Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c8.22

v1.c8.22

swelling hips, and thighs like banana-stems against his body, who give lips red as the bimba-fruit to be sucked by his, and who as they glow in the surata not only receive, but also give. And thus the princes of Old India in particular were much given to the joys of love, and Indian literature tells us of many who, owing to an over-eager indulgence in the surata, fell victims to consumption and an early death. So it was with Vicitravīrya, who secretly turned all the women's heads, and through his two big brown wives, with their black curly hair, red high-arched finger-nails, and swelling hips and breasts, became from a dharmātman (virtuous-souled) a kāmātman (one whose soul is love, i, 102.66 ff. ; v, 147.25 ; cf. i, 119.3-4 ; v, 11.10 f.). As he died without children, Vyāsa had to call up offspring for him. The same lot of an early death, uncrowned by offspring, fell to King Vyushitāçva, only too madly in love with his intoxicatingly lovely wife, Kakshīvatī. Then after his death he brought about that which in life was not possible, as will be told later (i, 121.17 ff.). More will be said when we deal with the love life of the Epic hero. Then, too, the sexual embrace comes before us as a healing remedy : The soul has the greatest influence on the body, "for through pain of the soul the body is heated in torment like water in a pitcher by a glowing ball of iron."¹ Skilful leeches therefore in dealing with bodily ills first remove those of the soul, and this is done by their providing the man with sexual enjoyment (iii, 2.21 ff.).