Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c8.96

v1.c8.96

Particularly frequent in the Mahābh. are the tales of penitents who at the mere sight of a lovely woman are thrown into an orgasm. Çaradvant, the son of Gotama, not only highly learned in the Veda, but also an eager and skilful bowman, brings torturing pain to the prince of the gods through his asceticism. Indra sends down the heaven-maid Jānapadī to make him human. When the forest-brother sees the very lightly clad and enchanting creature, he stands there with wide-opened eyes, his bow and arrow fall to the ground, and a shudder goes through his body. He makes, indeed, a brave stand, but his excitement drives his seed forth without his noticing it. He leaves his beloved arrow lying there, and flees before the all too dangerous one. Out of his seed, poured into the cane-brake and split into two, arises a twin pair, Kṛipa and Kṛipi, who are found by King Ṣāntanu when he is hunting, and then adopted (i, 130.1 ff. ; cp. v, 166.20 f. ; 55.49). The zealous ascetic Bharadvāja sees the young Apsaras Ghṛitācī, who, wrapped only in her blinding naked loveliness, is bathing in the river. His seed that escapes in the love-urge he puts in a pitcher (droṇa), and Droṇa comes into being, the famous teacher of arms to the Pāṇḍavas and other princes (i, 130.33 ff. ; i, 166.1 ff.).¹ ix, 48.64 ff. tells us that Bharadvāja’s seed, that came forth because of Ghṛitācī, dropped into a leaf packet and thus gave life to Ṣrutāvatī. Thus, too, it is Ghṛitācī who in like wise helps Vyāsa to get a son. He is just then busily engaged getting fire with the two rubbing-sticks. The lovely one arouses a violent storm of love in his soul, “which surges through all his limbs, and overwhelms his understanding.” But he holds himself in check, and although his seed falls onto the lower fire-stick, he goes on steadfastly, and so in the end twirls his son Çuka into life (xii, 324.1 ff.). Mankanaka, the forest-dweller living in the unspoiled purity of youth, puts his seed into his water-vessel, when, while he is washing in the Sarasvatī, he sees a glorious woman bathing naked, and his semen thus spurts out into the waves. Seven Ṛiṣis thus arise, the fathers of the wind gods (ix, 38.32). The same gift came to the Sarasvatī from the holy Dadhīca, when at Indra’s bidding the Apsaras Alambuṣā appeared before him. But the river goddess this time took the seed into her bosom, and bore a son, whom the father later welcomed with joy (ix, 51.5 ff.). Ṛiṣyaçṛiṅga, whom we shall meet with again, has a like origin. But here it is the bathing Kaçyapa who is stirred by the loveliness of Urvaçī. A she-gazelle drinks up the love-sap along with the water, and bears Ṛiṣyaçṛiṅga (iii, 110.34).¹ Cp. Windisch, *Buddhas Geburt*, etc., p. 21; Chavannes, *Cinq cents contes*, ii, 283; iii, 234 f.; Hartland, *Primit. Patern.*, pp. 12; 23 f.; 151 f.; Weber’s *Ind. Studien*, xiv (1875), p. 121 f.; also MBh., xiii, 85.17 ff.