Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c20.71.1

v2.c20.71.1

But wherein lies woman's mighty power? We have already heard many answers to this. Here we give only a few more of them. Women's tears have their well-known effect in India also.² No wonder then, that in the Epic also tales are told of their magic powers of quite cosmic strength. Pulomā was first promised to the Rākshasa Puloman, but then was given by her father to Bhṛigu. Once when the husband has gone to bathe, the giant comes into the holy man's hermitage, is overcome by love, and carries off the wondrous fair one, who as a result has a miscarriage. The sight of the child burns the monster to ashes. The faithful wife's tears are turned into the river Vadhūsarā (i, 5.13 ff.). The hot tears of the loving wife, whose husband in the very moment of the love embrace was devoured by the Rākshasa-possessed King Kalmāshapāda, turn to a mighty fire that burns the land up (i, 182.16, 17). The tears of a lovely woman blossom into golden lotuses on the Ganges, as they drop one after another into its flood (i, 197.9 ff.).¹ The most enticing of spells lies in the smile of a lovely face, in a sweet voice,² speech, or tone, in the tender, loving play of features, in the glance of the eyes, and in all the many charms of the woman that carry the man away. The Epic reflects the susceptibility to them, above all in the frequent embellishing epithets.