Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c7.62

Language: English

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And she wills to have them : “ As the fire at the time of the sacrifice by fire awaits its time (the time when the offering shall be brought it), so the woman awaits in the time of the ṛitu the ṛitu embrace ” (xiii, 162.41). Ṛitum dehi, the menstruating woman says to the husband, “ give me the ṛitu right, the ṛitu embrace, make that my ṛitu may not be in vain.” So it is in the following tale. As we have seen, the energetic daughter of a Brahman, Devayānī, made the king Yayāti her husband. Her father straitly enjoined on him not to touch her friend and slave-girl, the king’s daughter Ṣarmiṣṭhā. Ṣarmiṣṭhā saw that the time of her ripeness was come, and she thought of her period. “ The time of the ṛitu is come, and I have chosen no husband. What is fitting now, what is to be done now ? What am I to do that the matter may be truly done ? Devayānī has borne, but I am become ripe to no end. As she chose her husband, so will I choose him. The king must grant me the fruit of a son ; that is my fast resolve. And now at this very time perhaps he of the just heart will secretly come before my eyes.” And about this time the king happened to go forth, and tarried near the aṣoka-wood (where the fair one was dwelling), and gazed at Ṣarmiṣṭhā.

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When the sweet-smiling Ṣarmiṣṭhā secretly saw him thus alone, she went up to him, folded her hands before her forehead, and spoke the words unto the king : “ Who can visit a woman in the house of Soma, Indra, Viṣṇu, Yama, and Varuṇa, or in thine, O son of Nahuṣa ? Thou knowest that I am ever gifted with beauty, nobility, and good character. I pray thee, as I ask thy favour of thee : Give me the ṛitu, O highest herdsman of men !” Yayāti spoke : “ I know thee to be perfected in good character, thou faultless daughter of the Daitya. And in thy form I cannot see a needle's point of anything that were to blame. But Uçanas, the Kāvya, said, when I brought Devayānī home : ‘This daughter of Vṛishaparvan shalt thou not call onto thy bed.’” Çarmishṭhā spoke : “An untrue word spoken in jest, or among women, or at a wedding, or when in danger of life, or where all a man's belongings are to be taken from him, does no hurt. These five lies, it is said, are not grave sins (pātakāni).” Yayāti spoke : “The king is the law of life for beings ; he falls to destruction, when he utters untruth ; even though earthly ill¹ befall me, I cannot act falsely.” Çarmishṭhā spoke : “These two are held to be identical : one's own husband, and the husband of the woman friend. Marriage, it is said, is the same for both (one and the same, common, sama).

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Thee, as the husband of my friend, I have chosen.” Yayāti spoke : “To him that asks must be given, this rule of life I have taken for mine.² And thou art asking me for the fulfilment of a wish. Speak, what can I do for thee ?” Çarmishṭhā spoke : “Keep me from a wrong, O king, and let me share in the law³ ; granted offspring by thee, let me practise in the world the highest holy law. Three there are, O king, that cannot own anything : the wife, the slave, and the child ; that which they acquire is the property of him who owns them.⁴ I am the slave of Devayānī, and she is in thy power : I and she belong to thee for thy pleasure ; enjoy me, O king.” Thus addressed, the king acknowledged this, and said : “True it is” ; he honoured Çarmishṭhā, and let her share in the holy law. She then bore him a lotus-eyed boy like a child of the gods, and then two more besides. But Devayānī found out these deeds of pious devotion,⁵ and at first bitterly reproached Çarmishṭhā. But she made answer: "I have acted in accordance with law and virtue, and therefore I fear thee not. When thou didst choose thy husband, I, too, chose him. For the husband, according to the law, becomes the friend's husband. Thou art for me worthy of honour and respect, thou art the first wife and the Brahman lady, but for me still worthier of honour is the kingly Ṛiṣi;

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how dost thou not know that?" With weeping eyes and angry soul Devayānī now hastened off to her father, and complained to him that right had been overcome by wrong, for Ṣarmiṣṭhā had outdone her and humiliated her: with Ṣarmiṣṭhā Yayāti had begotten three sons, and with her herself only two.¹ The king, who had hastily followed her, made excuses: "Because she asked me for the ṛitu, O holy man, and from no other reason did I do this rightful service to the daughter of the Dānava prince. If a woman asks for the ṛitu, and a man does not give her the ṛitu, then by them that know the holy writings he is declared to be an embryo-slayer. And he who, having been secretly asked, does not approach a woman that is seized with desire and is meet for union, is, in the laws, called by the wise a slayer of the fruit of the body. These considerations I had before me, and, moved by fear of doing a wrong, I went to Ṣarmiṣṭhā." But with the angry father, deeply devoted to his daughter, these considerations availed not (i, 82, 83).