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,