Social Life in Ancient India: Studies in Vatsyayana's Kamasutra c6.11

c6.11

It is worthy of remark, however, that in Vātsyāyana's time decent conduct was more in evidence in Eastern India, among people whom he calls Pracyas than among some of the peoples of the Madhyadeśa, and these Pracyas he places among the Śiṣṭas. Thus in his chapter on *Aupariṣṭaka*, a very filthy practice, Vātsyāyana observes, "The people of Eastern India do not resort to women who practise the Aupariṣṭaka. The people of Ahicchatra resort to such women but do nothing with them, so far as the mouth is concerned. The people of Sāketa do with them every kind of mouth (abuses), while the people of Nagara do not practise this, but do every other thing. The people of Śūrasena country, on the sothern bank of the Jumna, do everything without any hesitation, for they say that women being naturally unclean, no one can be certain about their character.