Social Life in Ancient India: Studies in Vatsyayana's Kamasutra c5.s1.34.2

c5.s1.34.2

he was mortified at thus being nonplussed by a mere Rājanya and complained to his father who also being unable to answer the questions, sought Pravāhaṇa Jaivali himself for being taught in the matters broached by him. Among the matters taught by this Kshattriya of Pañcāla we find a symbolic interpretation of the relations between the sexes.³ A few chapters later in the Bṛhadāraṇyakopanishad,⁴ we find the same thing related with further additions including rules for approaching a woman, for dealing with a lover of one's own wife and specially rules for obtaining good progeny, and Uddālaka Āruṇi is there referred to as one of the foremost teachers of this science⁵ which represents some of the earliest attempts made in India for the discovery of eugenic laws. These matters were afterwards more fully developed in the Gṛhyasūtras but the beginnings were made in the Upanishads, and, in fact, Āśvalāyana in his Gṛhyasūtra refers to the upanishad or the secret lore as the proper source in these things.⁶ It is significant that both Pravāhaṇa Jaivali and Uddālaka, of the Upanishad story, belonged to the Pañcāla country where, as we have seen before, the Kāmaśāstra was specially cultivated.