The World of Courtesans c6.3

c6.3

The life of princes and noblemen and merchants because of their wealth was exceedingly luxurious and thus courtesans naturally played an important part. Consciously or unconsciously the life of its patrons left a deep impression on Jain canonical literature. Moreover, though prostitution was looked down upon by Jainism (as it was by Buddhism and Hinduism), no social stigma seems to have been attached to it, and therefore, Jainism dealt with the problem in a matter-of-fact and candid way. Some of the stories and descriptions of courtesans in the Jain canon make this point amply clear.