[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.meyer-1915) › v2.c19.14 # Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c19.14 Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c19.14 - **Language:** English ### [v2.c19.14](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.meyer-1915.v2.c19.14) Men, women, and children come out from Hāstinapura to give a festal welcome to the Pāṇḍavas’ envoy, Kṛṣṇa (v, 86.17), and at his entry “the very great houses, too, (are) covered with women, and seem to totter under the burden” (v, 89.9). Not a soul has stayed at home, man or woman, child or greybeard, and the guest’s horses cannot drive on for the throng (çl. 7). As he then drives in most splendid array to the royal assembly hall, women stand thickly crowded on balconies (vedikā, v, 94.26). Hundreds and thousands of women are at the windows, when Arjuna on his gold-hubbed chariot drives into the city of Dvārakā (i, 218.18). After the festival of the dead, Yudhishṭhira has dwelt a month long outside the city. He now comes back, and the houses on the main street almost give way under the crowd of women-onlookers singing the praises of him and his brothers (xii, 38.3 ff.). Especially when a battle has been won, and the conqueror comes back in triumph are the women again to the fore. So does King Virāṭa’s son come back to the festally decked city, and youths and harlots, together with the young princess and her girl-friends, in choicest garb and ornaments come to meet him; and the whole people and lovely women in magnificent ornaments, as also the army, and all kinds of loudly sounding musical instruments make up his escort (iv, 68.22 ff.). So, too, the public women and the young girls appear as the welcoming escort of the victor in iv, 34.17, 18, and elsewhere, as has already been described. The Kshattriyas and the women, but anyhow only those of the better kind, of higher rank, especially the noblewomen, are there drivin in chariots, too. So it is when the five sons of Pāṇḍu are - [Previous: v2.c19.13](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.meyer-1915.v2.c19.13) - [Next: v2.c19.15](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.meyer-1915.v2.c19.15) - [Up: v2.c19](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.meyer-1915.v2.c19) ## Linked texts (1) - [Mahābhārata](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa) — Vyāsa, Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.meyer-1915.v2.c19.14](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.meyer-1915.v2.c19.14) · Pramāṇa