Social Life in Ancient India: Studies in Vatsyayana's Kamasutra c8.s6.t5.1

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