Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c17.42

v2.c17.42

An inventory or list of woman’s charms like that just touched on, is given in v, 116.2 ff. Here the fair one is vaulted in six places, that is to say, according to the commentary, at the back of the hands, the top of the feet, the breasts ; or : at the breasts, the buttocks, and the eyes ¹ ; she has seven things fine and delicate : skin, hair, fingers, toes, and the joints of fingers and toes ; three things deep : voice, character (sattva), navel ; five things red : palm of the hand, corner of the eye, palate, tongue, lips.² Then, too, she has like all goodly women other special bodily marks as well betokening good luck. When all are combined, it shows that she will bear many children, even a world-ruler. With words like those of Kicaka, Rāvaṇa speaks to Sītā : “ Of the right size, pointed, smooth, and white are thy teeth ; thine eyes are wide and great, unblemished, and with red corners and black pupils ; thy secret parts are spread wide and firmly swell ; thy thighs are as elephant’s trunks ; thy two breasts have a fair, firm fullness, and are round, close-set to one another, bold, firm-swelling, with lifted nipples, graceful, smooth, and like unto wine-palm fruits ” (Ram., iii, 46.18 ff. ; cp. his words to the state assembly in vi, 12.12 ff.). Still more eloquent does this woman-worshipper, and the poet himself become, when he sees the Apsaras Rambhā on her way by night to the tryst (Rām., vii, 26.14 ff.) : “ Just at this time, Rāvaṇa saw the most splendid of all Apsarases, Rambhā with the full-moon face, decked with heavenly adornment, he saw her going along through the midst of the army. With heaven’s sandal-wood