ABOUT
THE KINDS OF WOMEN RESORTED TO BY THE CITIZENS, AND OF FRIENDS AND MESSENGERS
WHEN Kama is practised by men of the four castes according to the rules
of the Holy Writ (i.e. by lawful marriage) with virgins of their own
caste, it then becomes a means of acquiring lawful progeny and good
fame, and it is not also opposed to the customs of the world. On the
contrary the practice of Kama with women of the higher castes, and with
those previously enjoyed by others, even though they be of the same
caste, is prohibited. But the practice of Kama with women of the lower
castes, with women excommunicated from their own caste, with public
women, and with women twice married,1 is neither enjoined nor prohibited.
The object of practising Kama with such women is pleasure only.
Nayikas, therefore, are of three kinds, viz. maids, women twice married,
and public women. Gonikaputra has expressed an opinion that there is
a fourth kind of Nayika, viz. a woman who is resorted to on some special
occasion even though she be previously married to another. These special
occasions are when a man thinks thus:
This woman is self-willed, and has been previously enjoyed by many others
besides myself. I may, therefore, safely resort to her as to a public
woman though she belongs to a higher caste than mine, and, in so doing,
I shall not be violating the ordinances of Dharma.
Or thus:
This is a twice-married woman and has
been enjoyed by others before me; there is, therefore, no objection
to my resorting to her.
Or thus:
This woman has gained the heart of her
great and powerful husband, and exercises a mastery over him, who is
a friend of my enemy; if, therefore, she
becomes united with me she will cause her husband to abandon my enemy.
Or thus:
This woman will turn the mind of her husband,
who is very powerful, in my favour, he being at present disaffected
towards me, and intent on doing me some
harm.
Or thus:
By making this woman my friend I shall
gain the object of some friend of mine, or shall be able to effect the
ruin of some enemy, or shall accomplish
some other difficult purpose.
Or thus:
By being united with
this woman, I shall kill her husband, and so obtain his vast riches
which I covet.
Or thus:
The union of this woman with me is not
attended with any danger, and will bring me wealth, of which, on account
of my poverty and inability to support
myself, I am very much in need. I shall therefore obtain her vast riches
in this way without any difficulty.
Or thus:
This woman loves me ardently, and knows
all my weak points; if therefore, I am unwilling to be united with her,
she will make my faults public, and thus
tarnish my character and reputation. Or she will bring some gross accusation
against me, of which it may be hard to
clear myself, and I shall be ruined. Or perhaps she will detach from
me her husband who is powerful, and yet
under her control, and will unite him to my enemy, or will herself join
the latter.
Or thus:
The husband of this woman has violated
the chastity of my wives, I shall therefore return that injury by seducing
his wives.
Or thus:
By the help of this woman I shall kill
an enemy of the king, who has taken shelter with her, and whom I am
ordered by the king to destroy.
Or thus:
The woman whom I love is under the control
of this woman. I shall, through the influence of the latter, be able
to get at the former.
Or thus:
This woman will bring to me a maid, who
possesses wealth and beauty, but who is hard to get at, and under the
control of another.
Or lastly thus:
My enemy is a friend of this woman's husband,
I shall therefore cause her to join him, and will thus create an enmity
between her husband and him.
For these and similar other reasons the wives of other men may be resorted
to, but it must be distinctly understood that is only allowed for special
reasons, and not for mere carnal desire.
Charayana thinks that under these circumstances there is also a fifth
kind of Nayika, viz. a woman who is kept by a minister, or who repairs
to him occasionally; or a widow who accomplishes the purpose of a man
with the person to whom she resorts.
Suvarnanabha adds that a woman who passes the life of an ascetic and
in the condition of a widow may be considered as a sixth kind of Nayika.
Ghotakamukha says that the daughter of a public woman, and a female
servant, who are still virgins, form a seventh kind of Nayika.
Gonardiya puts forth his doctrine that any woman born of good family,
after she has come of age, is an eighth kind of Nayika.
But these four latter kinds of Nayikas do not differ much from the first
four kinds of them, as there is no separate object in resorting to them.
Therefore, Vatsyayana is of opinion that there are only four kinds of
Nayikas, i.e. the maid, the twice-married woman, the public woman, and
the woman resorted to for a special purpose.
The following women are not to be enjoyed:
* A leper
* A lunatic
* A woman turned out of caste
* A woman who reveals secrets
* A woman who publicly expresses desire for sexual intercourse
* A woman who is extremely white
* A woman who is extremely black
* A bad-smelling woman
* A woman who is a near relation
* A woman who is a female friend
* A woman who leads the life of an ascetic
* And, lastly the wife of a relation, of a friend, of a learned Brahman,
and of the king
The followers of Babhravya say that any woman who has been enjoyed by
five men is a fit and proper person to be enjoyed. But Gonikaputra is
of opinion that even when this is the case, the wives of a relation,
of a learned Brahman and of a king should be excepted.
The following are of the kind of friends:
* One who has played with you in the dust, i.e. in childhood
* One who is bound by an obligation
* One who is of the same disposition and fond of the same things
* One who is a fellow student
* One who is acquainted with your secrets and faults, and whose faults
and secrets are also known to you
* One who is a child of your nurse
* One who is brought up with you one who is an hereditary friend
These friends should possess the following qualities:
* They should tell the truth
* They should not be changed by time
* They should be favourable to your designs
* They should be firm
* They should be free from covetousness
* They should not be capable of being gained over by others
* They should not reveal your secrets
Charayana says that citizens form friendship with washermen, barbers,
cowherds, florists, druggists, betel-leaf sellers, tavern keepers, beggars,
Pithamardas, Vitas and Vidushekas, as also with the wives of all these
people.
A messenger should possess the following qualities:
* Skilfulness
* Boldness
* Knowledge of the intention of men by their outward signs
* Absence of confusion, i.e. no shyness
* Knowledge of the exact meaning of what others do or say
* Good manners
* Knowledge of appropriate times and places for doing different things
* Ingenuity in business
* Quick comprehension
* Quick application of remedies, i.e. quick and ready resources
And this part ends with a verse:
`The man who is ingenious and wise, who is accompanied by a friend,
and who knows the intentions of others, as also the proper time and
place for doing everything, can gain over, very easily, even a woman
who is very hard to be obtained.'
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