Kamashastra Discourse (Life in Ancient India)
by Nidheesh Kannan B. | 2018 | 52,434 words
This page relates 鈥楥oncept of Kama (Introduction)鈥� of the study on Kamashastra representing the discipline of Kama (i.e., 鈥榮ensual pleasure鈥�). 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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
7. Concept of 碍腻尘补 (Introduction)
The third pursuit called 碍腻尘补 is widely described here because it is the central point of this chapter. It appears to be fascinating to everyone irrespective of age, gender and creed. 碍腻尘补 sooths the heart of all as it is closely related to sex, beauty and the erotic sentiment.
The genesis of 碍腻尘补 passed through different stages of evolution at intervals as desire, as natural sex instinct, as the third 笔耻谤耻峁Ｄ乺迟丑补, as a sylvan spirit, as 碍腻尘补deva, the most handsome divinity among Hindu gods and as the all pervading supreme principle of monism (Devarajan T., 2011: vii).
鈥淭丑别 Vedic Indians embodied an open culture in terms of their sexuality. Sexual life was predominantly heterosexual, while there is a silence on homosexual relations and bestiality. This does not attest to the absence of homosexual practices. Incest was consented to as matter of fact, while premarital intercourse was accepted, and extra-marital relations were practiced unbridled. There were no rules demanding virginity of women at the time of marriage. Such was the Indian tradition, and the word they used to denote the essence of their sexuality was 碍腻尘补鈥� (Vikas Prabhu (a), 2013: 9-10).
Meaning and Definition of the term 碍腻尘补 碍腻尘补 is a multidimensional term formulated from the root 鈥淜补苍鈥�[1] means to shine, to desire and to go (Unni N. P., 2008: 98).
鈥淔rom a grammatical point of view, the word 碍腻尘补 is masculine in gender. And etymologically speaking, 碍腻尘补 consists of the primary suffix 鈥渕a鈥� and the base 鈥渒a鈥� which occurs in Latin 鈥渃a-rus鈥� (meaning dear) and in Anglo-saxone 鈥渉ore鈥� (new English whore). The feminine form 碍腻尘补 and the neuter one 碍腻尘补m are also attested, meaning 鈥渙bject of desire鈥�. And finally the adverbial use of 碍腻尘补m means 鈥渁cording to desire鈥�, 鈥渁t will鈥�, 鈥渇reely鈥�, 鈥減referable鈥� etc. Thus, the Indo-Aryan root Kam means 鈥渢o desire, love鈥� (George, V. C., 1995: 76).
V. K. Hampiholi observes,
鈥淭丑别 term 碍腻尘补 is found frequently in the 峁欢惫别诲补 which is the earliest available literature of India. There the term 碍腻尘补 means 鈥渄esire鈥� in general and 鈥渟ensuous desire or lust鈥� in particular. In the Atharvaveda, the term 碍腻尘补 denotes not only the desire and sexual desire but also a deity. Here 碍腻尘补 was identified with Agni (3. 25.11) in one mantra and in another 碍腻尘补 was invoked as superior to Agni and other gods (9. 2-6, 24). An allusion is made to the terrible arrows of 碍腻尘补 in this Veda (3. 25.1). In the later period, the god of love (碍腻尘补) and his five arrows (Pa帽cab膩峁嚹�) became popular. Afterwards he was considered as 碍腻尘补deva. Thus this term has many shades of meaning. The correct and appropriate meaning should be noted only on the basis of the context. Mostly, even today, the term 碍腻尘补 is used in the sense of desire and sexual desire鈥� (1998: 59).
Popular Sanskrit dictionaries like 础尘补谤补办辞艣补, 艢补产诲补办补濒辫补诲谤耻尘补, 痴腻肠补蝉辫补迟测补 etc. were explaining the term 碍腻尘补 in wider ranges. Some of them are compiled here.
础尘补谤补办辞艣补 uses the term 碍腻尘补 five times, most of them are as the synonyms of 碍腻尘补deva-the god of erotic love in Indian mythology. One of them points 碍腻尘补 as desire[2]. While 痴腻肠补蝉辫补迟测补m deals the word 碍腻尘补 in a much elaborated manner. The author of 痴腻肠补蝉辫补迟测补m views 碍腻尘补 from the points of grammar, literature, philosophical systems etc. Of several meanings 碍腻尘补 marks as wish, longing and legitimate pursuit of life (Tarkav膩caspati Taranatha, 2013: 1889).
As mentioned before, 碍腻尘补 is a multidimensional term and is defined in many ways by many people according to their need and comfort. Here it is provided some of the definitions of 碍腻尘补.
Bharata says in 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补:
鈥淎lmost all the psychological states proceed from erotic passion (碍腻尘补) and which combined with acts proceeding from desire. The union of a man and a woman is called sensual passion (碍腻尘补). The love which may end in joy or sorrow of all people is mostly to be observed as leading to happiness even in unhappy situations. The union of man and woman which finds them sexually united is known as an erotic affair (艣峁涐箙驳腻谤补). This benefits the two, and brings them happiness. In this world, people always desire happiness of which women are indeed the source.鈥�[3] (Pushpendra Kumar, 2014: 1040-1042).
According to 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, desire is based on violation or determination. No action is found in this world, of a man without desire. Whatever act a person does is but the effort of his desire[4] (Maitreyee Deshpande, 2010: 43-44).
While discussing the definitions of 碍腻尘补, it is very important to go through the definitions of 碍腻尘补 affirmed laid by 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补 in 碍腻尘补s奴tra. As a comprehensive manual about sexuality, 碍腻尘补s奴tra gives two categorical definitions of 碍腻尘补 viz, general (蝉腻尘腻苍测补) and particular (惫颈艣别峁) respectively.
In an elaborated way it can be said:
鈥�Pleasure in general (蝉腻尘腻苍测补k膩ma), consists in engaging the ear, skin, eye, tongue, and nose each in its own appropriate sensation, all under the control of the mind and heart driven by the conscious self. Pleasure in its primary form (惫颈艣别峁k膩ma), however, is a direct experience of an object of the senses, which bears fruit and is permeated by the sensual pleasure of erotic arousal that results from the particular sensation of touch鈥�[5] (Doniger Wendy & Sudhir Kakar, 2009: 8).
Some other later texts on this field define 碍腻尘补 as tumescence (b膩hyarata) and detumescence (膩bhyantararata).
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
办颈谤补峁嘺辫谤补驳谤补丑补耻 谤补艣尘墨 kapibhekau plava峁僩amau | 颈肠肠丑腻 manobhavau k膩mau 艣auryodyogau par膩kramau || (补尘补谤补办辞艣补岣�, 3. 138)
[3]:
pr膩ye峁嘺 sarvabh膩v膩n膩峁� k膩m膩nni峁attiri峁ate |
sa cecch膩gu峁嘺sampanno bahudh膩 k膩ma i峁ate ||
str墨pu峁僺ayostu yogo ya岣� sa tu 办腻尘补岣� iti sm峁泃a岣� ||
sarvasyaiva hi lokasya sukhadu岣hanibarha峁嘺岣� |
bh奴yi峁ａ弓ha峁� d峁浥泍ate 办腻尘补岣� sukhado du岣hade峁api ||
ya岣� str墨puru峁sa峁儁ogo ratisa峁儁ogak膩raka岣� |
sa 艣峁涐箖g膩ra iti j帽eya upac膩rak峁泃a岣� sukha岣� ||
iha pr膩ye峁嘺 loko'ya峁� sukhamicchati nitya艣a岣� |
sukhasya ca striyo m奴la峁� n膩n膩艣墨l膩艣ca t膩岣� puna岣� || (n膩峁瓂a艣膩stram, 24. 94-98)
[4]:
蝉补峁僰补濒辫补尘奴濒补岣� k膩mo vai yaj帽膩岣� sa峁僰alpasa峁僢hav膩岣� |
ak膩masya kriy膩 k膩cit d峁浥泍ate neha karhicit || (尘补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈岣�, 2. 3-4)
[5]:
艣rotratvakcak峁rjihv膩ghr膩峁嚹乶膩m膩tmasa峁儁uktena manas膩dhi峁ａ弓hit膩n膩峁� sve峁 sve峁 vi峁ye峁膩nuk奴lata岣� 辫谤补惫峁泃迟颈岣� 办腻尘补岣� |
spar艣a惫颈艣别峁vi峁y膩ttvasy膩bhim膩nikasukh膩nuviddh膩 phalavatyarthaprat墨ti岣� pr膩dh膩ny膩t办腻尘补岣� || (k膩mas奴tra, 1. 2. 11-12)