The World of Courtesans c6.2

c6.2

IN JAIN PRAKRIT literature the pattern of life and the behaviour of courtesans are depicted in almost the same manner as in Buddhist literature, except that in later Jain literature we get more detailed information about courtesans than in Buddhist literature. One might question why Jain literature—terse, dry-as-dust, ascetic and ethical in tone—preserved such information. The answer is difficult to find. One reason for this may be the Jain writers’ love for detail. This interest in detail relates not only to the way of life they themselves followed or wanted others to follow but also to the life of the people around them. In this category came not only the kings and their nobles, but also the merchant community whose piety was the mainstay of Jainism as well as of Buddhism.