The World of Courtesans c8.6

c8.6

The *Kamasutra* of Vatsyayana (written probably in the early centuries of the Christian era) is the most important source of information about courtesans and prostitutes in ancient India. Vatsyayana, who is modest enough not to claim any originality for himself, apparently systematized a considerable amount of floating material about courtesans, their education in arts and crafts, their artificial love, extortionate ways and the techniques employed by them to seduce their lovers, etc. According to Vatsyayana, the first compiler of information about prostitutes was Babhravya from Panchala (Bareilly District, U.P.). The *Vaishika* part of his book was covered by six of the seven chapters. They embrace almost all branches of *ars amoris*. Realizing the importance of *Vaishika*, Dattaka, at the instance of the courtesans of Pataliputra, wrote his *Vaishikamadhikaranam*. This, however, seems to have been a ponderous and specialized work. Vatsyayana, therefore, in order to emphasize its importance compressed Dattaka's work and incorporated the information and Dattaka's conclusions in a separate chapter in the *Kamasutra*.