The World of Courtesans c5.53

c5.53

*Goshthi* (or a gathering held to promote the arts, literature and music and one in which courtesans participated freely) was a recognized institution in ancient India, though not as popular in Buddhist India as it was later on. There is not much information about goshthis in Pali literature, but there are some interesting references to it in Buddhist-Sanskrit literature. Artists frequently united to form *goshthis*. The *Avadanashataka* mentions that in Shravasti five hundred *gandharvikas* lived in a *goshthi*. There is an incident about a famous musician called Supriya, who could play with great mastery the seven notes and twenty-one *murchhanas* on his single-stringed lute (*ekatantri vina*). In six cities he proclaimed his mastery of music with the beat of the drum and nobody could rival him. He reached Shravasti where he challenged the *goshthi* of musicians and approached the ruler Prasenajit for this purpose. The clever ruler took him straight to the Buddha who was staying at Jetavana, and Supriya played an intricate piece on his *vina*, but was humbled by the Buddha who played more sweetly on an invisible *vina*.