Kamasutra 2.7

2.7

prahaṇanaprayogās tadyuktāś ca sītkṛtakramāḥ

2.7.1

kalaharūpaṃ suratam ācakṣate/ vivādātmakatvād vāmaśīlatvāc ca kāmasya//

Sexual intercourse can be compared to a quarrel, on account of the contrarieties of love and its tendency to dispute. The place of striking with passion is the body, and on the body the special places are:

2.7.2

tasmāt prahaṇanasthānam aṅgam/ skandhau śiraḥ stanāntaraṃ pṛṣṭhaṃ jaghanaṃ pārśva iti sthānāni//

The shoulders.

The head.

The space between the breasts.

The back.

The jaghana, or middle part of the body.

The sides.

2.7.3

tac caturvidham --- apahastakaṃ prasṛtakaṃ muṣṭiḥ samatalakam iti//

Striking is of four kinds, viz.:

Striking with the back of the hand.

Striking with the fingers a little contracted.

Striking with the fist.

Striking with the open palm of the hand.

2.7.4

tad udbhavaṃ ca sītkṛtam/ tasya^*atirūpatvāt/ tad anekavidham//

On account of its causing pain, striking gives rise to the hissing sound, which is of various kinds, and to the eight kinds of crying, viz.:

2.7.5

virutāni cāṣṭau//

2.7.6

hiṃkārastanitakūjitaruditasūtkṛtadūtkṛtaphūtkṛtāni//

The sound Hin.

The thundering sound.

The cooing sound.

The weeping sound.

The sound Phut.

The sound Phat.

The sound Sut.

The sound Plat.

2.7.7

amvārthāḥ śabdā vāraṇārthā mokṣaṇārthāś cālam arthās te te cārthayogāt//

Besides these, there are also words having a meaning, such as "mother," and those that are expressive of prohibition, sufficiency, desire of liberation, pain or praise, and to which may be added sounds like those of the dove, the cuckoo, the green pigeon, the parrot, the bee, the sparrow, the flamingo, the duck, and the quail, which arc all occasionally made use of.

2.7.8

pārāvataparabhṛtahārītaśukamadhukaradāt yūhahaṃsakāraṇḍavalāvakavirutāni sītkṛtabhūyiṣṭhāni vikalpaśaḥ prayuñjīta//

2.7.9

utsaṅgopaviṣṭāyāḥ pṛṣṭhe muṣṭinā prahāraḥ//

Blows with the fist should be given on the back of the woman, which she is sitting on the lap of the man, and she should give blows in return, abusing the man as if she were angry, and making the cooing and the weeping sounds. While the woman is engaged in congress the space between the breasts should be struck with the back of the hand, slowly at first, and then proportionately to the increasing excitement, until the end.

2.7.10

tatra sāsūyāyā iva stanitaruditakūjitāni pratīghātaś ca syāt//

2.7.11

yuktayantrāyāḥ stanāntare 'pahastakena praharet//

2.7.12

mandopakramaṃ vardhamānarāgamā *parisamāpteḥ//

2.7.13

tatra hiṃkārādīnām aniyamenābhyāsena vikalpena ca tatkālam eva prayogaḥ//

At this time the sounds Hin and others may be made, alternately or optionally, according to habit. When the man, making the sound Phat, strikes the woman on the head, with the fingers of his hand a little contracted, it is called Prasritaka, which means striking with the fingers of the hand a little contracted. In this case the appropriate sounds are the cooing sound, the sound Phat, and the sound Phut in the interior of the mouth, and at the end of congress the sighing and weeping sounds. The sound Phat is an imitation of the sound of a bamboo being split, while the sound Phut is like the sound made by something falling into water. At all times when kissing and such like things are begun, the woman should give a reply with a hissing sound. During the excitement when the woman is not accustomed to striking, she continually utters words expressive of prohibition, sufficiency, or desire of liberation, as well as the words "father," "mother," intermingled with the sighing, weeping and thundering sounds. Towards the conclusion of the congress, the breasts, the jaghana, and the sides of the woman should be pressed with the open palms of the hand, with some force, until the end of it, and then sounds like those of the quail, or the goose should be made.

2.7.14

śirasi kiṃ cid ākuñcitāṅgulinā kareṇa vivadantyāḥ phūtkṛtya prahaṇanaṃ tatprasṛtakam//

2.7.15

tatrāntarmukhena kūjitaṃ phūtkṛtaṃ ca//

2.7.16

ratānte ca śvasitarudite/

2.7.17

veṇor iva sphuṭataḥ śabdānukaraṇaṃ dūtkṛtam//

2.7.18

apsu badarasyeva nipatataḥ (śabdānukaraṇaṃ) phūtkṛtam//

2.7.19

sarvatra cumbanādiṣv apakrāntāyāḥ sasītkṛtaṃ tenaiva pratyuttaram//

2.7.20

rāgavaśāt prahaṇanābhyāse vāraṇamokṣaṇālam arthānāṃ śabdānām ambārthānāṃ ca satāntaśvasitaruditastanitamiśrīkṛtaprayogā virutānāṃ ca/ rāgāvasānakāle jaghanapārśvayos tāḍanam ity atitvarayā cāparisamāpteḥ//

2.7.21

tatra lāvakahaṃsavikūjitaṃ tvarayaiva/iti stananaprahaṇanayogāḥ//

2.7.22

pāruṣyaṃ rabhasatvaṃ ca pauruṣaṃ teja ucyate/
aśaktir ārtirvyāvṛttir abalatvaṃ ca yoṣitaḥ//

"The characteristics of manhood are said to consist of roughness and impetuosity, while weakness, tenderness, sensibility, and an inclination to turn away from unpleasant things are the distinguishing marks of womanhood. The excitement of passion, and peculiarities of habit may sometimes cause contrary results to appear, but these do not last long, and in the end the natural state is resumed."

2.7.23

rāgāt prayogasātmyāc ca vyatyayo 'pi kva cid bhavet/
na ciraṃ tasya caivānte prakṛter eva yojanam//

2.7.24

kīlām urasi kartarīṃ śirasi viddhāṃ kapolayoḥ saṃdaṃśikāṃ stanayoḥ pārśvayoś ceti pūrvaiḥ saha prahaṇanam aṣṭavidham iti dākṣiṇātyānām/ tad yuvatīnām urasi kīlāni ca tatkṛtāni dṛṣyante/ deśasātmyam etat//

The wedge on the bosom, the scissors on the head, the piercing instrument on the cheeks, and the pinchers on the breasts and sides may also be taken into consideration with the other four modes of striking, and thus give eight ways altogether. But these four ways of striking with instruments are peculiar to the people of the southern countries, and the marks caused by them are seen on the breasts of their women. They are local peculiarities, but Vatsyayana is of opinion that the practice of them is painful, barbarous, and base, and quite unworthy of imitation.

2.7.25

kaṣṭam anāryavṛttam anādṛtam iti vātsyāyanaḥ//

2.7.26

tathānyad api deśasātmyāt prayuktam anyatra na prayuñjīt//checked

In the same way anything that is a local peculiarity should not always be adopted elsewhere, and even in the place where the practice is prevalent, excess of it should always be avoided. Instances of the dangerous use of them may be given as follows. The King of the Panchalas killed the courtezan Madhavasena by means of the wedge during congress. King Shatakarni Shatavahana of the Kuntalas deprived his great Queen Malayavati of her life by a pair of scissors, and Naradeva, whose hand was deformed, blinded a dancing girl by directing a piercing instrument in a wrong way.

2.7.27

ātyayikaṃ tu tatrāpi pariharet//

2.7.28

ratiyoge hi kīlayā gaṇikāṃ citraseṇāṃ colarājo jaghāna/

2.7.29

kartaryā kuntalaḥ śātakarṇiḥ śātavāhano mahādevīṃ malayavatīm//

2.7.30

naradevaḥ kupāṇir viddhayā duṣprayuktayā naṭīṃ kāṇāṃ cakāra// bhavanti cātra ślokāḥ ---

2.7.31

nāsty atra gaṇanā kā cin na ca śāstraparigrahaḥ/
pravṛtte ratisaṃyoge rāga evātra kāraṇam//

"About these things there cannot be either enumeration or any definite rule. Congress having once commenced, passion alone gives birth to all the acts of the parties."

2.7.32

svapneṣv api na dṛśyante te bhāvās te ca vibhramāḥ/
suratavyavahāreṣu ye syus tat kṣaṇakalpitāḥ//

Such passionate actions and amorous gesticulations or movements, which arise on the spur of the moment, and during sexual intercourse, cannot be defined, and are as irregular as dreams. A horse having once attained the fifth degree of motion goes on with blind speed, regardless of pits, ditches, and posts in his way; and in the same manner a loving pair become blind with passion in the heat of congress, and go on with great impetuosity paying not the least regard to excess. For this reason one who is well acquainted with the science of love, and knowing his own strength as also the tenderness, impetuosity, and strength of the young woman, should act accordingly. The various modes of enjoyment are not for all times or for all persons, but they should only be used at the proper time, and in the proper countries and places.

2.7.33

yathā hi pañcamīṃ dhārām āsthāya turagaḥ pathi/
sthāṇum śvabhraṃ darīṃ vāpi vegāndho na samīkṣate//
evaṃ suratasaṃmarde rāgāndhau kāmināv api/
caṇḍavegau pravartete samīkṣete na cātyayam//

2.7.34

tasmān mṛdutvaṃ caṇḍatvaṃ yuvatyā balam eva ca/
ātmanaś ca balaṃ jñātvā tathā yuñjīta śāstravit//

2.7.35

na sarvadā na sarvāsu prayogāḥ sāṃprayogikāḥ/
sthāne deśe ca kāle ca yoga eṣāṃ vidhīyate//