
a deceived husband.
However, these methods should not be used for the seduction of married women, because they do not alway~
work. and they expme one to cruel mi~haps and to the lo!>S of dharma and artba.
The art of seduction has been described here for the good of all, and to teach husbands ho"v to keep the1r w1ve..,
thev muq not be U!>ed c;;olelv to seduce the'"" ives of other men.
0 '

106
l

'