23. Culture and etiquette in pursuits of Love and Pleasure

Culture of a race necessarily percolates through all aspects of its life. Thus, love-making, though a basic natural function of all human animals, was transformed and sublimated into an aesthetically delicate science, emotionally subtle art and youthfully vigorous sport right from, or much prior to, the ancient days of Vatsyayana in whose work it crystallized into a picture of the cultured citizen (Nagaraka). His sensibility and insistence on good taste exerted a profound influence on Sanskrit literary master-pieces so much so that, as has been put by Krishna Caitanya, it tended to make the bulk of the literary output a courtly tradition. Nevertheless, it does not thereby become a figment of pure imagination having no corresponding concrete 418 sukakulena varamva rma- pathituma sramoraja nisannai vrddha paikhanasah 416. Tilakamanjari,P.358 (7ff.) nikattru ma kulaya sayina 23531421540T vedyamana vistrta kramani prakramyanta prabhatikani gangastotra gitakani na 417. cf. ibid., pp.194-195 and 348-349. 418. A New History of Sanskrit literature,p.25.

580 mundane content. The picture drawn by Dhanapala in this respect, thus, truly reflects life, though of the highest social strata. The domestic garden with its creeper bowers, thickets of trees, channelled strams with beautiful bridges thereon, step-wells with water-wheels, and all the rest creature comforts accompanying them, provided an ideal environment for the pursuit of love and pleasure for the members of the 419 royalty and wealthy people. The expert amatory skill of a Keralite or a Kuntalite beauty assisted by choicest wine under in a ruby-cup would invariably enkindle the erotic/in the faint fragrant light of a tiny flame reflected in numerous 420 ruby-mirrors. Love often preceded marriage, which was in fact the culmination of a socially sanctioned life-companionship of the couple, Legitimate advances by young men to unmarried beauties were considered normal. Thus, eager princes often deputed nuns (Parivrajika) as emissaries of love to the maiden Tilakamanjari so that she might become favourably disposed to them and choose them for marriage. 419. Tilakamanjari,p.178(16ff.). 421 420. cf. ibid., P. 186 (9) - surata pragalbha kerali kanthamanitam - 3207(11)-- -- atissrama sveda kanikakita kunta li stanamandala bhogavidambibhih tatvikrtaih 61 (12) ~~ puranavaruni pano svam-- ; 18(7) - manikya casakah 72 (22) pramrsta mani darpanatu samutsarpitavilasadipa varttisu ... 1 421. ibid.,p.296 (16ff.) - smaraturai nrpatis nubhih svanuragasam darsanaya prayuktabhih purusa puramparivajikabhih

581 Communication of love was effected through enigmatic love-letters highly symbolic in their design, and through a number of contemporary conventions (Sanketa) of lovers. Thus, the enigmatically anonymous love-letter, found by Manjiraka in the Mattakokila garden at Ayodhya, was written with highly fragrant ink of must, bemeared with camphor powder and was sealed by an impression of the breastnipple with great care commensurate with the caution, intensity and delicacy of secret love.422 Prince Samaraketu's feelings were betrayed to Malayasundari by the following gestures of his behaviour: (i) embracing his companion; (11) touching a piece of coral to his lips; (iii) biting a leaf of Nagavalli with teeth; (iv) carving the petals of a Ketaki flower with nails; (v) tapping a companion on his have shoulders. All these jestures were supposed to conveyed his yearnings respectively to ; (1) embrace her; (ii) kiss her; (iii) caress her passionately to the extent of biting her lower lip; (iv) stir her up by clutching her hard enough to allow his nails even to bruise her skin; and mugdhastana mukha mudrena patrakhandam - vi wwwwww 422. Tilakamanjari,p.208 (19ff.) -- mrnalasutravalayita griva bhamga madhyabhagavivyasta - candanapan kavaidika bandhena samdanilobha ya ntam ; 109 (3££.)--tatra ca lalitapada samnivesa sandramr gamada matripan ka likhitaih pratyagrakun kuma patra bhaka sobhibhih krsnaguru dhupavasa sambhrta saurabhatireka abhinavamauktika ksoda visadavarnena punyaparimata muca karpura curnena samantadava kirne rnirantarairapi paraspara samsparsibhiravapta- parinati prakarsairapi sukumara sarvaca yavai raksa rairupeta arya--- 1

582 (v) amorously bid her make haste, though apparently beating the maid-servant for the vulgar gesticulation. 423 Even then, a person losing his sense of poise at the very first meeting with his beloved was fit to be ridiculed by the cultured elite. Various ways and means were employed to hide the effects of passion. Thus Samarakety pretended that the tears inhis eyes were due to the glare of the jewels, that he was keeping mum to allow the bard to recite the Subhasitas, that he had closed his eyes to concentrate on the canvas for painting or that he was recollecting the tunes of the lute%;B quent glances on MalayasundarI's nevertheless, his frelips, braid, root of the 426 arms, breasts, waist and haunches betrayed his firy passion. It is not unlikely if some people resorted to magic ways for enticing the chosen mate. 427 The delay in consumation of one's love caused untold pangs to the not-yet-united lovers, and called for artificial cooling effects to mitigate their miseries. Thus, 423. Tilakamanjari,p.278(10-17). 424. cf. ibid., p.357(19ff.) 1982 fa- cameli tathapyetad bhyartha ye visnucya taralata tiraka tiraskrtyandriyani, nivarya caksusah prabhutvam, an gikrtya nagarakavrttam, nivartya capalam pancavanasya 44342411 tatha kathancitprayartetha prathamadarsa mem slaksीbhutadhairya sthitirasannavarttiko viruddha- lokasya nopahasyatam prajati- 1 425. ibid.,p.278(18ff.). 426. ibid., p.279(3ff.). • 427. ibid.,p.22 (9) - vasikarana vidya madanamahavalikasya 1

583 Tilakamanjari was provided with the following treatments when she was bed-ridden with high love-fever consequent to her having seen Prince Harivahana: (i) a bed of lotus leaves; (ii) sandal-Angaraga applied all over her body; (iii) moist silken garments; (iv) green wet moss-sprouts utilized as ear-ornaments worn in the top of the ears%; (v) anklets of white lotus buds tied on the ankles; (vi) a girdle of thickly strung lotuses worn on the hips; (vii) cuttings of the leaves of white water-lily worn in the lower tip of the ears; (viii) wreaths of lotuses utilized to serve the purpose of Hara, Keyura, Kataka and other ornaments%; (ix) application of jewel-mirror to the feet; (x) use of plantain leaves as a fan; (xi) putting a pair of moist lotuses on the eyes; (xii) placing big lotus leaves on the breasts; (xiii) applying sandal-paste for the auspicious forehead mark (Lalatika); (xiv) besmearing the breasts with camphor 428 powder; and (xv) gentle shampooing of the limbs. rt When the lover was put in the wrong box and could not succeed in getting his beloved reconciled to him inspite of his gestures of utmost humility to the extent of prostrating himself, he had no other go but to resort 428. ibid.,p.368(11ff.).

584 to the shower-house (Dhara-grhat and lie down on a bed of 429 lotus leaves to counter the effect of love-fever. The neglected wives, however, went to the temple of Cupid on the occasion of Caitrotsava to propitiate the god who they hoped would help them get rehabilitated in their former position of a favoured beloved.430 Dhanapala has given a long list of preparatory processes conducive to fetching equal response from the mate in love-making and adding colour to the pleasure of both 431 striving and accomplishment. In the company of the nuMeghamerous youthful queens in his haren, King/avahana enjoyed his love-pursuits in the following manners. Thus, (i) sometimes in the course of an aggressive love-bout he would bite the lower lip of his queen while kissing them and tightly catch hold of her hair; the queena on her part would wave her hands with jingling bracelets; and both ■ would be drenched with the resulting sweat; (ii) Sometimes he would cover himself up with a dark robe and drag the Abhisarikas on dark nights. (iii) Sometimes he would indulge in a bathing-spott in which his queens bespattered him with water. (iv) Sometimes he roamed on the sport-hill in company of his principal queen. (v) Sometimes he would 429. Tilakamanjari,p.17(19ff.). 430. ibid., p.304(12ff.). 431. ibid.,pp.17-18.

585 bet with his queen about successfully fulfilling the yearning (Dohada) of various trees in the haren garden. (vi) Sometimes he would be forcibly imprisoned for love-making in the bed-chambers by his queen on the pretext of nonpayment of dues due from him on his having lost a game in the gambling. (vii) Sometimes he would indulge in queer make-up in the manner of the Vidusakas and make his queen laugh boisterously. And (viii) sometimes he would just enjoy in the company of his beloved queen in the garden on the bank of extensive lakes. A few postures or processes of coition (Karana-prayoga) are also adduced to. The courtesans of Ayodhya, for instance, found it rather difficult to indulge in inverted copulation (nica-rata) or coition with a low (or a short) person, although they were fond of inventing new ways for 432 the purpose. The Dravida women are said to be resourceful in trying fresh types of copulatory methods with their lovers