Part five, chapters five and six of the Kamisutra. This LibriVox recording is
in the public domain and is read by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina.
The Kimasutra by Vetsiayana, Part five, chapter five about the love of
persons in authority, for the wives of other men, kings and their ministers
have no access to the abodes of others, and moreover, their mode of
living is constantly watched and observed and imitated by the people at large, just
as the animal world, seeing the sunrise, get up after him, and
when he sits in the evening, lie down again. In the same way,
Persons in authority should not therefore do any improper act in public, as
such are impossible from their position and would be deserving of censure. But if
they find that such an act is necessary to be done, they should make
use of the proper means, as described in the following paragraphs. The headmen
of the village, the king's officer employed there, and the man whose business
it is to glean corn, can gain over female villagers simply by asking them.
Footnote this is a phrase used for a man who does the work of
everybody and who is fed by the whole village and footnote. It is on
this account that this class of women are called unchased women by voluptuaries. The
union of the above mentioned men with this class of women takes place on the
occasions of unpaid labor, of filling the granaries in their houses, of taking
things in and out of the house, of cleaning the houses, of working
in the fields, and of purchasing cotton, wool, flax, hemp and
thread, and at the season of the purchase, sale and exchange of various
other articles, as well as at the time of doing various other works.
In the same way, the souper superintendants of cowpens enjoy the women in the
cowpens, and the officers who have the superintendents of widows, of the women
who are without supporters, and of women who have left their husbands, have
sexual intercourse with these women. The intelligent accomplished their object by wandering at night
in the village, and while villagers also unite with the wives of their sons,
being much alone with them. Lastly, the superintendents of markets have a
great deal to do with the female villagers at the time of their making purchases
in the market. During the festival of the eighth moon, that is during
the bright half of the month of Nagashasha, as also during the moonlight festival
of the month of Kartika and the spring festival of Chetra, that women of
cities and towns generally visit the women of the King's Harem in the royal Palace.
These visitors go to the several apartments of the women of the Harem as
they are acquainted with them, and pass the night in cumberation and improper sports
and amusement, and go away in the morning. On such occasions, a
female attendant of the king, previously acquainted with the woman whom the king desires,
should loiter about and accost this woman when she sets out to go home,
and induce her to come and see the amusing things in the palace.
Previous to these festivals, even she should have caused it to be intimated to
this woman that on the occasion of this festival she would show her all the
interesting things in the royal palace. Accordingly, she should show her the bower
of the coral creeper, the garden house with its floor inlaid with precious stones,
the bower of grapes, the building on the water, the secret passages
in the walls of the palace, the pictures, the sporting animals, the
machines, the birds, and the cages of the lions and the tigers.
After this, when alone with her, she should tell her about the love
of the King for her, and should describe to her the good fortune which
would attend upon her union with the King, giving her at the time a
strict promise of secrecy. If the woman does not accept the offer, she
should conciliate and please her with handsome presence befitting the position of the king,
and having accompanied her for some distance, should dismiss her with great affection.
Two Or having made the acquaintance of the husband of the woman whom the king
desires, the wives of the king should get the wife to pay them a
visit in the harem, and on this occasion a female attendant of the king,
having been sent thither, should act as above described. Three Or one
of the king's wives should get acquainted with the woman that the king desires by
sending one of the female attendants to her, who should, on their becoming
more intimate, induce her to come and see the royal abode. Afterwards,
when she has visited the harem and acquired confidence. A female confidant of the
king sent thither should act as before described. Four. Or the king's wife
should invite the woman whom the king desires to come to the royal palace so
that she might see the practice of the art in which the king's wife may
be skilled. And after she has come to the herem, a female attendant
of the king sent thither should act as before described. Five. Or a
female beggar in league with the king's wife should say to the woman desired by
the king, and whose husband may have lost his wealth or may have some
cause of fear from the king, this wife of the king has influence over
him, and she is moreover naturally kind hearted. We must therefore go to
her in this matter. I shall arrange for your entrance into the harem,
and she will do away with all cause of danger and fear from the king.
If the woman accepts this offer, the female beggar should take her two
or three times to the hero, and the king's wife there should give her
a promise of protection. After this, when the woman, delighted with her
reception and promise of protection, again goes to the harem. Then a female
attendant of the king sent thither should act as directed. Six. What has
been said above regarding the wife of one who has some cause of fear from
the king applies also to the wives of those who seek service under the king,
or who are oppressed by the king's ministers, or who are poor,
or who are not satisfied with their position, or who are desirous of gaining
the king's favor, or who wish to become famous among the people, or
who are oppressed by the members of their own caste, or who want to
injure their caste fellows, or who are spies of the king, or who
have any other object to attain. Seven. Lastly, if the woman desired
by the king be living with some person who is not her husband, then
the King should cause her to be arrested, and, having made her a
slave on account of her crime, should place her in the harem. Or
the king should cause his ambassador to quarrel with the husband of the woman desired
by him, and should then imprison her as the wife of an enemy of
the king, and by this means should place her in the harem. Thus
ends the means of gaining over the wives of others secretly. The above mentioned
ways of gaining over the wives of other men are chiefly practiced in the palaces
of kings. But a king should never enter the abode of another person.
For Abhira, the king of the Katas, was killed by a washerman while
in the house of another and in the same way, Jayasana, the king
of the Kashis, was slain by the commandant of his cavalry. Footnote.
The exact date of the reign of these kings is not known. It is
supposed to have been about the beginning of the Christian era end footnote. But
according to the customs of some countries, there are facilities for kings to make
love to the wives of other men. Thus, in the country of the
Andras, the newly married daughters of the people thereof enter the king's harem with
some presents on the tenth day of their marriage, and having been enjoyed by
the king, are then dismissed. Footnote. Andras is the modern country of
Tailangam, which is to the south of rajamundri En footnote. In the country
of the Vatsagumas footnote supposed to be a tract of the country to the south
of mahwa En footnote, the wives of the chief ministers approach the king at
knight to serve him. In the country of the Vadharbas footnote now known by
the name of Behrar, its capital was Kundumpura, which has been identified with
the modern Umravati and footnote, the beautiful wives of the inhabitants pass a month
in the king's harem under the pretense of affection for the king. In the
country of the Apparatakas footnote also called Apparentakas, being the northern and southern kankan
and footnote, the people gave their beautiful wives as presents to the ministers and
the kings. And lastly, in the country the Sarastras footnote the modern provinces
of Katiawar, its capital was called Ghirinagunda or the modern junagur And footnote.
The women of the city and the country enter the royal harem for the king's
pleasure, either together or separately. There are also two verses on the subject,
as follows. The above and other ways are the means employed in different
countries by kings with regard to the wives of other persons. But a king
who as the welfare of his people at heart, should not on any account
put them into practice. A king who has conquered the six enemies of mankind
becomes the master of the whole earth. Footnote. These are lust, anger,
avarice, spiritual ignorance, pride, and envy, and footnote Chapter six
about the women of the Royal Harem and of the keeping of one's own wife.
The women of the Royal Harem cannot see or meet any men on account
of their being strictly guarded. Neither do they have their desires satisfied, because
their only husband is common to many wives. For this reason, among themselves
they give pleasure to each other in various ways, as now described, having
dressed the daughters of their nurses, or their female friends, or their female
attendants. Like men. They accomplish their object by means of bulbs, roots,
and fruits having the form of the lingam, or they lie down upon
the statue of a male figure, in which the lingam is visible and erect.
Some kings who are compassionate take or apply certain medicines to enable them to
enjoy many wives in one night, simply for the purpose of satisfying the desire
of their women. Though they perhaps have no desire of their own. Others
enjoy with great affection only those wives that they particularly like, while others only
take them according as the turn of each wife arrives in due course. Such
are the ways of enjoyment prevalent in Eastern countries. And what is said about
the means of enjoyment of the female is also applicable to the male. By
means of their female attendants, the ladies of the royal harem generally get men
into their apartments in the disguise or dress of women. Their female attendants and
the daughters of their nurses, who are acquainted with their secrets, should exert
themselves to get men to come to the harem in this way, by telling
them of the good fortune attending it, and by describing the facilities of entering
and leaving the palace, the large size of the premises, the carelessness of
the sentinels, and the irregularities of the attendants about the persons of the royal
wives. But these women should never induce a man to enter the harem by
telling him falsehoods, for that would probably lead to his destruction. As for
the man himself, he had better not enter a Royal Harem, even though
it may be easily accessible, on account of the numerous disasters to which he
may be exposed there. If, however, he wants to enter it,
he should first ascertain whether there is an easy way to get out, whether
it is closely surrounded by the pleasure garden, whether it has separate enclosures belonging
to it, whether the sentinels are careless, whether the king has gone abroad.
And then when he is called by the women of the Harem, he
should carefully observe the localities and enter by the way pointed out by them.
If he is able to manage it, he should hang about the harem every
day, and under some pretext or other, make friends with the sentinels,
and show himself attached to the female attendants of the Harem, who may have
become acquainted with his design, and to whom he should express his regret at
not being able to obtain the object of his desire. Lastly, he should
cause the whole business of a go between to be done by the woman who
may have access to the harem, and he should be careful to be able
to recognize the emissaries of the king. When a go between has no access
to the harem. Then the man should stand in some place where the lady,
whom he loves and whom he is anxious to enjoy, can be seen.
If that place is occupied by the King's sentinels, he should then disguise
himself as a female attendant of the lady who comes to the place or passes
by it. When she looks at him, he should let her know his
feelings by other outward signs and gestures, and should show her pictures, things
with double meanings, chaplets of flowers, and rings. He should carefully mark
the answer she gives, whether by word or by sign or by gesture,
and should then try and get into the harem. If he is certain of
her coming to some particular place, he should conceal himself there, and at
the appointed time should enter along with her as one of the guards. He
may also go in and out concealed in a folded bed or bed covering,
or with his body made invisible by means of external applications. Footnote the way
to make oneself invisible. The knowledge of the art of transmigration, or changing
ourselves or others into any shape or form by the use of charms, and
spells, the power of being in two places at once, and other occult
sciences are frequently referred to in all Oriental literature and footnote. A recipe for
one of which is as follows. The heart of an ik numen, the
fruit of the long gourd or tombi, and the eyes of the serpent should
all be burnt without letting out the smoke. The ashes should then be ground
and mixed in equal quantities with water. By putting this mixture upon the eyes,
a man can go about unseen. Other means of invisibility are prescribed by
Dujana, Brahmans and Jogishiris. Again, the man may enter the harem during
the festival of the eighth moon in the month of Nargashishah, and during the
moonlight festivals, when the female attendants of the harem are all busily occupied or
in confusion. The following principles are laid down on this subject. The entrance
of young men into harems and their exit from them generally take place when things
are being brought into the palace or when things are being taken out of it,
or when drinking festivals are going on, or when the female attendants are
in a hurry, or when the residence of some of the royal ladies is
being changed, or when the king's wives go to gardens or to fairs,
or when they enter the palace on their return from them, or lastly,
when the king is absent on a long pilgrimage. The women of the royal
harem know each other's secrets, and, having but one object to attain,
they give assistance to each other. A young man who enjoys all of them
and who is common to them all can continue enjoying his union with them as
long as it is kept quiet and is not known abroad. Now in the
country of the Arparatakas, the royal ladies are not well protected, and consequently
many young men are passed into the harem by the women who have access to
the royal palaces. The wives of the king of the Ahira country accomplish their
objects with those sentinels in the harem who bear the names of Kashtrius. The
royal ladies in the country of the Vatsagumas cause a which men are suitable to
enter into the harem along with their female messengers. In the country of the
Vaidharbas that sons of the royal ladies enter the royal harem when they please and
enjoy the women with the exception of their own mothers. In the stri Rajia,
the wives of the king are enjoyed by his caste, fellows and relations.
In the Gandha country, the royal wives are enjoyed by brahmins, friends,
servants, and slaves. In the Samdaba country, servants, foster children
and other persons like them enjoy the women of the harem. In the country,
the Himavatas, adventurous citizens bribe the sentinels and enter the harem. In
the country, the Vanyas and the Kalmyas, Brahmans with the knowledge of the
king, enter the harem under the pretense of giving flowers to the ladies and
speak with them from behind a curtain, and from such conversation union afterwards takes
place. Lastly, the women in the harem of the king of the Praccias
conceal one young man in the harem for every batch of nine or ten of
the women, thus act the wives of others. For these reasons, a
man should guard his own wife. Old authors say that a king should select
for sentinels in his harem. Such men as have their freedom from cardinal desires
well tested. But such men, though free themselves from carnal desire, by
reason of their fear or avarice, may cause other persons to enter the harem,
and therefore gon Kaputra says that kings should place such men in the harem
as may have had their freedom from carnal desires, their fear, and their
avarice well tested. Lastly, Vetsiayana says that under the influence of dharma,
people might be admitted and should be selected who are free from carnal desires,
fear, avarice, and dharma footnotes. This may be considered as meaning religious
influence and alludes to persons who may be gained over by that means. It
may be noted from the above remarks that eunuchs do not appear to have been
employed in the king's harem in those days, though they seem to have been
employed for other purposes see Part two, page forty three, en footnote.
The followers above. Havriya say that a man should cause his wife to associate
with a young woman who would tell him the secrets of other people, and
thus find out from her about his wife's chastity. But Vitziayana says that as
wicked persons are always successful with women, a man should not cause his innocent
wife to be corrupted by bringing her into the company of a deceitful woman.
The following are the causes of the destruction of a woman's chastity, always going
into society and sitting in company, absence of restraint, the loose habits of
her husband, want of caution in her relations with other men, continued in
long absence of her husband living in a foreign country, destruction of her love
and feelings by her husband, the company of loose women, the jealousy of
her husband. There are also the following verses on the subject. A clever
man learning from the Shastras the ways of winning over the wives of other people
is never deceived in the case of his own wives. No one, however,
should make use of these ways for seducing the wives of others, because
they do not always succeed and moreover often cause disasters and the destruction of dharma
and artha. This book, which is intended for the good of the people
and to teach them the ways of guarding their own wives, should not be
made use of merely for gaining over the wives of others. End of Part five,