Chapter 2.3 - Nineteen types of Kiss

The third adhyaya describes the idea of kiss which is popular as the key of love. Kiss which is a love-token described by Vatsyayana in detail. He says- "Kissing and other things like embrace, pressing etc., should be done moderately; they should not be continued for a long time and should be done alternately. On subsequent occasions, however the reverse of all this may take place and moderation will not be necessary. They may continue for a long time and for the purpose of kindling love, they 1 may be all done at the same time; because love does not care for time or order. The Kamasutra states that the following places are for kissing- the forehead, the hair, the cheeks, the eyes, the bosom, the breasts, the lips 2 and interior of the mouth. Vatsyayana further adds that the people of the Lata country kiss on the following places- 1. tani prathamarate nativyaktani visrabdhakayam vikalpena ca prayumjita tathabhutatvadragasya | tatah paramatitvaraya visesavat samuccayena ragasamdhuksanartham | ka . su . 2.3, 4.5. 2. lalatalakakapolanayanavacah statosthantarmukhesu cumbanam ka sa- 273.6.

135 3 the joints of the thighs, the arms and the navel. Kokkoka agrees with all these places but adds one more place i.e. the throat. He also narrates the practice of the Lata people. 4 Kalyanamalla opines that the lips, the eyes, the cheeks, the head, inner-part of the mouth, the breasts and the neck are the places for kissing. 5 Most of the poets have sketched the description of kiss on all limbs according to the tenets of sexology. Lips are the most important and common place for kissing. And moreover according to the poetic convention the lips are always like nectar.. Therefore Kalidasa names Lord Siva as a bee on the lotus of Parvati's mouth. The idea of kissing the lips is imagined in a fantastic manner by Asvaghosa who states- "A woman's mouth is full of honey but her heart is full of poison, 1. e. Halahala. 6 Therefore, 3. sandhibahuna bhimulesu latanam | ka . su . 2.3.7. 4. nanagala kapolam dantavaso mukhantah stanayugala lalatam cumbanasthanamahuh | dadhati jaghananabhimulakaksasu cumba vyaktikara sukhamuccairdesasatmyena latah || rati 7.1. 5. adharadhikapolamastakam vadanantah stanayugmaka ndhare | vihitani padani panditaih parirambhadanucumbanasya hi || anamga . 9. 11. 6. parvativada nasatpadah | kumara . 8. 23.

136 : .7 the lips are drunk and the heart is squeezed in fists." Bharavi sketches a picture in which a lover was trying to kiss his beloved under some pretext in this way- HA nymph of full plump breasts becoming impatient struck with her breasts, her lover (who eager to kiss her) pretended to be unable to blow-off the pollon of flower from her eyes by his breath. Magha gives another type 8" of instance for kissing on the lips thus- "A lover having dragged the hair of his beloved in embrace drinks the lips of his beloved who has closed her eyes and whose .9 face is bent-down due to shame." Nala, having seen Damayanti says- "I long for thy lips, by the flow of whose honey honeyed are thy words, my ears being the witness." He expresses his desire to Damayanti once again at the time of honey-moon. He says- Once I drink of thy lips, nothing else do I beg of thee. Thus saying in a low * 10 plaintive tone he tasted her lips,crushing them with force. 11 7. madhutisthati vaci yositam hrdi halahalameva kevalam | ata eva niviyate 'dhah hrdaya mustibhireva tad ‌yate || saumdara, 8-35 8. Supra F.n.44.p.55. 9. dribharadavanatam parirambha ragavanavatujesvavakrsya | arpitosthadalamananapadmam yosito mukulitaksamadhasit || sisu . 10.52. 10. tavadharaya sprhayami yanmadhusavaih sravah saksikamaksika girah | naisa . 9. 117. 11. anyadasmi bhavatim na yacita varamekamadharam dhayami te | ityasimsvadadupamsuka kuvaksopamardahathavrttireva tam || naibam . 18.59.

137 A lover should start to kiss on all limbs which are mentioned above to kindle the fire of love of himself or his partner. Therefore many poets have shown that their heroes kiss all the parts of their heroines. Bharavi tells about a lover who forcibly kisses his beloved's face, which has fickle eyes. Then her bashfulness lessens and the garment on her waist becomes loose. The same idea 12 is described by Ratnakara thus- "When a lover, having dragged the hair and having lifted the moon-like face kissed his beloved forcibly, her pride come out from her breathing. In the same way many heroes have kissed 13 the limbs of the heroines with intense love. In the Campubharata, Arjuna who was disguised as an ascetic, manifests his true personality and kisses her (Subhadra's) 14 cheeks. Nala at the time of honey-moon kisses first Damayanti's hair as she is bending through bashfulness, then the cheeks, as she bent less. Then as her confidence 12. loladrstivadanam dayitayascumbati priyatame rabhasena | vridaya saha vinivi nitambadamsukam sirthilatamupapede || kirata . 9.47. 13. cumbatyupodha rasavibhramamananendu- muttanitam hathakacagrahanena kante | uttaryamana iva nihsvasitanilena manah ksananniragamahrdayatpurah || hara . 27-38. 14. iti prakasya ksanamarjunatvam cucumba tam corayatih kapole | cam . bha . 3. 74. }

grew at this he suddenly kissed her face and smiled. 16 Nala kisses his beloved's breasts also. 15 139 The description of kiss on eyes is given by Ratnakara attractively. He depicts it thus- "When a lover with intense love kissed the lotus like eye of his beloved, her lower lip started to throb due to the breathing, ..17 but it seemed that it throbbed due to envy. 18 Magha shows this type of kiss in another way- "A lover, kissed the eye which expressed the love and which was wet due to tears on account of separation of a beautiful lady having left aside the sprout like lip. Sriharsa depicts this type of kiss indirectly but in an attractive "The slender-waisted maid could not help smiling at the sight of her consort's lower lip, which was beautiful with the collyrium of her eyes attached to it and manner. hum 15. pragacumbada like hiya natam tam kramaddaranatam kapolayoh | tena visvasitamanasam jhatityanane sa paricumbya sismiye || naisa . 18.41. 16. cumbanaya kalita priyakucam virasenasuta vakumandalam | prapabhartumamrtaih sudhamsuna saktahataka ghatena mitratam || naisa . 18.105. 17. upodharage nayanaravindam vicumbati preyasi kambukanthyah | bimbadharah svasakrtabhighatastanmatsareneva muhuscakampe | hara . 27.24. 18. kenacinmadhuramulbanaragam baspataptamadhikam virahesu | osthapallavamapasya muhurta subhavah sarasamadhi cucumbe 1 sisu . 10.54.

looking like a red Bandhuka blossom with a bee clinging # 19 to it. Here Nala has kissed the eyes of Damayanti, hence the collyrium applied to her eyes has attached to the lips of Nala. Anantbhatta pictures that Draupad kisses the arms of Bhima with joy after the destruction of Kicaka. 20 139 vatsyayana has mentioned that the people of Lata country kiss also the thighs, the navel and the secret 21 part. But the poets have taken the use of this aphorism to all types of people at the time of description of erotic elements. Anantabhatta, in the Campubharata describes the water-sports of Lord Krsna. At that time of amorous amusements Krsna kisses the thighs of a beautiful lady. Nala, while recollecting the nights to Damayanti says- 22 19. viksyapatyuradharam krsodari bandhujivamiva bhrmgatamgatam | mamjulam nayanakajjalairnijaih savaritumasakat smitamnata || naisa 18.125. 20. tadanu tatra mandape pinditaya krtam tasya dasyostaratam tarasa vilokya praharsavatya parsatya slaghapurvamapratarbhujah kuruvyavro nirgatya yathapurama vikrtamanaso mahanasodaram pravisya sukhenadhisisaye | cam . bha . 6. pr . 398. 21. Supra Fn. 3. p.58. 22. kutkrtaih kvacidadhah sthiticinham budabudam harirudasya nimagnah | vamcayanprativadham kvacidurustambham ambusu cucumba varaigayah || cam . bha . 3.100.

140 "Having kissed all the limbs from face to navel, I did not get satisfaction. The part, which I do not get to kiss, will be kissed by my mind only. #23 Here, Nala who was passionate wanted to place his lips on the secret part of DamayantI. Thus all the classical poets have described the kiss and its places according to the tenets of KamaSastra. 24 The Kamasutra mentions 19 types of kiss. The Ratirahasya divides the kiss into 14 types. The Anangaranga 26 narrates 9 types of kiss." Only six types of kiss are 27 referred to by the Paficasayaka. Padmagri divides kiss mainly into two divisions viz., Nihsabda and Sasabda 23. mukhadarabhya nabhyantam cumbacumbamatrptavan | na prapam cumbitum yatte dhanya taccumbatusmrtih || naisa . 20. 92. - 24. nimitakam - sphuritakam - ghattitakam - samam - tiryak - udbhantam jihva yuddham avapiditakam - uttaracumbitam - samputakam Www samam - piditam - amcitam amcitam - mrdu ragadipanam - calitakam calitakam - pratibodhaka m chaya - samkranta | 25. nimitakam - sphuritam ka . su . 2.3.9.30. - ghattitakam - tiryak - piditam vighatitam aradam uttaram - samputam - anuvadanam anvartham - pratibodhakam - chaya samkrantam | rati . 7.2.9. - bandika - niryak - uttarosta samputakam - pratibodha - samaustham | anamga . 9.13.21. 26. milita sphurita 27. nimitakam - sphuritam - pidita dhrstam - piditam - samputam - samaustham pam . sa . 4. 43.48.

141 (kiss without sound and kiss with sound). Kiss with sound is dealt with by Vatsyayana in the seventh adhyaya of 28 this adhikarana, which will be discussed later. Kiss without sound is of seven types. All these types of kiss have become useful to the poets at the time of description of amorous amusements. All the poets must have gone through these erotic works one or another because the descriptions of kiss which appear in the poems resemble the above mentioned types. The Kamasutra states- "When a girl under compulsion touches only the mouth of her lover with her own, but does not herself do anything it is called the 'nominal .29 kiss. Vatsyayana adds that this kiss should be given to young girl. Magha has followed this aphorism in his Mahakavya where he describes a lover who kisses forcibly his newly married beloved having raised her lotus-face. Here the poet Magha clearly indicates that the girl is young according to the tenets of the Kamasutra by the word 30 28. nipiditam - bhramitam - unnamitakam sphuritam samhatostham - vaikrtakam natagandam | nagara . 25.1.4. 29. balatkarena niyukta mukhe mukhamadhatte na tu vicestata iti nimitakam | ka . su . 2.3.10. 30. mukhakamalamunnamayya yuna yadabhinavodhavadhurbaladacumbi | sisu . 7.44.

"newly married. * Magha has used the word 'balat.' The Kamasutra has used the word 'balatkarena.' Here both the 142 authors have used the same word in the same sense. This 'nominal kiss' has been described by a lover in the Srigaratilaka Bhana, who states his experience- "Having caught the hair I raised her chin to kiss her lips. She gave her lotus face herself saying no, no. "31 Here also the beloved is young one because she prohibits the acts of her lover through her negative words but surrenders herself. In the 'nominal kiss' the male is active and the female does not show any interest, as she is new to this erotic activities. The Kamasutra defines one more type of kiss thus. On the occasion of 'clasping kiss' if one of them touches the teeth, the tongue and the palate of the other, with his or her tongue it is called 'fighting of the tongue. Damodaragupta describes this type of kiss in his work. 33 ,32 31. ostham cumbitumunnamayya cibukam kaisagrhite maya | ma meti bhumita vaktrakamale patum ca dadyatsvayam || sra • ti .ma . 5.90. Srngaratilaka Bhana of Ramabhadra Dixit Ed. Pandita Kedaranatha N.S.P. Bombay, 1938. 32. afzufaartsfu fueatuts put quan fa acce catgifagat afa fugatygy | T..2.3.23. '33. favimmalmi yigaudya faodafa: zyet ad: 1 antah pravesaneccham nirbharaparirambhanam yasmin || kuttani . 378 .

143 Sriharsa refers to this kiss through Nala who was recollecting his nights Damayanti- "Thou hast not surely forgotten how enraptured by our joys of love, I drank thy tongue, not content with thy lips. 34 Vatsyayana further says that- "When a woman looks at the face of her lover while he is asleep and kisses it to show her intention or desire it is called a 'kiss that 135 kindles love. This kind of kiss is described in the Amarusataka very beautifully. The poet states the condition of a heroine in the following words- "He is asleep, now, thou, too shouldest sleep, oh friend, with these words the female friends depart. Thereupon I, eager that I was and like one possessed by love, pressed my mouth against his mouth. When however I noticed from the horripilation on the skin of the rougue that he held his eyes closed in a feigned manner, I was seized by bashfulness which he swept away by indulging in acts appropriate to the occasion. 34. prasmrtam na tvaya tavadyanmohanavimohitah | atrpto'dharapanesu rasanamapibam tava || naisa . 20.78. 35. suptasyamuvamavalokayantyah svabhiprayena cumbanam ragadipanam | ka . su . 2.3.26. 36. supto'yam sakhi supyatamiti gatah sakhyastato nantara premavesitaya maya taralaya nyastam mukham tanmukhe | jnate'lika nimilane nayanayordhartastasya romanca to lajjasinmama tena sapyahrta tatkalayogyaih kramaih || amaru . 32. 36

144 The poet describes the same kind of kiss picturesquely in other words thus- "Finding herself alone in the bed chamber, the young bride raised herself gently and slowly from her couch and for long scanned the face of her lord, who, the while, feigned deep sleep; and then she imprinted a kiss on his face without any shyness; but as she perceived the thrill of pleasure on his cheeks, she bent down her head in bashfulness, while her laughing lord rained kisses on 37 Both her. In both the above contexts the poet Amaru has followed the aphorisms of love of Vatsyayana. heroines expressed their love towards their lovers by kissing when they were pretending deep sleep. 1 The Kamasutra narrates a 'kiss showing the intention' in which a person kisses the reflection of his beloved 38 in a mirror, in water or on a wall. This type of kiss has been depicted by sriharsa thus- "Overwhelmed with emotion, he (Nala) kissed her smiling face, as does sun 37. sunyam vasagrham vilokya sayanadutthaya kimcicchanai- nidravyajamupagatasya suciram nirvarnya patyurmukham | visabdham paricumbya jatapulakamalokya gandasthali lajjanamamukhi priyena hasata balabhavaccumbita || amaru . 74. 38. adarsa kuiyai salile va prayojyayaschaya cumbana- makarapradarsanarthameva karyam | ka . su . 2.3.30. 1

143 the blossomding lotus, while reflected in its honey. • 39 Here the description of kissing the reflection is taken according to the idea of the Kamasutra. The poet depicts the same type of kiss on other occasion thus- "One fellow, in an ecstasy of joy failed for a moment to drink the palmful of water applied to his mouth. Instead he kissed on the water, the reflection of the face of a girl, who was beaming before him, with eye-brows similar to cupid's bow. "40 Here the young man is kissing the reflection of a girl which was reflected in the water. Vatsyayana concludes this chapter with these words- "Whatever things may be done by one of the lovers to the other the same should be returned by the other L.e. if the woman kisses him he should kiss her in return, if she strikes him he should also strike her in return. shi ye .41 This idea of kiss for kiss, blow for blow is referred to by Damodaragupta, while he describes the water-sports. 39. cucumbasyamasau tasya rasamagnah sritasmitam | nabhomanirivambhojam madhumadhyanubimbitah | naisa . 20.25. 40. papau na ko'pi ksanamasyamelitam jalasya gandusamudita sammadah | cucumba tatra pratibimbitam mukham purah sphuratyah smarakarmuka bhuvah || naisa . 16.65. krte pratikrtam kuryattadite prati taditam | karanena ca tenaiva cumbite praticumbitam || ka T. su . 2.3.34.

146 Jayadeva "In this swimming pond, I was pushed by the stream of water which was created by the hands of my lover. In 42 n return I also stroke him with lotus stalk. pictures Radha, who was ready to do all things which are already done by Krsna. She hugs him with her arms; she pierces him with her breasts; she pains him by nail prints; 43 she bites his lips; she beats him with her hips. Here all the activities which are done by Radha depict the idea expressed by Vatsyayana only. Thus the description of kiss in the classical Sanskrit literature, is according to the tenets of Kamasastra. Most of the poets have made use of sexology texts to depict the love affairs picturesquely. 42. asmin sarati salilam karayantraviniryada mbudharabhih | dayitena tadita'ham mayapyasavahato mrnalikaya || kuttani . 685. 43. derbhyam samyamitah payodharabharenapiditah panijaih | : | avidvo dasanaih ksatadharaputah sronitatenahatah || gita . 12.3. ji