The World of Courtesans c10.143

c10.143

Vishvalaka asks the Vita if he thinks that the money given to a courtesan is a total loss. His reply is that one of the purposes of wealth is the attainment of maximum joy, and that is amply provided by a courtesan. She offers her body with blandishments not found elsewhere. Drinking, condemned by the moralist, is really enjoyable in the company of courtesans. Frothy wine poured in a cup, wine that settles below or is rinsed, wine when it is drunk serves as a relish to the lips and he who drinks such wine really enjoys the *vesha*. He who has seen her half-open eyes, her throbbing lips, her knitted eyebrows, and moist cheeks has really enjoyed life. One who has smelt her fragrant hair after the bath, her elaborate coiffure decorated with flowers, her discarded clothes, her red lips perfumed by her sweet breath, her face flushed with drinks and her body moistened with sandal-paste has been excited by love and passion. Therefore, he has to pay the courtesan for the pleasure enjoyed.