Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c9.13

v1.c9.13

of the army, the great ones of his kingdom, and the hetæræ (xiii, 53.65, 66). To Janaka of Videha, the pious king who has penetrated into the deepest secrets of the world, Çuka is sent by his father, Çuka who came into being from the araṇī¹ and the seed of Vyāsa that fell on it, and who as a wonder-youth stands out through deepest knowledge, loftiest purity of heart, and a mighty asceticism, is sent that the prince so filled with the knowledge of salvation may bring him into the holy of holies of that knowledge. The guest is welcomed with great honours; the minister takes him into the third walled court of the royal abode, and there into a splendid pleasure-grove, escorts him to a seat, and goes off. “To him came running up quite fifty pleasure-girls,² splendidly dight, fair-hipped, young and tender, sweet to gaze on, wearing a thin red garment, decked with gleaming gold, well versed in speech and honeyed words, skilled in dance and song, speaking mid smiles, like the Apsarases in loveliness, practised in the service of love, gifted with the knowledge of the heart’s stirrings, in all things skilful; they offered him water for the feet, and other things, and marked him out for the tokens of highest honour. Then did they offer him well-tasting foods belonging to the season of the year. When he had eaten, they showed him in all its details the enchanting pleasure-wood by the women’s abode. And playing, laughing, and singing gloriously, thus did the women, wise in their knowledge, wait on the youth of the noble nature. But he that was sprung from the araṇī, he the pure-minded, bare of all doubt, was set only on the work before him, and as one master of his senses and overcomer of his anger he took no joy,³ nor felt anger. These glorious women offered him a heaven-like couch (çayyāsana) worthy of the gods, adorned with precious stones, spread with priceless rugs. But when Çuka had washed his feet, and performed his evening worship, he sat himself down on a bare seat, pondering only on his task.” He then spent almost the whole night sunk in his thoughts, and with holy works (xii, 325.33 ff.).