Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c16.247

c16.247

*(b)* Recognition of purity in the impure (*aśuchau*) and highly repulsive (*parama bībhatse*) body. The body is impure at its origin, at its first abode in the mother’s womb, in its food converted into blood, in its exudation or sweat, and, lastly, at its death as an untouchable corpse. And yet such an impure body is loved, the body of a girl described as “beautiful like the sickle of the new moon (*naveva śaśāṅkalekhā*), whose limbs are fashioned of honey and nectar, eyes large as the petals of the blue lotus (*nīlotpala-patrāyatākshī*), who has burst forth from the moon (*chandraṁ bhitvā niḥsṛitā*) to bless the living world by the significant message of her eyes (*hāvagarbhābhyāṁ lochanābhyāṁ jīvalokamāśvā-sayantī*). This is the result of *avidyā*, of a misconceived idea of the pure in the impure (*Evaṁ aśuchau śuchirvipvāsa pratyayaḥ*). Similarly, there is a wrong ascription of merit to demerit, of the useful to the useless.”