5.12. The Prostitute (veśyā)

Kṣemendra observes how the degraded womenfolk by their immorality and anti-social activities swayed the society. He depicts the women who are professionally low, and who are responsible for degradation of the society with their evil motives. He observes that even a woman of good family also leading an immoral life and even a religious woman is also not free from vicious habits. He realizes that lewd women are obstacles in elevating a morally upgraded society.

Prostitution has been regarded in civilized countries, since early times, as a necessary social evil.^[1] In different places of the satirical works of Kṣemendra, the evils of attachment to such women have been emphasized. Kṣemendra has made caustic remarks against the courtesan. He satirizes the prostitute who is cunning by nature. He condemns such woman who deceives people by her false love. He satirizes the courtesan when he says that she can even make the god of wealth penniless by her trickeries.^[2] Kṣemendra compares the lewd woman with a river flowing in full speed as she is accomplished in taking away everything in a moment applying sixty four tricky arts.^[3] In the words of the author, the prostitute has so many hearts, tongues and hands. None can understand what she actually says and does.^[4] She has no moral sense and her words are devoid of truth. Kṣemendra further says that there is none who can understand her feelings, because she is not one sided and she has many lovers who fulfill her different purposes.^[5]

Kṣemendra ridicules her comparing with a yoginī, but she lacks in all good qualities.^[6] She is devoid of good conduct. Out of greed, she can unite with anyone.^[7] Even in her old age, her desires never end. The author condemns such woman whom none can satisfy.^[8] It is only because of money that she can betray anyone. She has neither respect for elderly person nor love for children. Kṣemendra expresses his bitterness when he says that her mind is impure like death.^[9] He points out that if someone stays with her for hundred years also still she cannot give real love to anyone. Because, according to Kṣemendra, her love is always artificial.^[10] He says that she not only cheats innocent one but also she has mastered in deceiving the rogue one.^[11] To what extent her association is a threat for the people is revealed by Kṣemendra when he says that in her company a wise man is converted to a foolish one, a wealthy person becomes penniless and a virtuous man becomes a thief.^[12] He rightly says that she is enjoyed by all and therefore there is none who can claim her for his own.^[13] The prostitute is epitomized in his words thus-her speech is as sweet as honey and her heart is as sharp as razor, she like a sharp axe eradicates her lovers.^[14]

Kṣemendra says that even if old, she always pretends to be young so that she can fool the customers.^[15] He laments that a holy place is also not spared by her. She is such a notorious woman that to earn money she goes at the places of pilgrimage and offers herself pretending to be widow.^[16] Kṣemendra with a bit of humour mocks the prostitute comparing her with a saint, who prays god Śiva for a place in heaven.^[17] To raise high in her nefarious profession, she consults with a fortune teller about her position of planets.^[18] He exposes her hypocrisy when he says that the prostitute desires to visit the holy place

Vārāṇasī, but stops her journey because without garlic she cannot live.^[19] She goes to guru. In the words of the author, with the help of amulets given by the guru she keeps the rich under her control and reduces him to mere bones.^[20] Kṣemendra applies pun when he says that if time can be kindly, if the bureaucrat will not rob then the prostitute cannot remain without falling in love.^[21] The author means to say that a prostitute can never change, she is always artificial and immoral.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Banerji, Sures Chandra, Aspects of Ancient Indian Life, p.48

[2]:

tatrāpi veśayoṣāḥ kuṭilatarāḥ kūṭarāgahṛtalokāḥ/
kapaṭacaritena yāsāṃ vaiśravaṇaḥ śramaṇatāmeti// Kalāvilāsa , IV.1

[3]:

hāriṇyaścaṭulatarā bahulataraṅgāśca nimnagāminyaḥ/
nadya iva jaladhimadhye veśyāhṛdaye kalāścatuḥ ṣaṣṭiḥ// ibid., IV.2

[4]:

ityevaṃ bahuhṛdayā bahujihbā bahukarāśca bahumāyā/
tatvena satyarahitā ko jānāti sphuṭaṃ veśyāḥ// ibid., IV.39

[5]:

varṇadayitaḥ kaścid dhanadayito dāsakarmadayito’nyaḥ/
rakṣādayitaścānyo veśyānāṃ narmadayito’nyaḥ// ibid., IV.40

[6]:

spṛhārāgavinirmuktā niṣkāmā kāmacāriṇī/
svadhyānaśīlā gaṇikā yoginīva guṇojjhitā// Deśopadeśa , III.2

[7]:

nīcopabhogyavibhavā sadācāraparāṅmukhī/
durjanaśrīriva calā veśyā vyasanakāriṇī// ibid., III.3

[8]:

nopaśāmyati vṛddhāpi samastāharaṇonmuhkī/
tṛṣṇeva bandhakī nityaṃ duṣpūrā kena pūrjyate// ibid., III.5

[9]:

na bāleṣvapi sasnehā taruṇeṣu na saspṛhā/
na sānurodhā vṛddheṣu mṛtyormatirivāsatī// ibid., III.8

[10]:

api varṣaśataṃ sthitvā sadā kṛtimarāgiṇī/
veśyā śukīva niḥśvāsā niḥsaṅgebhyaḥ palāyate// ibid., III.9

[11]:

paṇena hṛtasarvasvā kṛtalolākṣavibhramā/
veśyā kitavamāyeva dhūrtānāmapi mohanī// ibid., III.10

[12]:

dhīmān mūrḍho dhanī niḥsvaḥ śuciścauro laghurguruḥ/
bhabitavyatayevāyaṃ veśyayā kriyate janaḥ// ibid., III.15

[13]:

kaṭirviṭaśatairdhṛṣṭā pānthapītojjhitaṃ mukhaṃ/
stanau sahasramṛditau yasyāḥ kasyāstu sā nijā// ibid., III.25

[14]:

madhudhāreva vacasi kṣuradhāreva cetasi/
veśyā kuṭhāradhāreva mūlacchedāya kāmināṃ// ibid., III.13

[15]:

channānnārdhā protkṣiptastanī śīrṇaśiroruhā/
muṣṇāti taruṇībhrāntyā mugdhān vṛddhāpi bandhakī// ibid., III.36

[16]:

sudhautavasanā tīrthe sthitvā puṇyadine’sakṛt/
raṇḍāveśena kurute veśyā maithunavikrayaṃ// ibid., III.40

[17]:

prasiddhāyatane veśyā kṛtvā liṅgārcanavrataṃ/
mahāśveteva niryāti śaivalokajigīṣayā// ibid., III.41

[18]:

arthārthinī devapūjāsvapnopaśrutitatparā/
sadā gaṇakagehaṃ sā praṣṭum yāti grahasthitiṃ// ibid., III.44

[19]:

vārāṇasīṃ vrajāmyeva kintu doṣo’sti duḥsahaḥ/
palāṇḍunā vinā tatra na jīvāmīti vakti sā// ibid., III.45

[20]:

vitīrṇairbhavatā nityaṃ vaśīkaraṇacūrṇakaiḥ/
asthiśeṣāḥ kṛtāste te yayā dhanikakāmukāḥ// Narmamālā , III.55

[21]:

yadi sadbhāvinī veśyā yadi kālaḥ kṛpāparaḥ/
acauro yadi kāyasthastadveśyāpyanurāgiṇī// ibid.,III.58