Kamasutra 2.3

2.3

cumbanavikalpās

2.3.1

cumbananakhadaśanacchedyānāṃ na paurvāparyam asti/ rāgayogāt/ prāk saṃyogād eṣāṃ prādhānyena prayogaḥ/ prahaṇanasītkṛtayoś ca saṃprayoge//

It is said by some that there is no fixed time or order between the embrace, the kiss, and the pressing or scratching with the nails or fingers, but that all these things should be done generally before sexual union takes place, while striking and making the various sounds generally takes place at the time of the union. Vatsyayana, however, thinks that anything may take place at any time, for love does not care for time or order.

2.3.2

sarvaṃ sarvatra/ rāgasyān apekṣitatvāt/ iti vātsyāyanaḥ//

2.3.3

tāni prathamarate nātivyaktāni viśrabdhikāyāṃ vikalpena ca prayuñjīta/ tathābhūtatvād rāgasya/ tataḥ param atitvarayā viśeṣavatsam uccayena rāgasaṃdhukṣaṇārtham//

On the occasion of the first congress, kissing and the other things mentioned above should be done moderately, they should not be continued for a long time, and should be done alternately. On subsequent occasions, however, the reverse of all this may take place, and moderation will not be necessary, they may continue for a long time, and for the purpose of kindling love, they may be all done at the same time.

2.3.4

lalāṭālakakapolanayanavakṣaḥ stanauṣṭhāntarmukheṣu cumbanam/

The following are the places for kissing, viz., the forehead, the eyes, the cheeks, the throat, the bosom, the breasts, the lips, and the interior of the mouth. Moreover the people of the Lat country kiss also the following places, viz., the joints of the thighs, the arms, and the navel. But Vatsyayana thinks that though kissing is practiced by these people in the above places on account of the intensity of their love, and the customs of their country, it is not fit to be practiced by all.

2.3.5

ūrusaṃdhibāhunābhimūlayor lāṭānām/

2.3.6

rāgavaśād deśapravṛtteś ca santi tāni tāni sthānāni, na tu sarvajanaprayojyānīti vātsyāyanaḥ//

2.3.7

tad yathā --- nimitakaṃ sphuritakaṃ ghaṭṭitakam iti trīṇi kanyācumbanāni//

Now in a case of a young girl there are three sorts of kisses, viz.:

The nominal kiss.

The throbbing kiss.

The touching kiss.

2.3.8

balāt kāreṇa niyuktā mukhe mukham ādhatte na tu viceṣṭata iti nimitakam//

(1) When a girl only touches the mouth of her lover with her own, but does not herself do anything, it is called the "nominal kiss."

2.3.9

vadane praveśitaṃ cauṣṭhaṃ manāgapatrapāvagrahītum icchantī *syandayati svam oṣṭhaṃ nottaram utsahata iti sphuritakam//

(2) When a girl, setting aside her bashfulness a little, wishes to touch the lip that is pressed into her mouth, and with that object moves her lower lip, but not the upper one, it is called the "throbbing kiss."

2.3.10

īṣat parigṛhya vinimīlitanayanā kareṇa ca tasya nayane avacchādayantī jihvāgreṇa ghaṭṭayati iti ghaṭṭitakam//

(3) When a girl touches her lover's lip with her tongue, and having shut her eyes, places her hands on those of her lover, it is called the "touching kiss.'

2.3.11

samaṃ tiryag udbhrāntam avapīḍitakam iti caturvidham apare//

Other authors describe four other kinds of kisses, viz.:

The straight kiss.

The bent kiss.

The turned kiss.

The pressed kiss.

(1) When the lips of two lovers are brought into direct contact with each other, it is called a "straight kiss."

(2) When the heads of two lovers are bent towards each other, and when so bent, kissing takes place, it is called a "bent kiss."

(3) When one of them turns up the face of the other by holding the head and chin, and then kissing, it is called a "turned kiss."

(4) Lastly when the lower lip is pressed with much force, it is called a "pressed kiss."

2.3.12

aṅgulisaṃpuṭena piṇḍīkṛtya nirdaśanam oṣṭhapuṭenāvapīḍayed ity avapīḍitakaṃ pañcamam api karaṇam//

There is also a fifth kind of kiss called the "greatly pressed kiss," which is effected by taking hold of the lower lip between two fingers, and then after touching it with the tongue, pressing it with great force with the lip.

2.3.13

dyūtaṃ cātra pravartayet//

As regards kissing, a wager may be laid as to which will get hold of the lips of the other first. If the woman loses, she should pretend to cry, should keep her lover off by shaking her hands, and turn away from him and dispute with him saying, "Let another wager be laid." If she loses this a second time, she should appear doubly distressed, and when her lover is off his guard or asleep, she should get hold of his lower lip, and hold it in her teeth, so that it should not slip away, and then she should laugh, make a loud noise, deride him, dance about, and say whatever she likes in a joking way, moving her eyebrows, and rolling her eyes. Such are the wagers and quarrels as far as kissing is concerned, but the same may be applied with regard to the pressing or scratching with the nails and fingers, biting and striking. All these however are only peculiar to men and women of intense passion.

2.3.14

pūrvam adharasaṃpādanena jitam idaṃ syāt//

2.3.15

tatra jitā sārdharuditaṃ karaṃ vidhunuyāt praṇuded daśet parivartayed balād āhṛtā vivadet punar apy astu paṇa iti brūyāt/ tatrāpi jitā dviguṇam āyasyet//

2.3.16

viśrabdhasya pramattasya vādharam avagṛhya daśanāntargatam anirgamaṃ kṛtvā hased utkrośet tarjayed valged *āhvayen nṛtyet pranartitabhruṇā ca vicalanayanena mukhena vihasantī tāni tāni ca brūyāt/ iti cumbanadyūtakalahaḥ//

2.3.17

etena nakhadaśanacchedyaprahaṇanadyūtakalahā vyākhyātāḥ//

2.3.18

caṇḍavegayor eva tv eṣāṃ prayogaḥ/ tat sātmyāt//

2.3.19

tasyāṃ cubanty āmayam apy uttaraṃ gṛhṇīyāt/ ity uttaracumbitam//

When a man kisses the upper lip of a woman, while she in return kisses his lower lip, it is called the "kiss of the upper lip."

2.3.20

oṣṭhasaṃdaṃśenāvagṛhyauṣṭhadvayam api cumbeta/ iti saṃpuṭakaṃ striyāḥ, puṃso vā +ajātavyañ janasya//

When one of them takes both the lips of the other between his or her own, it is called "a clasping kiss." A woman, however, only takes this kind of kiss from a man who has no moustache. And on the occasion of this kiss, if one of them touches the teeth, the tongue, and the palate of the other, with his or her tongue, it is called the "fighting of the tongue." In the same way, the pressing of the teeth of the one against the mouth of the other is to be practiced.

2.3.21

tasminn itaro 'pi jihvayāsyā daśanān ghaṭṭayet tālu jihvāṃ ceti jihvāyuddham//

2.3.22

etena balād vadanaradanagrahaṇaṃ dānaṃ ca vyākhyātam//

2.3.23

samaṃ pīḍitam añcitaṃ mṛdu śeṣāṅgeṣu cumbanaṃ sthānaviśeṣayogāt/ iti cumbanaviśeṣāḥ//

Kissing is of four kinds, viz., moderate, contracted, pressed, and soft, according to the different parts of the body which are kissed, for different kinds of kisses are appropriate for different parts of the body.

2.3.24

suptasya mukham *avalokayantyāḥ svābhiprāyeṇa cumbanaṃ rāgadīpanam//

When a woman looks at the face of her lover while he is asleep, and kisses it to show her intention or desire, it is called a "kiss that kindles love."

2.3.25

pramattasya vivadamānasya vā +anyato 'bhimukhasya suptābhimukhasya vā nidrāvyāghātārthaṃ calitakam//

When a woman kisses her lover while he is engaged in business, or while he is quarreling with her, or while he is looking at something else, so that his mind may be turned away, it is called a "kiss that turns away."

2.3.26

cirarātrāv āgatasya śayanasuptāyāḥ svābhiprāyacumbanaṃ prātibodhikam//

When a lover coming home late at night kisses his beloved who is asleep on her bed in order to show her his desire, it is called a "kiss that awakens." On such an occasion the woman may pretend to be asleep at the time of her lover's arrival, so that she may know his intention and obtain respect from him.

2.3.27

sāpi tu bhāvajijñāsārthinī nāyakasyāgamanakālaṃ saṃlakṣya vyājena suptā syāt//

2.3.28

ādarśe kuḍye salile vā prayojyāyāś chāyācumbanam ākārapradarśanārtham eva kāryam//

When a person kisses the reflection of the person he loves in a mirror, in water, or on a wall, it is called a "kiss showing the intention."

2.3.29

bālasya citrakarmaṇaḥ pratimāyāś ca cumbanaṃ saṃkrāntakam āliṅganaṃ ca//

When a person kisses a child sitting on his lap, or a picture, or an image, or figure, in the presence of the person beloved by him, it is called a "transferred kiss."

2.3.30

tathā niśi prekṣaṇake svajanasamāje vā samīpe gatasya prayojyāyā hastāṅgulicumbanaṃ saṃviṣṭasya vā pādāṅgulicumbanam//

When at night at a theatre, or in an assembly of caste men, a man coming up to a woman kisses a finger of her hand if she be standing, or a toe of her foot if she be sitting, or when a woman in shampooing her lover's body, places her face on his thigh (as if she were sleepy) so as to inflame his passion, and kisses his thigh or great toe, it is called a "demonstrative kiss."

2.3.31

saṃvāhikāyās tu nāyakam ākārayantyā nidrāvaśād akāmāyā iva tasyorvor vadanasya nidhānam ūrucumbanaṃ pādāṅguṣṭha^*cumbanaṃ cety ābhiyogikāni// bhavati cātra ślokaḥ ---

There is also a verse on this subject as follows:

2.3.32

kṛte pratikṛtaṃ kuryāt tāḍite pratitāḍitam//
karaṇena ca tenaiva cumbite praticumbitam//

"Whatever things may be done by one of the lovers to the other, the same should be returned by the other, i.e., if the woman kisses him he should kiss her in return, if she strikes him he should also strike her in return."