Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c5.73

v1.c5.73

“Once to King Kuntibhoja there came a Brahman, strong as glowing fire, and very tall,¹ with a moustache, a staff, and plaits, stately, with faultless limbs, glowing, as it were, with fiery strength, yellow as honey, a sweet speaker, decked with asceticism and holy studies. This very great penitent spoke to King Kuntibhoja: “I wish to enjoy alms in thy house, thou unselfish one. Nothing that is unpleasing to me must be done to me, either by thee, or by thy followers. Under these conditions I will dwell in thy house, thou blameless one, if so it please thee. And I will go and come entirely at my own will, and as to bed and seat none shall be remiss therewith.” To him spoke Kuntibhoja these kind and joyful words: “So let it be, and it is right well.” And again he spoke to him: “I have a daughter, O wise man, Pṛithā her name; glorious is the fair one, attended by virtue and a surpassing life, kind and dutiful.² She will serve thee with reverence and without disdain, and for her virtuous ways thou wilt be content with her.” When he had so spoken unto the Brahman, and had done him honour as it is ordained, he went to the maiden Pṛithā of the great eyes and spoke to her: “My child, this most excellent Brahman wishes to dwell in my house, and I have granted it him with a yea, looking confidently to thee for the contentment of the Brahman. Therefore mayst thou never belie my words. This is a holy penitent, a Brahman who is earnestly set on the study of the Veda. Whatever the most powerful one may ask must be ungrudgingly granted him. For the Brahman is the highest power, the Brahman is the highest asceticism; it is through the honouring of Brahmans that the sun shines in the sky. For as the great Asura Vātāpi did not honour those worthy of honour, he was struck down by the Brahman’s staff,¹ and Tālajaṅgha likewise. With this a great task is now set thee, my child; do thou bring content to the Brahman with constant heedfulness. I know, O daughter, thy zealous regard for all Brahmans here and for the dignitaries and kinsfolk, shown by thee from childhood days. So also dost thou show thyself towards all servants, towards friends, marriage-kin, and thy mothers,² and towards me in every relation,³ as is fitting. For there is none here in the city or in the women’s house, even among thy servants, whom thou dost not gladden by rightful behaviour, thou maiden with faultless limbs. But I thought I must give thee the reminder, O Pṛthā, as regards the wrathful-minded Brahman, thinking: “Thou art a child” and “Thou art my daughter”. Born in the family of the Vṛṣṇis, the beloved daughter of Cūra, thou wast given me formerly as a child by thy father himself, bound to me in friendship, O thou sister of Vasudeva, thou the greatest of my children, after he had promised me in the beginning the first-born. Therefore thou art my daughter. Born in such a house, and brought up in such a house, thou hast come from happiness to happiness, as though thou hadst come from out of the sea into the sea.⁴ People of bad family, who may somehow have known special favour,⁵ do wrong things out of their foolishness, especially women, O sweet one. Pṛthā, birth in a king’s family, and wonderful beauty are thine; with the one and the