Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c19.102

v2.c19.102

² This is the linguistically most natural interpretation of: strīṇām buddhyarthanishkarshād arthaçāstrāṇi . . . kṛtāni. But women’s artfulness is inborn in them, they have no need to poke their noses into books. This is also directly stated by Hitopadeça, ed. Müller, i, strophe 120. Thus perhaps it is rather: mainly because of the mind of women (that their tricks may be known)? The real meaning would best be given by: “It is by drawing on the wealth of women’s mind (liter.: taking out, or: It is mainly according to the practices [things] of women’s mind) that Bṛhaspati and the other most excellent ones drew up the books of doctrine of the things (practices) of worldly life.” Also the preceding çloka seems to make this rendering a necessary one. Cp. Hindu Tales, p. 286 f.