Chapter 5.4 - Regarding the duties of a messenger

The fourth adhyaya directs the duties of a go-between or a messenger. The Kamasutra instructs thus- "If a woman has manifested her love either by signs or by motions of the body, and is afterwards rarely or never seen anywhere, or if a woman is met for the first time 80 81 the man should get a go between to approach her. Hence Upaharavarman appoints Puskarika as his female messenger to gain over KalpasundarI. The king Agnimitra seeks the help of Bakulavalika to win the heart of Malavika. Therefore he says that the lives of the lovers are dependent on the female go-between. 79. aula aguila ugazratufasi ai gaderda | 374.3.16. 80. darsitagitakaram tu praviraladarsanamapurvi ca dutyopasarpayet | T••5•4•1 81. trtiya ucchvasa dasa . 82. pranah kaminam dutyadhinah | ( mala . 3. 14. r

332 Vatsyayana states- "The go-between, having wheedled herself in to the confidence of the woman by acting according to her disposition, should try to make her hate or despise her husband by holding artful conversations with her, by telling her about medicines, by talking to her about other people, by tales of various kinds, by stories about the wives of other men and by praising her beauty, wisdom, generosity and good nature. 11 83 She then should say- "It is indeed a pity that you, who are so excellent a woman in every way, should be possessed Beautiful lady, he is not of a husband of this kind. fit even to serve you. you. 84 The same is also narrated by 85 the Ratirahasya. 83. sainam silato'nupravisyakhyana kapataih subhagaika ranayogeh lokavrttantaih kavikathabhih paradarikakathabhisca tasyasca rupavijnanadaksinyasilanuprasamsabhisca tam ra- jayet | ka . su . 5.4.2. 84. kathamevam vidhayastavayamitthambhutah patiriti canusayam grahayet | na tava subhage dasyamapi kartum yuvata 85. iti bruyat | ka . su . 5.403, 4. rupakalavijnanam silam ca tava vaca cayamidrsi bharta | dhigdaivamucitavimukham tarunyam te vidambayati || .... dasopi te na yuktah patirayamah kastamityadyaih | rati . 79, 80.

333 Damodaragupta sketches a duti who behaves according to the above sutras and says thus- "Really I have no interest in other's matters. But I feel very sorry having seen your condition. The fate who has created your incomparable body, has made your life fruitless by separating you from a suitable lover. If I know his abode and if I have more strength than him, then having gone there I will make his body into pieces. It is better to have childhood or old age or to suffer from a disease than getting a bad husband at youth who always suspects his wife's activities. Here the duti lauds the beauty of 86 woman, then repents for her husband and concludes that he is unfit to become her husband. hatred in her heart for her husband. Thus she creates The plan which is used by the duti is according to the tenets of Kamasutra. In the Dasakumaracarita, Upaharavarman instructs 86. svavyaparaikamateh paracinta nasti me kadacidapi | kasyantya stvamidrsamatra tume manasam vyathiyam || yadi vedmitasya vasatim samarthyam yadi bhavettatopyadhikam tada gatva dagdhavidhi laguhaih samcurnayamyadhuna || vapuridamanupamamidvega yadi vihitam tena te dhatra | anurupa ramanavirahat kimiti krtam vandhyajanmaphalam || vaijnavamastu jara va vyadhirva ksetriya pranaso va | svakaram tarunyam na tu kupatikadarthanagrastam || kuttani . 813-816.

334 his female messenger thus- "Kindly approach the queen with perfumes and garlands prepared by me; create hatred in her for her lord, by such things as finding fault with the connection of two unequal persons; make her repent by citing the example of Vasavadatta and other distinguished females, who obtained their lords quite worthy of themselves; and heighten her :( ::Dealous anger by bringing to her knowledge the diversions of the sing #87 with other females in the harem... Here Dandin has composed this paragraph according to the instructions of the Kamasutra. In the Malati-madhava, Kamandaki, who acts the role of a messenger, has created love in the mind of Malati for Madhava. She reports her work thus- "Hatred has been created in the mind of Malati about other bridegrooms and 87. upasanam matprayuktairgandhamalyaih | upajanaya casamanadosa- nindadina svabhartari dvesam | anurupabhartrgamininam ca vasavadattadinam varnanena grahayanusasayam | avarodhantaresu a etait fanfaarta gyerzufa gurda prakasayanti manamasyavardhaya iti | dasa . 3. pr . 106 107.

335 she is suspecting her father; Having narrated daring stories of girls we have told her what should be done; 88 We have praised Madhava before her..."etc. Bhavabhuti has followed the rules of Vatsyayana here and has made Kamandaki a good go-between. • Vatsyayana says- "A female messenger, having created hatred in the mind of a woman for her husband, saould say thus- "O beautiful one, this man born of a good family, having seen you has gone mad on your account. The poor young man, who is tender by nature, has never been distressed in such a way before, and it is highly probable that he will succumb under his present afflic- .89 tion and experience the pain of death. If the woman 88. vare'nyasmin dvesah pitari vicikitsa ca janita puravrttodadhatairapi ca kathita karyapadavi | stutam mahabhagam yadabhijanato yacca gunatah .... || malati . 2. 13. 11 HTAAT.2.13. 89. srgu vicitramidam subhage tvam kila drstva'mutrasavityam gotraputri nayakascittonmadamanubhavati, prakrtya sukumarah kadacidanyatrapariklistapurvastapasvi tato'dhuna sakyajanena maranamapyanubhavitumiti varnayat | ka . su . 5.4.12.

listens with favourable ear, the duti should tell her the stories of Ahalya, Avimaraka, Sakuntala etc. which are suitable for the occasion. 90 336 The go-between in the Kuttanimata, according to the above words says thus- "The poor young man, who is loving you, embraces the breeze which has touched your body. He likes that place where you have stepped your feet. He bows down to that direction where you are. He recollects your beauty; mutters your name; desires 91 pleasure from your body. Further the duti substantiates her words with the illustrations of Ahalya, who was seduced by Indra and Gopikas who loved Lord Krsna. 92 10 . prnvatyam cahalya vimaraka sakuntaladinyanyanyapi laukikani ca kathayet tadyuktani | ka . su . 5. 4. 14. 900) yena tapasvi sa yuva sprsati samiram tvanga samsprstam | tvatpadakrantabhuve sprhayati kakubham tvadacimtam namati || dhyayati ca tvadrupam tvannamakavarnamalikam japati | ekatmikrtacetastvadangatah saukhyasiddhimabhikanksana || kuttani- 827,828. 92. sirasa racita jalayo dadhati nidesam trivistape ganikah | paradararasakrstastathapi bheje sacipatirahalyam || apsarasah kim na vase vaidagdhyavatam ca kim na dhaureyah | yena cakarasaktim govindo gopadaresu || kuttani . 859, 860.

337 5 T.M.Tripathi, in his Rasadipika commentary for the above verses, refers to a verse from Kautuka-sarvasva-crahasana which gives examples of adultery. 93 The swans which are the messengers of king Nala, describes before Damayanti the dynasty and heroic deeds of Nala in detail. Afterwards they say- "Brahman has created you to become the wife of Nala only. If you love and marry the king Nala, your association will be like that of the moon with night, Siva with Parvati and 94 Visnu with Laksmi.. Thus the swans try to attract the heart of Damayanti. The Kamasutra says that when the dutl expresses the love of her master before the woman, she may laugh but 93. bheje gautamasundarim surapatiscandraca bharyam guroh dharmo spi svayameva pandunrpateh patnimayasitprtham | gopanam vanita nitantamabhajadevah svayam madhavi mudhahh panditamanino bhidadhire dosa parastri ratau || kutani . pr . 326. 94. nisa paka sivaya girisam sriya harim yojayata pratitah | vidherapi svarasikah prayasah parasparam yogya samagamaya || naisa . 3.48.

339 95 not reproach him in any way. She does not tell her decision at once and hesitates to express her love. When Bakulavalika narrates the love of Agnimitra, Malavika stops her words there only. But when she continues her words, Malavika hears but shows no interest. After knowing the heart of Agnimitra she also expresses her 96 love. Kalidasa has arranged this scene according to the above sutra of Kamasutra. Initially Malavika prohibits, then becomes neutral, lastly consents. The stages of her mind are sketched by Kalidasa in accordance with the Kamasutra. The followers of Babhravya say that the meeting of lover and beloved should take place at the time of going to the temple of Deity or on the occasions of fairs, garden parties, taking bath in a river, marriages, sacrifices, festivals and funerals Cor at the time of fire calamity, or fear of robbers or hostile invasions of the 97 According to this many poets have sketched country. 95. nayaka manorathesu ca kathyamanesu saparibhavam nama hasati na ca nirvadatiti | ka . su . 5.4.28. 96. mala . 3. pu . 62. 97. sah tu devatabhigamane yatrayamudhanakridayam jalavatarane vivahe yajnavyasanotsavesvagnuyutpate cauravibhrame janapadasya cakrarohane preksavyaparesu tesu tesu ca karyesviti baज़viyah | ka . su . 5.4.41.

1 339 the meeting of hero and heroine. Agnimitra meets Malavika in pramadavana as well as in samudragrha. Vikrama protects Urvas 1 when she is captured by the demon Kesi. Dusyanta guards Sakuntala when she is attacked by the ill-behaved wicked bee. Jimutavahana sees Malayavati near the temple of Gauri. Bhavabhuti sketches the tiger episode to create love between Makaranda and Madayantika. Madhava sheilds Malati in cemetry from Kapalikas. MahaSveta beholds Pundarika when she is going to the river Vasantasena visits Carudatta at the to take bath. festival of Kamadeva. In this way most of the poets have pictured the meeting of hero and heroine according to the above aphorism of Vatsyayana. The Kamasutra narrates eight types of female mess- 98 zhi engers. Among them the first one is Nisrstartha or a go between who takes upon herself the whole burden of the business. The name of this type of duti is mentioned by Bhavabhuti in his Malatimadhava. Kamandaki herself 99 98. nimastarthi - parimitartha patrahari - svayamduti - mudhaduti- mayaduti - mukaduti - vataduti ceti dutivisesah | ka . su . 5. 4. 440 | 11 . tannipurna nistaryadutikalpastantrayitavyah | malati | pu . 52. ateneu augat urc: 1.2.5.146 •

340 acts like a Nisrstartha duti. Hence Vimala Gera remarks that the part of duti as played by Kamandaki and the ways applied by her to prepare the minds of Malati and Madayantika for a secret love, follow closely the lines laid 100 down in the Kamasutra.