Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c7.503

c7.503

⁶ There is reason to believe that the gaṇikās so frequently mentioned in the Sanskrit literature were not mere common harlots. The Bhārātīya Nātyaśāstra describes the gaṇikā as an accomplished lady with a deep knowledge of many of the sciences (XXIV, 109 ff.) and learned enough to be able to speak Sanskrit on the stage (XVII, 37-38). According to the Lalitavistara XII, 139, Suddhodana wanted his daughter-in-law to be as accomplished as a gaṇikā. The veśyā was a common harlot, but a gaṇikā compares not unfavourably with an Aspasia. Vātsyāyana says—अभिरम्युच्चक्षिता वेश्या शीलरुपगुणान्विता॥ लभते गणिकाशब्दं स्थानं च जनसंसदि॥ Kāmas. (Benares ed.) p. 40. For further details on this point see H. C. Chakladar, Sir Asutosh Mukerjee Silver Jubilee Volumes, pp. 377 f. *Tr.*