Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c5.69

Language: English

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In the Rāmāyaṇa, in the 17th Sarga of the 7th Book, we read : “Thereupon Rāvaṇa, the strong-armed, wandered over the earth, and when he had come into the wilderness of Himavant, he went about in it. Then he saw a maiden wearing a black antelope-skin and penitent’s tresses, taken up with the work of the holy ones (asceticism), and shining like a goddess. When he saw this maiden with the gift of beauty engaged in very heavy mortification, he laughed a little, and with senses blinded by love he asked : “Wherefore dost thou do this work, that is in discord with thy youth ? For it does not befit thee thus to act against this beauty. Thy peerless beauty, O timid one, which arouses mad love among men, is not there to the end that thou shouldst be given up to mortification. That is an evident conclusion. Whom dost thou belong to ? Wherefore this task ? And who is thy husband, thou with the fair face ? Whoever enjoys thee, he is a happy man on earth. Tell me all I ask. Wherefore the weariness ?” Thus addressed by Rāvaṇa the glorious maiden spoke, after she, the penitent, had shown him due and proper hospitality : “Kuçadhvaja was the name of my father, the Brahman Ṛishi of boundless fame, the majestic son of Bṛihaspati, equal in soul to Bṛihaspati. To this high-minded one, ever given up to Veda study, I was born as daughter out of his words, and Vedavatī is the name I bear. Then there came gods and Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Rākshasas, and snake-demons to my father and deigned to woo me.

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But my father did not give me to them, O Rākshasa prince. I will tell thee why. Hearken, O strong-armed one. My father would fain have Viṣhṇu, the lord of the three worlds, as son-in-law. Therefore my father would give me to no other. But when the prince of the Daityas, Çambhu his name, heard of this, he was angry with him who boasted his might. This villain did evil to my father in the night, as he slept. Then my excellent mother, deep stricken, clasped my father’s body, and went thus into the fire. With the resolve : “ I will make this wish of my father’s, directed to Nārāyaṇa, a true thing,” I carry this god now in my heart. Now that I have undertaken this vow I am carrying out a mighty penance. With this I have told thee all, O Rākshasa prince. Nārāyaṇa will be my husband, and none but Purushottama. Thus I am giving myself up to dreadful ascetic vows in the yearning for Nārāyaṇa. I know thee, O king. Go, son of Paulastya. Through my asceticism I know all that is in the three worlds.” Rāvaṇa spoke once more to the maiden in the midst of her heavy penance, climbing down from his chariot of the gods and stricken with the dart of love : “ Thou art haughty, O fair-hipped one, to cherish such a resolve. The storing up of virtuous merit is something praise-worthy for old folk, O gazelle-eyed one. But thou, O timid one, that art favoured with every gift, and art the beauty of the three worlds, must not speak thus. Thy youthful bloom is fleeting.

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I am the prince of Laṅkā, dear one, famed under the name of Daçagrīva. Come, be my wife ; take thy fill of pleasures as thy heart may wish. And who is he thou callest Viṣṇu ? In valour, asceticism, wealth, strength, O dear one, he is not my equal, whom thou, O fair one, yearnest after.” But as he thus spoke, this maiden Vedavatī made answer to the night-spirit : “ No, do not speak thus ! Who with any understanding but thee, O Rākshasa prince, could wish to scorn Viṣṇu, the overlord of the three worlds, held in honour by the whole world ?” Thus addressed by Vedavatī, the night-spirit clutched the maiden by the hair with his fingers. Then Vedavatī, filled with anger, cut off her hair with her hand ; her hand became a sword, and cut the hair away. As though aflame with wrath, as though burning up the night-spirit, having laid a fire, she spoke, filled with haste to die : “ Since shame has been put on me by thee, thou base one, I will not live. O Rakshas, that is why I go before thine eyes into the fire. Since I have had shame put on me by thee, evil-minded one, in the forest, therefore will I be born again to thy destruction. For a woman cannot slay the man bent on evil. And should I utter my curse on thee, then my mortification would come to nought. But if I have won any merit through deed, gift, and