Of the Causes of a Courtesan Resorting to Men

Of the Causes of a Courtesan Resorting to Men

The Part VI Chapter I of Kamasutra educates the courtesans and concubines the art of intimate relation.

Vatsayana in his great artwork Kamasutra says that the courtesans attain physical pleasure as well as money by having intimate relation with men. If the courtesan is in love with the man she will act naturally but if she is for money only that sometimes everything seems to be unnatural. Men usually rely on the women who love them, so in this case if the woman is untrue she should act that her love is indeed natural. She should also show her abstinence from wealth and avariciousness for the sake of her future credit.

The courtesan should dress well and decorate herself with ornaments and should sit or stand at the door of her house. While doing so she should not expose too much and should look on the public road so as to be seen by the passers by. She should make friendship with such a person who would help her to get man attached with another woman, or to acquire wealth, and in many other ways.

These persons can be:

The guards of the town, or the police

The officers of the courts of justice

Astrologers

Powerful men, or men with interest

Learned men

Teachers of the sixty-four arts

Pitheads or confidants

Vitas or parasites

Vidushakas or jesters

Flower sellers

Perfumers

Vendors of spirits

Washer men

Barbers

Beggars

For the purpose of getting their money the following kinds of men may be taken up with.

Men of independent income

Young men

Men who are free from any ties

Men who hold places of authority under the king

Men who have secured their means of livelihood without difficulty

Men possessed of unfailing sources of income

Men who consider themselves handsome

Men who are always praising themselves

One who is a eunuch, but wishes to be thought a man

One who hates his equals One who is naturally liberal

One who has influence with the king or his ministers

One who is always fortunate

One who is proud of his wealth

One who disobeys the orders of his elders

One upon whom the members of his caste keep an eye

An only son whose father is wealthy

An ascetic who is internally troubled with desire

A brave man

A physician of the king

Previous acquaintances

On the other hand, according to Kamasutra, those who possess excellent qualities are to be resorted to for the sake of love, and fame. Such men are as follows:

Men of high birth

Learned

With a good knowledge of the world

Doing the proper things at the proper times

Poets

Good story tellers

Eloquent men

Energetic men

Skilled in various arts

Far-seeing into the future

Possessed of great minds

Full of perseverance

Of a firm devotion

Free from anger, liberal

Affectionate to their parents

With a liking for all social gatherings

Skilled in completing verses begun by others and in various other sports

Free from all disease

Possessed of a perfect body

Strong

Not addicted to drinking

Powerful in sexual enjoyment

Sociable

Showing love towards women and attracting their hearts to himself, but not entirely devoted to them,

Possessed of independent means of livelihood

Free from envy, and last of all

Free from suspicion.

These are the qualities of a man should possesses. The woman also should have the following characteristics:

She should be possessed of beauty

Amiability

With auspicious body marks

She should have a liking for good qualifies in other people

Liking for wealth

She should take delight in sexual unions, resulting from love

Should be of a firm mind

Of the same class as the man with regard to sexual enjoyment

She should always be anxious to acquire and obtain experience and knowledge

Be free from greed,

Always have a liking for social gatherings, and for the arts

The following are the common qualities of all women:

To be possessed of intelligence

Good disposition

Good manners

To be straightforward in behaviour

To be grateful

To consider well the future before doing anything

To possess activity

To be of consistent behavior

And to have a knowledge of the proper times and places for doing things

To speak always without meanness

Loud laughter

Malignity

Anger

Avarice

Dullness

Stupidity; to have a knowledge of the Kamasutra,

To be skilled in all the arts connected with it.

The faults of women are to be known by the absence of any of the above-mentioned good qualities. The following kinds of men are not fit to be resorted to by courtesans:

One who is consumptive;

One who is sickly;

One whose mouth contains worms;

One whose breath smells like human excrement;

One whose wife is dear to him;

One who speaks harshly;

One who is always suspicious;

One who is avaricious;

One who is pitiless;

One who is a thief;

One who is self-conceited;

One who has a liking for sorcery;

One who does not care for respect or disrespect;

One who can be gained over even by his enemies by means of money; and lastly,

One who is extremely bashful.

According to ancient authors the reasons of courtesans living with men are love, fear, money, pleasure, returning some act of enmity, curiosity, sorrow, constant intercourse, Dharma, celebrity, compassion, the desire of having a friend, shame, the likeness of the man to some beloved person, the search after good fortune, the getting rid of the love of somebody else, the being of the same class as the man with respect to sexual union, living in the same place, constancy, and poverty. But Vatsayana in his Kamasutra, affirms that there are three causes, which affect the union of courtesans with men and the causes are desire of wealth, freedom from misfortune, and love.

Kamasutra also offers suggestion to the courtesans. As because money is the chief thing to be attended to, a courtesan should not sacrifice this to her love. Moreover, even though she is invited by any man to join him, she should not at once consent to a union. On such occasions she should first send the shampooers, the singers, or the jesters, or in their absence the Pithamardas, or confidants, to find out the state of his feelings, and the condition of his mind. By means of these persons she should ascertain whether the man is pure or impure, affected, or the reverse, capable of attachment, or indifferent, liberal or miserly; and if she finds him to her liking, she should then employ the Vita and others to attach his mind to her.

When the Pithamarda bring the man to her house, in excuse of seeing the fights of quails, cocks, and rams, or of seeing some other spectacle, or the practice of some art; or he may take the woman to the residence of the man. Like this when the man comes to her house the woman should give him some curios, and love in his heart, such as an affectionate present, telling him that it was specially designed for his use. She should also amuse him by telling him stories, and try to entertain her in different ways. When he goes away she should send him a female attendant or sometimes go to him herself in excuse of some business, and accompanied by the Pithamarda. Thus end the means of attaching to herself the man desired.

A verse from Kamasutra further supports the subject 'When a lover comes to her abode, a courtesan should give him a mixture of betel leaves and betel nut, garlands of flowers, and perfumed ointments, and, showing her skill in arts, should entertain him with a long conversation. She should also give him some loving presents, and make an exchange of her own things with his, and at the same time should show him her skill in sexual enjoyment. When a courtesan is thus united with her lover she should always delight him by affectionate gifts, by conversation, and by the application of tender means of enjoyment.'

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