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Social Life in Ancient India: Studies in Vatsyayana's Kamasutra c8.s6.t5: Antahpura

Social Life in Ancient India: Studies in Vātsyāyana's Kāmasūtra c8.s6.t5

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Antahpura

c8.s6.t5.1

We have already seen that every house had an *antahpura*, or inner suite of apartments where the ladies resided in seclusion, guarded against intrusion from any stranger; not even women except those of approved character, were admitted within.¹ Bhāsa's *Vasantasenā* complains that she had the misfortune of not being entitled to enter into the inner courtyard of Cārudatta's house.² It was not considered decent for the wife of a *nāgaraka* to stand at the door and look out or to observe people in the street from her windows; even when she hastens to meet her husband coming home, she does not go out into the street or to the door but waits for him inside the house.³ Nevertheless, on the occasion of religious festivities and processions, she could accompany the images of the gods with the permission of her husband. The inability of women to protect themselves against temptations as compared with men, is recognised by Vātsyāyana and he like Manu, condemns the absence of a restraining guardian (*niraṅkuśatva*) for a woman.⁴

c8.s6.t5.2

¹ Ibid, p. 244 (*sūtra* 83).

c8.s6.t5.3

² अभागिनी अहं भवन्त्यप्रवेश्या ।—Bhāsa, (Trivandrum Sanskrit series), Act I, p. 26.

c8.s6.t5.4

³ *Kāmasūtra*, p. 227 (*sūtra* 22); and p. 226 (*sūtra* 12); also हारदेशवासिनी प्रासादाग्रमार्गावलोंकिनी ।—p. 254 (*sūtra* 52).

c8.s6.t5.5

⁴ Ibid, p. 249 (*sūtras* 10 and 13); also pp. 296-97 (*sūtras* 43-52); cf. *Manu*, v. 147-149 and ix. 2 and 3.

c8.s6.t5.6

The kings having a large number of wives took greater care than the ordinary *nāgaraka* in confining them in seraglios guarded by officers of proved honesty and purity. No man was allowed to enter into the royal harem except relatives and servants and in some provinces, artisans; Brāhmaṇas were allowed to get into the harem for supplying flowers to the ladies, with whom they conversed separated by a screen. There were in the harem female officers, the *kañcukiyā* and the *mahattarikā* who carried presents of garlands, perfumes and garments from the ladies to the king who also sent gifts in return. In the afternoon, the king paid a visit to the harem and met all the ladies assembled together and conversed with them in accordance with their rank and position.¹

c8.s6.t5.7

¹ Ibid, pp. 289-298 and pp. 242-44.

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