Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c8.3

v1.c8.3

The great saint and artist in digestion Agastya wishes to wed, and woos Lopamudrā, the bewitchingly lovely princess of Vidarbha, brought up in the greatest luxury and ease. The father is not over-delighted with the proposal, and will not agree, but is afraid of the anger and curse of this powerful one. Then his daughter comes to him in his sorrow, and speaks: “Do not distress thyself because of me. Give me to Agastya, and save thyself through me, O father.” So she is wedded to the Ṛishi. But when Agastya had taken Lopamudrā to wife, he spoke unto her: “Lay aside these costly garments and ornaments.” Then she, with the great eyes, with thighs like banana-stems, laid aside her garments so splendid to see, so costly and thin. Then she put on clothes of rags, bast, and skins, and together with him led a strict life of religion, she the lovely one with the great eyes. The best of Ṛishis went to Gaṅgādvāra, and there gave himself up to the hardest penance together with his obedient wife. Filled with joyful love and lofty regard she served her master, and Agastya, the lord, showed glad love towards his wife. Then the glorious Ṛiṣi saw that Lopamudrā, shining with ascetic practice, had already bathed some time (after her period).¹ Gladdened by her deeds of service, her purity, self-control, splendour, and beauty, he invited her to unite. Then, folding her hands before her forehead, as though filled with shame, the fair one spoke these words lovingly to the holy man : " Doubtless the husband wedded the wife for the sake of offspring. But the joyful love I bear to thee, that do thou (too) practise, O Ṛiṣi. On just such a couch as I had at home in my father's palace, do thou visit me. And decked with divine ornaments I would fain glide unto thee according to my wish, thou, too, wreathed and decked. Otherwise, clad in the brown-red penitential garb of rags, I will not approach thee. Of a truth this adornment (the ascetic garb) must not be soiled in any way whatever."² Agastya spoke : " I have not indeed such treasures for thee, Lopamudrā, as thy father has, thou slender one." Lopamudrā spoke : " Through thy asceticism thou, rich in asceticism, hast full power to procure anything in a moment, whatsoever things there are in the world of the living." Agastya spoke : " It is as thou sayest. But through such a thing (that is, through the making use of the Yoga powers) ascetic merit is destroyed. Give me some bidding whereby my penitential merit shall not be lost." Lopamudrā spoke : " Of my ṛitu time there is only very little left, O thou rich in penance. And in other wise I have not the slightest wish to approach thee. I would indeed in no way destroy thy religious perfection