Part six, chapters five and six of the Kimasutra. This LibriVox recording is
in the public domain and is read by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina.
The Kimasutra by Vetsiayana, Part six, Chapter five, of Different kinds
of Gain, many a kortazan is able to realize much money every day by
reason of many customers. She should not confine herself to a single lover under
such circumstances. She should fix her rate for one night after considering the place,
the season, and the condition of the people, and having regard to
her own good qualities and good looks, and after comparing her rates with those
of other courtesans. She can inform her lovers and friends and acquaintances about these
charges. If, however, she can obtain a great gain from a single
lover, she may resort to him alone and live with him like a wife.
Now, the sages are of opinion that when a cortisan has the option
of an equal gain from two lovers at the same time, a preference should
be given to the one who would give her the kind of thing which she
wants. But Fatziayana says that the preference should be given to the one who
gives her gold, because it cannot be taken back. Like some other things,
it can be easily received, and is also the means of procuring anything
that may be wished for, of such things as gold, silver, copper,
bell, metal, iron, pots, furniture, beds, upper garments,
under vestments, fragrant substances, vessels made of gourds, ghee, oil,
corn, cattle, and other things of a like nature. The first,
that is gold, is superior to all the others. When the same
labor is required to gain any two lovers, or when the same kind of
thing is to be got from each of them, the choice should be made
by the advice of a friend, or it may be made from their personal
qualities, or from the signs of good or bad fortune that may be connected
with them. When there are two lovers, one of whom is attached to
the Khurasan and the other is simply very generous, the sages say that the
preference should be given to the generous lover. But Veatsiayana is of opinion that
the one who is really attached to the Kurtasan should be preferred, because he
can be made to be generous even as a miser gives money if he becomes
fond of a woman. But a man who is simply generous cannot be made
to love with real attachment. But among those who are attached to her,
if there is one who is poor and one who is rich, the preference
is of course to be given to the latter. When there are two lovers,
one of whom is generous and the other ready to do any service for
the courtisan, some sages say that the one who is ready to do the
service should be preferred, but Fatsiayana is of opinion that a man who does
a service thinks that he has gained his object when he has done something once,
but a generous man does not care for what he has given before.
Even here, the choice should be guided by the likelihood of the future good
to be derived from her union with either of them. When one of the
two lovers is grateful and the other liberal, some sages say that the liberal
one should be preferred, but vets Yayana is of opinion that the former should
be chosen because liberal men are generally haughty, plain spoken, and wanting in
consideration towards others. Even though these liberal men have been on friendly terms for
a long time. Yet if they see any fault in the Kurtzan, or
are told lies about her by some other women, they do not care for
past services, but leave abruptly. On the other hand, the grateful man
does not at once break off from her on account of a regard for the
pains she may have taken to please him. In this case, also,
the choice is to be guided with respect to what may happen in future.
When an occasion for complying with the request of a friend and a chance of
getting money come together, the sages say that the chance of getting money should
be preferred, but Vetsiayana thinks that the money can be obtained tomorrow as well
as to day. But if the request of a friend be not at once
complied with, he may become disaffected. Even here in making the choice,
regard must be paid to future good fortune. On such an occasion, however,
the Cortzan might pacify her friend by pretending to have some work to do
and telling him that his request will be complied with next day, and in
this way secure the chance of getting the money that has been offered her.
When the chance of getting money and the chance of avoiding some disaster come at
the same time. The sages are of opinion that the chance of getting money
should be preferred, but Vitziana says that money has only a limited importance,
while a disaster that is once averted may never occur again. Here, however,
the choice should be guided by the greatness or smallness of the disaster.
The gains of the wealthiest and best kind of courtesans are to be spent as
follows, building temples, tanks and gardens, giving a thousand cows to different
brahmins, carrying on the worship of the gods, and celebrating festivals in their
honor, and lastly performing such vows as may be within their means. The
gains of other courtesans are to be spent as follows, having a white dress
to wear every day, getting sufficient food and drink to satisfy hunger and thirst,
eating daily a perfumed tambula that is a mixture of betel nut and betel
leaves, and wearing ornaments gilt with gold. To say that these represent the
gains of all the middle and lower classes of courtesans, but Vitziayana is of
opinion that their gains cannot be calculated or fixed in any way, as these
depend up the influence of the place, the customs of the people, their
own appearance, and many other things. When a kurtazan wants to keep some
particular man from some other woman, or wants to get him away from some
woman to whom he may be attached, or to deprive some woman of the
gains realized by her from him, or if she thinks that she would raise
her position, or enjoy some great good fortune, or become desirable to all
men by uniting herself with this man, or if she wishes to get his
assistance in averting some misfortune, or is really attached to him and loves him,
or wishes to injure somebody through his means, or has regard to some
former favor conferred upon her by him, or wishes to be united with him
merely from desire, or any of the above reasons, she should agree to
take from him only a small sum of money in a friendly way. When
a courtizan intends to abandon a particular lover and take up with another one,
or when she has reason to believe that her lover will shortly leave her and
return to his wives, or that having squandered all his money and became penniless,
his guardian or master or father would come and take him away, or
that her lover is about to lose his position, or lastly, that he
is of a very fickle mind. She should, under any of these circumstances,
endeavor to get as much money as she can from him, as soon
as possible. On the other hand, when the courtizan thinks that her lover
is about to receive valuable presents or get a place of authority from the king,
or be near the time of inheriting a fortune, or that his ship
will soon arrive laden with merchandise, or that he has large stocks of corn
and other commodities, or that if anything was done for him, it would
not be done in vain, or that he is always true to his word.
Then should she have regard to her future welfare and live with a man
like a wife. There are also verses on the subject, as follows.
In considering her present gains and her future welfare, a courtesan should avoid such
persons as have gained their means of subsistence with very great difficulty, as also
those who have become selfish and hard hearted by becoming the favorites of kings.
She should make every endeavor to unite herself with prosperous and well to do people,
and with those whom it is dangerous to avoid or to slight in any
way, even at some cost to herself. She should become acquainted with energetic
and liberal minded men, who, when pleased, would give her a large
sum of money, even for very little service or for some small thing.
Chapter six of Gains and Losses attendant gains and losses and doubts. As also
of the different kinds of courtesans. It sometimes happens that, while gains are
being sought for or expected to be realized, that losses only are the result
of our efforts. The causes of these losses are weakness of intellect, excessive
love, excessive pride, excessive self conceit, excessive simplicity, excessive confidence,
excessive anger, carelessness, recklessness, influence of evil genius, accidental circumstances.
The results of these losses are expense incurred without any result, destruction of future
good fortune, stoppage of gains about to be realized, loss of what is
already obtained, acquisition of a sour temper, becoming unamiable to everybody, injury
to health, loss of hair, and other accidents. Now, gain is
of three kinds, that is gain of wealth, gain of religious merit,
and gain of pleasure. And similarly, loss is of three kinds, that
is loss of wealth, loss of religious merit, and loss of pleasure.
At the time when gains are sought for, if other gains come along with
them, these are called attendant gains. When gain is uncertain, the doubt
of its being a gain is called a simple doubt. When there is a
doubt whether either of two things will happen or not, it is called a
mixed doubt. If while one thing is being done, two results take place,
it is called a combination of two results, And if several results follow
from the same action, it is called a combination of results. On every
side. We shall now give examples of the above. As already stated,
gain is of three kinds, and loss, which is opposed to gain,
is also of three kinds. A when by living with a great man,
a courtizan acquires present wealth, and in addition to this, becomes acquainted with
other people, and thus obtains a chance of future fortune and an accession of
wealth, and becomes desirable to all This is called a gain of wealth attended
by other gain. B. When by living with a man, a courtaisan
simply gets money, this is called a gain of wealth not attended by any
other gain. C. When a courtisan receives money from other people besides her
lover, the results are the chance of the loss of future good from her
present lover, the chance of disaffection of a man securely attached to her,
the hatred of all, and the chance of a union with some low person
tending to destroy her future good. This gain is called a gain of wealth
attended by losses. D. When a kurtazan, at her own expense and
without any results in the shape of gain, has connected with a great man
or an avaricious minister, for the sake of diverting some misfortune or removing some
cause that may be threatening the destruction of a great gain. This loss is
said to be a loss of wealth attended by gains of the future good which
it may bring about. E. When a kurtazan is kind, even at
her own expense, to a man who is very stingy, or to a
man proud of his looks, or to an ungrateful man skilled in gaining the
heart of others, without any good resulting from these connections to her in the
end. This loss is called a loss of wealth, not attended by any
gain. F. When a courtisan is kind to any such man is described
above, but who, in addition, are favorites of the King, and
moreover cruel and powerful, without any good result in the end, and with
a chance of her being turned away at any moment, this loss is called
a loss of wealth attended by other losses. In this way, gains and
losses, and attendant gains and losses in religious merit and pleasures may become known
to the reader, and combinations of all of them may also be made.
Thus, and the remarks on gains and losses and attendant gains and losses.
In the next place we come to doubts, which are again of three kinds,
that is, doubts about wealth, doubts about religious merit, and doubts
about pleasures. The following are examples. A. When a courtisan is not
certain how much a man may give her or spend upon her. This is
called a doubt about wealth. B. When a Kurtazan feels doubtful whether she
is right in entirely abandoning a lover from whom she is unable to get money,
she having taken all his wealth from him. In the first instance,
this doubt is called a doubt about religious merit. C. When a courtaisan
is unable to get hold of a lover to her liking and is uncertain whether
she will derive any pleasure from a person surrounded by his family or from a
low person, this is called a doubt about pleasure. D. When a
courtisan is uncertain whether some powerful but low principled fellow would cause loss to her
on account of her not being civil to him, this is called a doubt
about the loss of wealth. E. When a courtesan feels doubtful whether she
would lose religious merit by abandoning a man who is attached to her without giving
him the slightest favor, and thereby causing him unhappiness in this world and the
next, this doubt is called a doubt about the loss of a religious merit.
Footnote The souls of men who die with their desires unfulfilled are said to
go to the world of the manes, and not direct to the supreme Spirit.
And a footnote F. When a courtizan is uncertain as to whether she
might create disaffection by speaking out and revealing her love, and thus not get
her desire satisfied. This is called a doubt about the loss of pleasure.
Thus, and the remarks on doubts mixed doubts. A. The intercourse or
connection with a stranger whose disposition is unknown, and who may have been introduced
by a lover or by no one who possessed authority, may be productive either
of gain or loss, and therefore this is called a mixed doubt about the
gain and loss of wealth. B. When a courtisan is requested by a
friend or is impelled by pity to have intercourse with a learned Brahmin, a
religious student, a sacrificer, a devotee, or an ascetic, who may
have all fallen in love with her, and who may be consequently at the
point of death. By doing this, she might either gain or lose religious
merit, and therefore this is called a mixed doubt about the gain and loss
of religious merit. See if a courtisan relies solely upon the report of other
people, that is, hearsay about a man and goes to him without ascertaining
herself whether he possesses good qualities or not, she may either gain or lose
pleasure in proportion as he may be good or bad, and therefore this is
called a doubt about the gain and loss of pleasure. Udalika has described the
gains and losses on both sides as follows. A. If when living with
a lover, a courtisan gets both wealth and pleasure from him, it is
called a gain on both sides. B. When a courtisan lives with a
lover at her own expense without getting any profit out of it, and the
lover even takes back from her what he may have formally given her, it
is called a loss on both sides. C. When a courtisan is uncertain
whether a new acquaintance would become attached to her, and moreover, if he
became attached to her, whether he would give her anything. It is then
called a doubt on both sides about gains. D. When a courtisan is
uncertain whether a former enemy, if made up by her at her own expense,
would do her some injury on account of his grudge against her, or
if becoming attached to her, would take away angrily from her anything that he
may have given to her. This is called a doubt on both sides about
loss. Bob Pravria has described the gains and losses on both sides as follows.
A. When a courtesan can get money from a man whom she may
go to see, and also money from a man whom she may not go
to see, this is called a gain on both sides. B When a
courtesan has to incur further expense if she goes to see a man, and
yet runs the risk of incurring an irremediable loss if she does not go to
see him, this is called a loss on both sides. See. When
a courtesan is uncertain whether a particular man would give her anything on her going
to see him without incurring expense on her part, or whether on her neglecting
him, another man would give her something. This is called doubt on both
sides about gain. D When a courtisan is uncertain whether, on going at
her own expense to see an old enemy, he would take back from her
what he may have given her, or whether by her not going to see
him, he would cause some disaster to fall upon her. This is called
a doubt on both sides about loss. By combining the above, the following
six kinds of mixed results are produced. That is, a gain on one
side and loss on the other. B Gain on one side and doubt of
gain on the other. C Gain on one side and doubt of loss on
the other, d loss on one side and doubt of gain on the other.
E Doubt of gain on one side and doubt of loss on the other.
F Doubt of loss on one side and loss on the other. Having
considered all the above things, and taking counsel with their friends, should act
so as to acquire gain, the chances of great gain and the warding off
of any great disaster. Religious, merit, and pleasure should also be formed
into separate combinations, like those of wealth, and then all should be combined
with each other so as to form new combinations. When a courtesign consorts with
men, she should cause each of them to give her money as well as
pleasure. At particular times, such as the spring festivals, et cetera,
she may make her mother announce to the various men that on a certain day
her daughter would remain with the men who would gratify such and such a desire
of hers. When young men approach her with delight, she should think of
what she may accomplish through them. The combination of gains and losses on all
sides are gain on one side and loss on all others. Loss on one
side and gain on all others, gain on all sides, loss on all
sides. A courtisan should also consider doubts about gain and doubts about loss,
with reference both to wealth, religious, merit, and pleasure. Thus ends
the consideration of gain, loss, attendant gains, attendant losses, and doubts.
The different kinds of courtisans are a bawd, a female attendant, an
unchaste woman, a dancing girl, a female artisan, a woman who has
left her family, a woman living on her beauty, and finally a regular
courtisan. All the above kinds of courtisans are acquainted with various kinds of men,
and should consider the ways of getting money from them, of pleasing them,
of separating themselves from them, and of reuniting with them. They should
also take into consideration particular gains and losses, attendant gains and losses, and
doubts in accordance with their several conditions. Thus end the considerations of courtesans.
There are also two verses on the subject, as follows. Men want pleasure
while women want money, and therefore this part, which treats of the means
of gaining wealth, should be studied. There are some women who seek for
love, and there are others who seek for money. For the former,
the ways of love are told in previous portions of this work, while the
ways of getting money as practiced by courtesans are described in this part. End
of Part six