Kamashastra Discourse (Life in Ancient India)
by Nidheesh Kannan B. | 2018 | 52,434 words
This page relates ‘Works on Kamasahitya (b): Kalavilasa� of the study on Kamashastra representing the discipline of Kama (i.e., ‘sensual pleasure�). The Kamasutra of Vatsyayana from the 4th century is one of the most authoratitive Sanskrit texts belonging this genre. This study focusses on the vision of life of ancient India reflected in Kamashastra.
3. Works on 峾sāhitya (b): 屹
屹 of ṣeԻ is a poem in ten sargas related to 峾śٰ. The topics in each sargas constitute description of pride (Dambhākhyāna), description of covetousness (Lobhavarṇana), description of 峾 (峾varṇana), narration of courtesans (Veśyāvṛtta), description of accountant (Kāyasthacarita), description of haughtiness (Madavarṇana), description of musicians (Gāyanavarṇana), description of gold smith (Suvarṇakārotpatti), description of different kinds of spendthrifts (Nānādhūrttavarṇana) and the description of all arts (Sakalakalānirūpaṇa).
A salesman ᾱṇyܱٲ brings his son Candragupta to a man named ū𱹲 who is an expert in all kinds of cheating, wicked arts, trickeries and cunningness. The teachings of ū𱹲, consisting of all sorts of cheating forms are the main subject matter of this work. The religious hypocrites have been specially subjected to description and the modes of their cheating are described. People of different professions, for instance, astrologers, traders, physicians, goldsmiths, actors, singers etc. have been dealt with and their misconduct is seen justified. With extraordinary faithfulness, the tricks of courtesans with their life and various cunning arts learned by them are also described in 屹. This work is not a direct treatise on prostitution or 峾śٰ, but it helps to understand how the prostitutes and other officials satisfied their wicked ambition, and the state of society under which they worked (Narendranath Bhattacharyya, 1975: 101).