Kamasutra
Page 19
45 And there are two verses about this:
The work of a courtesan is to test lovers and then join with them,
to enchant the man she joins,
to get money from the man she has enchanted,
and at the end to release him.
46 A courtesan who manages a liaison
according to this method
is not cheated by her lovers
but makes piles of money.
CHAPTER FOUR
[56] Getting Back Together with an Ex-lover
1 When she is getting rid of her present lover after she has squeezed all the money out of him, she may get together with a man who was previously her lover. 2If he still has money or has made money, and still loves her, she can get together with him. 3If he has gone elsewhere, she must find out about him; he may belong in any of the six possible categories, according to the circumstances:
4 [a] He left her of his own accord and he left the other woman, too, of his own accord.
5 [b] He left both her and the other woman because they got rid of him.
6 [c] He left her of his own accord and he left the other woman because she got rid of him.
7 [d] He left her of his own accord and stayed with the other woman.
8 [e] He left her because she got rid of him and he left the other woman of his own accord.
9 [f] He left her because she got rid of him and he stayed with the other woman.
10 [a] If a man who left both her and the other woman of his own accord tries to talk her into taking him back, she should not take him back, because he has a fickle mind and has scorned the qualities of both women.
11 [b] A man who left both her and the other woman because they got rid of him has a constant mind. If the other woman got rid of him, even though he has money, because she could get a lot of money from another man, the courtesan may take him back, thinking, ‘Since that woman insulted him, he will give me a lot of money out of spite.’ 12But if she rejected him because he has no money or is stingy, he is not a good prospect.*
13 [c] If he left her of his own accord and left the other woman because she got rid of him, and if he gives her more than he did the first time, then he is fit for a liaison.
14 [d] If a man who left her of his own accord, and stayed with the other woman, tries to talk her into taking him back, she must find out about him. 15She may think, ‘He went away because he was looking for something special, and now he wants to come back from her to me because he did not see that special something; and if he comes back because he wants to know me better, he will give me a lot of money, because of his love for me. Or, because he has seen her faults and now sees that I have most of the good qualities, being a man who recognizes good qualities, he will give me the most money.’ 16But if she realizes, ‘He is a child, whose gaze never rests in a single place, or a man who generally breaks agreements, or someone who does anything he can do, as fickle in his passion as turmeric is in its colour’,* then she either will or will not get back together with him.
17 [e] If a man who left her because she got rid of him, and left the other woman of his own accord, tries to talk her into taking him back, she must find out about him: 18‘If he comes back because he loves me, he will give me a lot of money. Since that other woman did not please him, my good qualities will win him over. 19Or since, in the past, I got rid of him for no cause, now he wants to cultivate me and vent his hatred on me. Or he wants to get my confidence and get back, in retaliation, the wealth that I took away from him when he was courting me. Or he wants to get revenge by breaking me away from my present lover and then abandoning me.’ A man that has such unpleasant ways of thinking is not one to get back together with. 20Time will reveal if he changes his way of thinking.
21 [f] A man who left her because she got rid of him, and stayed with the other woman, and tries to talk her into taking him back, has been covered by this last case. 22Among those who try to talk her into taking them back, the one who stayed with the other woman is the one that she herself tries to talk herself into taking back: 23‘I got rid of this man for a false reason, and he went elsewhere, and now I should make an effort to bring him back.’ 24Or, ‘Once he hears from me, he will break away from her 25and he will stop her income.’ 26Or, ‘He has now come into some money; he is living in a bigger house; he has an administrative job. He has separated from his wives. He has freed himself from those on whom he was dependent. He has split with his father or brother.’ 27Or, ‘If I get together with him, I will get the wealthy lover whom he is now keeping away from me.’ 28Or, ‘His wife has treated me with contempt; I will get him to leave her.’* 29Or, ‘His friend is in love with my co-wife, who hates me; I will use him to get his friend to break away from her.’ 30Or, ‘I will make trouble for him by making him appear light-minded, because of his fickleness.’
31 The libertine and the others explain to him that the woman got rid of him before because her mother was so evil-minded, and she herself was powerless, even though she was in love with him; 32and that, although she sleeps with her present lover, she has no desire, and she hates him. 33They try to get him back by playing upon his memories of her and his former love for her, 34and they say, ‘She vividly remembers what you did for her.’ That is how to get back together with an ex-lover.
35 Scholars say: ‘Between two lovers, one who had an affair with her in the past and one who did not, the one who had an affair with her in the past is better. For she knows his character and has seen his passion, and he serves her well.’ 36Vatsyayana says: A man who had an affair with her in the past does not give her very much money, because all the money has already been squeezed out of him, and it is hard to get his trust again; but a man who did not have an affair with her in the past easily falls in love with her. 37Nevertheless, there are exceptions according to the nature of the man.
38 And there are verses about this:
She may wish to get back together again
to break another woman away from the lover,
or the lover from another woman,
and to hurt, again, the lover who stays with another woman.
39 When a man is too deeply attached to her,
he fears that she will make love with another man
and he disregards her lies.
And, because of his fear, he gives her a lot.
40 She welcomes the man who is not attached* to her
and scorns the man who is attached to her.
And if a messenger should come from another man
who is very experienced,
41 a woman stalls for time with her former lover,
when he is trying to talk her into taking him back:
she makes sure that the connection is unbroken,
and does not give up the man who is attached to her.
42 But a woman may talk with a man who is attached to her
and in her power and then, nevertheless, go elsewhere.
And when she has taken the money from him, too,
she enchants just the man who is attached to her.
43 A clever woman gets back together with an ex-lover
only after she has tested, at the start,
the future outlook, the gain,
the abundant love, and the friendship.
CHAPTER FIVE
[57] Weighing Different Kinds of Profits
1 If she has a multitude of lovers and can make a lot of money every day, she need not confine herself to a single lover. 2Taking into account the place, the time, and the conditions, and her own qualities and luck in love, and whether she is charging more or less than other women, she establishes the price of a night. 3She also sends messengers to her lover, and she herself summons men with whom he has some connection. 4She may go two, three, or even four times to a single lover in order to take extraordinary profits, and then she establishes a liaison.
5 Scholars say: ‘When she has several lovers at once, however, who offer equal opportunities for profit, the obvious choice
is the one who gives her whatever she wants.’* 6Vatsyayana says: The one who gives gold is best, because gold cannot be taken back again and can buy everything that is needed. 7Of gold, silver, copper, bronze, iron, furniture, utensils, bedding, blankets, special clothing, perfumed articles, sharp spices, dishes, ghee, sesame oil, grain, and the species of cattle, each should be chosen rather than the one that follows. 8When the things are the same, or of the same quality, the choice should be made on the basis of a friend’s advice, temporary needs, future needs, the lover’s qualities, and love.
9 Scholars say: ‘Between a lover who is in love and another who is generous, the obvious choice is the generous one.’ 10Vatsyayana says: But it is possible to cultivate generosity in a man who is in love. 11For even a greedy man, if he is in love, spends generously, but a generous man cannot be made to fall in love through mere persistence.
12 Scholars say: ‘In this case [of a man in love versus a generous man], too, between a wealthy man and one who is not wealthy, the choice is the wealthy man; and between a generous man and a man who does what she needs to have done at the moment, the clear choice is the man who does what she needs to have.’ 13Vatsyayana says: But the man who does what she needs to have done, when he has done it once, thinks that he has given satisfaction. A generous man, however, has no regard for the past. 14In this case [of a generous man versus a man who does what she needs], too, the choice is for the man who takes care of future needs.
15 Scholars say: ‘Between a grateful man and a generous man, the clear choice is the generous man.’ 16But even when she has pleased a generous man for a long time, when he sees one false move or believes unjust slander by a rival courtesan de luxe, he has no regard for the trouble she went to in the past. 17For in general, generous men are dignified, straightforward, and thoughtless. 18Vatsyayana says: A grateful man has regard for the trouble she has taken in the past and his passion does not suddenly cool toward her. And since his character has been tested and proven, he is not susceptible to unjust slander.* 19In this case [of a generous man versus a grateful man], too, the choice is for the man who takes care of future needs.
20 Scholars say: ‘Between a friend’s advice and getting money, the clear choice is for getting money.’ 21Vatsyayana says: Money will be gained in the future, too; but a friend whose advice is once disregarded may become offended. 22In this case [of a friend’s advice versus getting money], too, the choice is for the man who takes care of temporary needs. 23In this case, she brings the friend around by showing what she needs to have done, saying, ‘I will take your advice for what is going to happen tomorrow’, and then she still keeps the money for her temporary needs.
24 Scholars say: ‘Between getting money and warding off losses, the clear choice is getting money’ 25Vatsyayana says: Money gained has a limit; loss, however, once it breaks out, continues to move in directions that no one can predict. 26In this case [of getting money versus warding off losses], too, the choice must be made with regard to the relative weight of each factor. 27This means that the choice is for a loss warded off rather than a doubtful gain.
28 The top courtesans de luxe spend their excess profits by building temples, pools, and gardens; setting up raised mounds and fire altars; giving thousands of cows to Brahmins through the mediation of people worthy to receive them; bringing and offering articles of worship to the gods, or providing money sufficient to spend on that worship. 29Those who live on their beauty spend their excess profits by getting jewellery for all their limbs, decorating their houses elegantly, and glorifying the furnishings of their houses with expensive household goods and servants. 30Servant women who carry pots of water spend their excess profits by having spotless clothes to wear all the time, buying food and drink to stave off hunger, using perfumed things and betel all the time, and wearing jewellery that is partly made of gold. 31Scholars say: ‘This example of the top courtesans de luxe also applies to the excess profit of all of them, even the middle and lowest ones.’ 32Vatsyayana says: This is not a real livelihood, because the profit is not constant, depending as it does on place, time, ability, power, love, and people’s customs.
33 If she desires to keep a lover from going elsewhere, or if she desires to get a man away from some woman to whom he is attached, or if she wants to separate another woman from her gains, or if she thinks that by taking up with a man who is not eligible she will improve her own position, prosperity, future, and her sex appeal; or if she desires to get the man to help her ward off a loss; or if she wishes to betray another man who is attached to her, because she regards his former favours as if they had never been done; or if she simply wants love; then she will even take just a very small profit from a man of good intentions. 34She will not, however, take anything at all if she is thinking of the future and seeks refuge with him in the hope of warding off a loss.
35 But if she thinks, ‘I will abandon him and take up a liaison with someone else’; ‘He will go’; ‘He will get together with his wives’; or, ‘He will lose his money’; ‘His supervisor or his master or father will come and work on him like an elephant goad’; or, ‘He will lose his position’; or, ‘He is fickle’, then she wants to make her profits from him in the present moment. 36If she thinks, ‘He will get the favour that the ruler promised him’; ‘He will obtain an administrative post or position’; or, ‘The time for him to get his livelihood is coming near; his ship will come in; his landholding or grain will ripen’; ‘What is done for him is not lost; he always keeps his word’, then she wants him for the future, or she engages him in a liaison.
37 And there are verses about this:
For both future and present purposes,
she should avoid, at a great distance,
men who have amassed their wealth with difficulty
and men who are the cruel favourites of the king.
38 She should make every effort to captivate
men whom it is disastrous to avoid
and prosperous to seek,
and she should use every pretext to get close to them.
39 And she should seek out, even by spending her own money,
those who think on a large scale and have great energy,
those who, in a good mood, will give her money
even for some small matter, and without counting it.
CHAPTER SIX
[58] Calculating Gains and Losses, Consequences, and Doubts
1 Losses result even from gains that are being amassed, and so do other consequences and doubts. 2All of these come from weakness of mind; from excesses of passion, of self-importance, of duplicity, of honesty, of confidence, and of anger; and from carelessness, recklessness, and the workings of fate. 3Their results are the failure to reap the fruits from expenditures that have been made; lack of a future; blockage of money that is supposed to come in; disappearance of what has been gained; development of a harsh temperament; sexual vulnerability; injury to the body; hair-loss; collapse; and mutilation of the limbs. 4Therefore, from the very start one should try to root out these causes and pay attention to the factors that increase gains.
5 The three gains are money, religious merit, and pleasure,* 6and the three losses are loss of money, loss of religious merit, and hatred. 7The production of something from something else, when these three gains are being amassed, is a consequence. 8‘Is it to be or not to be?’ is a pure doubt about the uncertainty of achieving an object. 9‘Will this happen or that?’ is a mixed doubt. 10Two goals achieved when a single goal was being pursued make a two-sided result, 11and something produced by a group is a group result. We will be referring to these. 12The form of the three gains has been discussed. The three losses are precisely the opposite of them.*
13 A gain that has the consequence of further gain occurs when she has a lover of the highest class and openly gets money from him but also becomes acceptable, sexually accessible, and sought after by other men, and gets a future. 14A gain that has no consequence occurs when she goes from one lover to another merely for pr
ofit.
15 A gain that has the consequence of a loss occurs when a man attached to her gives her money from someone else, which cuts off her future and puts an end to her money; or when she has a lover who is low or hated by everyone, which destroys her future. 16A loss that has the consequence of a gain occurs when, by spending her own money, she takes as a lover a hero or minister of state or a powerful man who is greedy; even though this liaison is fruitless, it brings a future with it and is undertaken in order to prevent some disaster or to allay some factor that might be greatly destructive of her gains.
17 A loss that has no consequences occurs when she gratifies, even by spending her own money, a miser who thinks he is lucky in love, or an ungrateful man who by his very nature cheats, and in the end this is fruitless. 18A loss that has the consequence of further loss occurs when she gratifies in that very way just such a man who is a favourite of the king, rich in cruelty and power, and in the end this is fruitless, but when she gets rid of him that also does her harm.
19 The consequences for religious merit and pleasure can be calculated in the same way, 20and each can be combined with one of the others in the appropriate way. Those are the consequences.
21 The doubt about money is, ‘Will he give it or not, even if he is fully satisfied?’ 22The doubt about religious merit is, ‘Will I serve religion or not, by throwing out a man from whom no more money can be taken, once all the money has been squeezed out of him and he is no longer fruitful?’ 23The doubt about pleasure is, ‘Will there be pleasure or not, if I go to a servant or some other low man whom I find attractive?’
24 The doubt about loss is, ‘If I do not go to a powerful but low man, will that cause me a loss or not?’ 25The doubt about the violation of religion is, ‘If I abandon a man who is attached to me but is absolutely fruitless, and he goes to the world of his ancestors, does that violate religion or not?’ 26The doubt about hatred is, ‘Will my passion cool or not toward a man whom I do not find attractive and who hesitates even to speak of passion?’ Those are the pure doubts.