4.1. Summary of Kāma-sūtra Book 6: Vaiśika

[Full title: Kāma-sūtra Adhikaraṇa VI—Vaiśika (vaiśikam )]

The sixth book of Kāmasūtra entitled Vaiśika [vaiśikam] or on courtesans comprises of six chapters and nine prakaraṇas.

Chapter one has two prakaraṇas, of which, the first is on the course of a courtesan resorting to men. It is said the courtesans have an inborn tendency to get sexual satisfaction by acquiring men and making money or means of livelihood by this. This is divided into two categories as natural and artificial. A courtesan’s initiative for pleasure is natural and for wealth is artificial. But, she should make her initiatives mainly for wealth and gain this as natural, because the man trust women who are driven by desire for pleasure^[1]. A courtesan is always well dressed and looks out on the main street, easily seen but too much exposed, because she is just like merchandise^[2]. She must engage a pimp, who know how to recruit customers, draw them away from other women is not cause and knows how to ward off troubles. There are fifteen kinds of men suitable to make her pimp are described. They include the guards of the town, a man of law, astrologer, bold men, learned men, expert of sixty-four arts, confidents, parasites, jesters, flower sellers, perfumers, vendors of spirit, washer man, barber and beggar or such other people^[3]. Then, rich list of men who are eligible just for the sake of money, men who are rich only in love and fame but who also eligible, qualities of a woman, and inverses of such qualities or the faults etc. are described^[4].

According to ancient scholars, the causes of a courtesan resorting to men are; passion, fear, gain, rivalry, revenge against an act of hostility, curiosity, partiality, exhaustion, virtue, fame, compassion, the desire of having a friend, shame, resemblance to someone love, wealth, allaying passion, a sheared caste, living in a house together, continuity and the future. In this, Vātsyāyana says; gain, warding of losses and love are the only causes that affect the union of courtesans with men. However, gain should not be thwarted by love, since gain is the chief concern. As far as fear and other similar factors are concerned, the partner’s importance or insignificance should be concerned prior to deciding whether to give into him or not^[5].

The second prakaraṇa of this chapter is about getting a lover. A courtesan be invited by any man to join him, she should not at once consent to a union, because, for men scorn what is easily available^[6]. On such occasions she should first send servants, the hair dresser, who washes his hair, a musician or an entertainer. If they are not available, she sends the libertine and so forth. Through these people, the courtesan should know whether the man is pure or impure, passionate or indifferent, attached or non-attached, generous or miserly. If the man is acceptable and suitable to his conditions, she should establish a relationship with him through a pander. Under the pretext of entertainments, the pander brings the man to her home or her to his. Upon his arrival, the courtesan should offer him some love-gifts, which would arouse love and curiosity in him^[7]. Then she charms him through discussions on poetry or arts, treatments like giving betel or garlands^[8]. The chapter ends with three contextual verses. It says about the methods of amusing the citizen who came to visit a courtesan^[9].

Chapter two discusses a courtesan’s conduct as a wife. It is said a courtesan should act like an only-wife who devoted to her husband. But really, does not become attached to him^[10]. Her greedy and cruel mother or other elder woman should guide her in the absence of mother. This mother would be rather displeased with the courtesan’s lover, and would try to take her away with force. At this prospect, however the courtesan exhibits displeasure, loathing, shame and fear, though she does not overrule the mother’s command^[11]. Then a very detailed description has provided on the conduct of a courtesan in front of her suitor. It is completely a manual to refer how one can act and convince the client with much perfection and natural feeling. It is described the acts while the pairs are in bed, when the suitor went to long journey, at the time of their conversation etc. The courtesan should wish a child from the suitor and out of all she should hard work to make herself worthy in him. For this, she should do everything favorable to him^[12]. This chapter is only an example taken from the Kāmaśāstra of Dattaka.

It has said that,

“What has not been explained in this, a learned man should experience from the behavior of the people in real life”^[13].

The chapter has concluded thus; it is difficult to discern the passion in the women even by those who are adept in knowing them, because of its subtlety the excessive greed and the very tendency of courtesans and ignorance of men. They desire they are indifferent; they arouse love and wealth and are not known by men^[14].

The chapter three comprises three prakaraṇas. The first is about the ways to get or acquire wealth from the customer. There are two ways—natural and contrived-of extracting wealth from an attached customer. According to earlier authorities, a courtesan getting money more than her desires by natural way should not apply contrived devices to get more^[15].

However, Vātsyāyana opines:

“The customer will give double of the agreed amount when it is embellished through contrived means”^[16].

Here a detailed list has provided about the ways of acquiring one’s wealth. A courtesan should buy items like, costumes, food, drinks, dress, spices, fragrant etc. from merchants by using the hero’s money. She should praise his financial fitness at his presence itself. For constructing pool, gardens, temples, celebrations like festivals etc, she should ask money to the hero. She tells him that; at night, while she is coming to see him, her valuable ornaments are theft by the city police officers or thieves. For this, she should arrange people as thieves. As a result of her going to him that her properties in the house was lost through fire, someone breaking through the wall, or carelessness and so was some jewellery. She lets him know that, through spies about the expenses she has incurred in order to go to him. She incurs debts for his sake and she quarrels with her mother about the expenses that he has caused her^[17]. While she is not going to parties and festivals in the houses of friends, the hero will ask the reason. At this time, she should answer him that there is no money in her to buy gifts for them. The hero will provide her sufficient amount for her need. She stops taking care of herself, being sociable, in order to make the hero understand that she is in such a position for lack of money. By ordering works from crafts men, consultation fee to physician, the chief police officers in recognition of his assistance in the case of theft, for helping her friends and servants when they are in trouble etc., the courtesan should spent money by utilizing her suitor^[18]. She sells her ornaments for the purpose of money to someone in front of the hero. She should praise about the kindness of the hero and speak warmly of them in public. When other courtesans visit her, she describes those even greater gains, whether or not this is so, with an air of embarrassment in front of the hero. If a former customer seeks to reunion with her by offering her great deal of money, she rejects him away. She should understand him on the generosity of his rivals. If she feels that the hero is not interested to come to her house, she should beg and talk with him as like a child^[19]. These are the ways to get or extract money from a man who approaches the courtesan.

The next prakaraṇa is on the behavior of a courtesan towards a detached man. Here, some signs are given to know that the hero is detached. They are; he gives less or extra payment to the courtesan than the usual; he starts relationship with other courtesans who were the enemies of her; he pretends to do one thing and does something else; he stops the regular payment to the courtesan; he forgets his promises or keeps them in the wrong way; he talks with his own friends through signals and gestures; he sleeps somewhere else and saying the excuse that he has to do something for a friend of his. He talks with the servants of his past lover^[20]. Then, it has directed a courtesan that how to behave in such men who found that they are detaching. She should extract his valuable items before he realizes it. A person impersonating as a creditor is made to snatch away the valuable items from her hand when he is seeing. If he starts to quarrel with the impersonator, the courtesan should complain it to the court^[21].

The last prakaraṇa of this chapter on means of getting rid of a lover according to the teachings of Dattaka. A lover who has kept the courtesan for a long time, even modesty, even if he has behaved badly, she should treat him with consideration. But, seeing that the man is penniless and is unable to oblige her by money; she should do away with him by some means or by catching hold of some other rich men. Describe his habits and vices as disagreeable and censurable with a sneer of the lip and a stamp of the foot. Start conversation at his presence on topics which is ignorant to him, shows no admiration regarding the topics he knows, putting down his pride, seeking the contacts with men who are superior to him in learning and wisdom, shows an attitude of no expectance from the hero, blames those who have similar defects which he has, she remain in solitude, express detestation at his love treatments. She does not offer him her mouth for kissing, keeps him away from between her legs, she is hatred by wounds made by nails or teeth. When he starts to hug her, she makes obstruction by making a needle with her arms. At his approaches, her limbs remain frigid. To stop from penetrating inside her she crosses the upper thighs, shows herself asleep, when she sees that he is exhausted; she urges him on; she laughs at him when he cannot do it and she shows no pleasure when he can. If she notices that he is aroused even in daytime she will goes away in the crowd, she intentionally distorts the meanings of what he says, she laughs when he has not made a joke and when he has made a joke, and she laughs about something else. When he is talking, she makes side-glances at her entourage and slaps them, she intercepts when he is talking and starts some other talk. She talks publically about his bad habits and vices that he cannot give up. She insults him where he is vulnerable through a servant girl. She refuses to see him at his visit, ask him something that he cannot give and ultimately getting him thrown out from her house through servants^[22].

By concluding the topic, two verses are given:

“The duty of a courtesan consists in making relationships with suitable man after due and full consideration and attaching the person with whom she is united to herself, in obtaining money from the person who is attached to her, and then dismiss him after she has taken away all his possession. Following this course, a courtesan is not deceived by her eligible lovers and makes plenty of wealth”^[23].

The fourth chapter deals with the reunion of a courtesan with her former lover. When a courtesan abandons her present lover after she has squeezed all the wealth out of him, she may then consider about her reunion with a former lover. If he still has wealth or has acquired wealth, and still loves her, she can return to him^[24].

If the man has gone elsewhere, she must find out him; according to circumstances, he may belong in any of the following six possible categories^[25].

1. He may have left the first woman of his own accord, and may even have left another woman since then.

2. He may have been driven away from both women.

3. He left there of his own will, while from them he was thrown out.

4. He may have left the one woman on his own accord and be living with another woman.

5. He may have been driven away from one woman and left the other of his own accord.

6. He may have been driven away by the one woman and may be living with another.

The approachable and inaccessible persons and its reasons are described in a detailed manner through the foredooming sūtras^[26]. Then, for making a refreshed relationship with the ex-lover, some matters must be think by a courtesan.

It is as follows:

“He was driven away unjustly and for no proper reason, and now that he has gone to another woman every effort must be used to bring him back to her. If he were once to consort with her again, he would break the relationship from the other woman. The pride to her present lover would be put down by means of the former one. He has becoming wealthy, secured a higher position and holds a place of authority under the king. He is separated from his wife, independent and lives apart from his father or brother. By making alliance with him, she shall be able to get hold of the very rich man who is now prevented from coming to her by her current lover. As he is not repeated by his wife, she shall now be able to separate him from his wife. The friend of this man loves her rival, whom hates her cordially. She shall therefore by this means, separate the friend from his mistress and finally she shall bring discredit upon him by bringing him back to her, thus showing the fickleness of his mind”^[27].

Then, the ways to make re-alliance with the ex-lover has described.

“The courtesan should send her messengers or counselors like libertines to the hero with a message that his earlier banishment caused because of the mischief of the mother despite her love for him. The libertines should also describe that her relationship with the present lover that she has no desire upon him and she hates him. They should convince him by recollecting his past memories with the courtesan”^[28].

In this topic, pristine scholars opines; one who had an affair with a woman earlier and one who did not, the one loved before is better, because she knows his character and has experienced his love, therefore can be served easily. On the other hand Vātsyāyana says that a man who had an affair with her in the past does not give her very much money, because all the money has already been extracted out of him, and it is hard to get his trust again; but a man who did not have an affair with her in the past easily falls in love with her. But a fresh lover easily gets enamored. Still there are exceptions according to the nature of man^[29].

The chapter concludes by describing briefly about the reasons and rules on reunion between a courtesan and her client in some verses^[30].

Fifth chapter of this book is about weighing different kinds of profits. This chapter is a debate like discussion between the ideas of ancient scholars and Vātsyāyana. As compared to the previous sections, here more opinions are taken from ancient scholars and Vātsyāyana states his opinion by adding or obediently refuting other.

By considering place, time, conditions, own qualities and luck in love, a courtesan should establish the rate of a night, whether she is charging more or less than others. After fixing the amount, she should send a messenger to the customer to inform her willingness and if she may go to a single lover two, three or four times in order to take extra ordinary profits, should behave as an only wife^[31]. The scholars are of the opinion that; when a courtesan has multi-lovers at once, who offer her equal amount or items, she should select one who offers the profit whatever she wants. Vātsyāyana’s opinion is that the preference should be given to one who gives her gold. Because, gold cannot be taken back again and can buy everything that is needed^[32]. A list of items to be gained from a customer has provided here^[33]. Scholars say that; between a grateful man and a generous man, a courtesan should prefer the generous one. Vātsyāyana says; It is possible to cultivate generosity in a man who is in gratefulness. For even a greedy man, if he is in love, spends generously, but a generous man cannot be made to fall in love through mere persistence^[34]. In this case, ancient authorities again opines; when there are two customers, one of who is wealthy and the other is not wealthy, but he is ready to do any service for the courtesan, she should choose the wealthy man. Vātsyāyana says; the man, who does what she needs to have done, when he has done it once, thinks that he has given satisfaction. A generous man, however he has no regard for the past. Therefore, the choice is for the man who takes care of future needs^[35]. When one of two lovers is grateful and other is liberal, it is said that a courtesan should be preferred the liberal one. Vātsyāyana is of the opinion that the former should be chosen, because, liberal men are generally haughty, plainspoken and wanting on consideration toward others^[36]. Between a friend’s advice and chance of getting money come together, scholars have in opinion that; chance of getting money should be preferred and is the clear choice. Vātsyāyana says; money can be obtained tomorrow as well as today, but a friend whose advice once disregarded may become offended^[37]. Lastly, between getting money and warding of losses, scholars say the right choice is getting money. Vātsyāyana opines that money has only a limited importance, while loss or disaster that is once averted may never occur again. Here, however the choice should be guided by the nature of the loss^[38]. The profits of rich courtesans are to be spent for building temples, pools and gardens, setting up raised mounds and fire altars, donating cows to Brahmins, bringing and offering articles of worship to gods or providing money to spend on the worship^[39]. Then, it has describes the utilizing way of profit by the Rūpājīvas (a class of courtesans who live on their beauty). They will spend their excess profits for decorating themselves and furnishing houses^[40]. And the Kumbhadāsīs (servant women) who spend their profits by having spotless clothes to wear all time, buying food and drinks to save off hunger and thirst, using perfumed items and betel all time, and wearing ornaments gilt with gold^[41]. The chapter concluded by a description of whom the courtesan should serve for her profit, and whom should not serve etc., according to the behavior of the customer^[42].

The sixth chapter deals with the calculations of gains, losses, successiveness and doubts. It sometimes happens that while gains are being sought for or expected to be realized; only losses are the result of efforts. Such losses are caused by the reasons of weakness of intellect, excessive love, pride, self-conceit, simplicity, confidence and anger, carelessness, recklessness, influence of evil genius, and accidental circumstances. The results of such losses are failure to reap the fruits from expenses incurred, an end of future prospect, reversal of expected income, loss of money already earned, several relationships, sexual vulnerability, physical injury, loss of hair, thrashing and multination of the limbs. Therefore, a courtesan should try to root out these causes right from the beginning of her career. She should overlook such causes even if they result in financial gain^[43]. Then, the trinity of gains viz; duty, material prosperity and love, and the trinity of disasters viz; loss of money, loss of action and hatred are described^[44]. At the time, when gains are sought for, if other gains come along with them called attendant gains. When gain is uncertain, the doubt of its being a gain is called a simple doubt. When there is a doubt whether either of two things will happen or not is called mixed doubt. If while something is being done, two results take place called a combination of two results and if several results follow from the same action is called a combination of results on every side. This is the nature of three gains. The nature of losses is precisely the opposite of the gains referred before and the examples of those are also given in detail^[45]. Then the discussion on doubts starts here, which are also of three kinds: doubts about wealth, virtue and pleasures respectively. Detailed examples and description for each of them are given here. Various opinions and views on doubts by the earlier authorities like Auddhālaki, Bābhravya etc. are also compiled^[46]. By combining these, six kinds of mixed results are produced. They are; gain on one side and loss on the other; gain on one side and doubt about gain on the other; gain on one side and doubt about loss on the other^[47]. A courtesan should consider doubts on gain and doubts about loss with reference to wealth, virtue and pleasure. Then, eight different kinds of courtesan are explained. They are; bawd, female attendant, unchaste woman, dancing girl, female artisan, the openly ruined woman, woman who lives on her beauty and finally a regular courtesan otherwise called a gaṇikā. It has directed all of them must choose appropriate customers and helpers; consider the ways to please them, to get rid of them and to get back together with them, the consequences of various profits, consequences from and doubts about gain and loss^[48].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 1. 1-5

[2]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 1. 7

[3]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 1. 8-9

[4]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 1. 10-16

[5]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 1. 17-20

[6]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 1. 21

[7]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 1. 22-27

[8]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 1. 28

[9]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 1. 31-33

[10]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 2. 1

[11]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 2. 3-8

[12]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 2. 12-73

[13]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 2. 74

[14]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 2. 75-76

[15]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 3. 1-2

[16]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 3. 3

[17]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 3. 4-10

[18]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 3. 11-17

[19]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 3. 18-26

[20]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 3. 27-35

[21]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 3. 36-38

[22]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 3. 39-44

[23]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 3. 45-46

[24]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 4. 1-2

[25]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 4. 3-9

[26]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 4. 10-22

[27]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 4. 23-30

[28]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 4. 31-34

[29]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 4. 35-37

[30]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 4 38-43

[31]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 1-4

[32]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 5-6

[33]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 7

[34]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 9-11

[35]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 12-14

[36]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 15-19

[37]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 20-23

[38]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 24-27

[39]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 28

[40]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 29

[41]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 30

[42]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 5. 33-39

[43]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 6. 1-4

[44]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 6. 5-6

[45]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 6. 7-20

[46]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 6. 21-40

[47]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 6. 41

[48]:

Kāmasūtra, 6. 6. 49-51