Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c19.114

v2.c19.114

Love and hate live side by side in one house—"anger was made to be a help-fellow of love by the Lord God, the ruler of the gods" (xiii, 40.10)—and not only is woman, as the seat of lust, the cause of enmity in the world, and, indeed, as the Indians often declare, of the worst enmity, that which never dies,¹ but the tender sex itself is inclined to anger and hate. So they are fond of quarrelling; and what a wonderful model king must Rāma have been, when under his rule women did not have disputes, much less the men! (xii, 29.56). Moreover curiosity is woman's defect (xii, 328.20). And when the urge to learn something is awakened in the woman, then she is lost to every consideration, then her wish must be fulfilled without more ado, whatever the cost. The Rāmāyaṇa on this has an old tale (here, it is true, twisted); it is told by Sumantra, King Daçaratha's chariot-driver, to Kaikeyī of her mother, that she may give up her stubbornness (ii, 35.18 ff.) : "One that could bestow supernatural favour, granted thy father an incomparable gift according to his wish, and through it the high herdsman of the earth understood the voices of all beings. Thus, too, he knew what the beasts were saying. Now thy father, the bright-shining one, once as he lay abed, understood what a jṛimbha-bird was uttering by its call. Then he laughed heartily.² At this thy mother, who longed greatly for the noose of the god of death, was angered, and she spoke : 'I wish to know why thou didst laugh, my dear king.' And the herdsman of men said to the queen : 'If I explain to thee why I laughed, then I must at once die; of that is no doubt.' Thy mother, the queen, again spoke to thy father Kekaya: 'Explain it me, whether thou go on living or not. Thou shalt not laugh at me.' Thus addressed by his beloved, Kekaya, ruler of the earth, related this thing according to the truth to that bestower of favours. Then answered this bestower of favours, the holy man (sādhu), unto the king: 'Whether she die or perish, do not tell her, O lord of the earth.' When the prince had heard these words from the man whose heart had come into joyful freedom, he quickly put thy mother away, and lived now amid joys, like Kubera." 1