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.The details of the domestic and social life of the early Hindoos would not becompletewithout mention of the courtesan, and Part VI is entirely devoted to thissubject.TheHindoos have ever had the good sense to recognise courtesans as a part andportion ofhuman society, and so long as they behaved themselves with decency andpropriety theywere regarded with a certain respect.Anyhow, they have never been treated inthe Eastwith that brutality and contempt so common in the West, while their educationhasalways been of a superior kind to that bestowed upon the rest of womankind inOrientalcountries.In the earlier days the well-educated Hindoo dancing girl and courtesandoubtlessresembled the Hetera of the Greeks, and, being educated and amusing, were farmoreacceptable as companions than the generality of the married or unmarried womenof thatperiod.At all times and in all countries, there has ever been a little rivalrybetween thechaste and the unchaste.But while some women are born courtesans, and followtheinstincts of their nature in every class of society, it has been truly said bysome authorsthat every woman has got an inkling of the profession in her nature, and doesher best, asa general rule, to make herself agreeable to the male sex.The subtlety of women, their wonderful perceptive powers, their knowledge, andtheirintuitive appreciation of men and things are all shown in the following pages,which maybe looked upon as a concentrated essence that has been since worked up intodetail bymany writers in every quarter of the globe.KAMASUTRA101CHAPTER IOF THE CAUSES OF A COURTESAN RESORTINGTO MEN; OF THE MEANS OF ATTACHING TOHERSELF THE MAN DESIRED; AND OF THE KINDOF MAN THAT IT IS DESIRABLE TO BEACQUAINTED WITHBy having intercourse with men courtesans obtain sexual pleasure, as well astheir ownmaintenance.Now when a courtesan takes up with a man from love, the action isnatural;but when she resorts to him for the purpose of getting money, her action isartificial orforced.Even in the latter case, however, she should conduct herself as if herlove wereindeed natural, because men repose their confidence on those women whoapparentlylove them.In making known her love to the man, she should show an entirefreedomfrom avarice, and for the sake of her future credit she should abstain fromacquiringmoney from him by unlawful means.A courtesan, well dressed and wearing her ornaments, should sit or stand at thedoor ofher house, and, without exposing herself too much, should look on the publicroad so asto be seen by the passers by, she being like an object on view for sale.1 Sheshould formfriendships with such persons as would enable her to separate men from otherwomen,and attach them to herself, to repair her own misfortunes, to acquire wealth,and toprotect her from being bullied, or set upon by persons with whom she may havedealingsof some kind or another.These persons are:· The guards of the town, or the police· The officers of the courts of justice· Astrologers· Powerful men, or men with interest· Learned men· Teachers of the sixty-four arts· Pithamardas or confidants· Vitas or parasites· Vidushakas or jesters· Flower sellers· Perfumers· Vendors of spirits· Washermen· Barbers· BeggarsKAMASUTRA102And such other persons as may be found necessary for the particular object tobeacquired.The following kinds of men may be taken up with, simply for the purpose ofgetting theirmoney:· Men of independent income· Young men· Men who are free from any ties· Men who hold places of authority under the king· Men who have secured their means of livelihood without difficulty· Men possessed of unfailing sources of income· Men who consider themselves handsome· Men who are always praising themselves· One who is a eunuch, but wishes to be thought a man· One who hates his equals One who is naturally liberal· One who has influence with the king or his ministers· One who is always fortunate· One who is proud of his wealth· One who disobeys the orders of his elders· One upon whom the members of his caste keep an eye· An only son whose father is wealthy· An ascetic who is internally troubled with desire· A brave man· A physician of the king· Previous acquaintancesOn the other hand, those who are possessed of excellent qualities are to beresorted to forthe sake of love, and fame.Such men are as follows:Men of high birth, learned, with a good knowledge of the world, and doing theproperthings at the proper times, poets, good story tellers, eloquent men, energeticmen, skilledin various arts, far-seeing into the future, possessed of great minds, full ofperseverance,of a firm devotion, free from anger, liberal, affectionate to their parents,and with a likingfor all social gatherings, skilled in completing verses begun by others and invarious othersports, free from all disease, possessed of a perfect body, strong, and notaddicted todrinking, powerful in sexual enjoyment, sociable, showing love towards womenandattracting their hearts to himself, but not entirely devoted to them, possessedofindependent means of livelihood, free from envy, and last of all, free fromsuspicion.Such are the good qualifies of a man [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]