Indian Antiquary Vol 33

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 96

92
. THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(MARCH, 1904
*My dear Chandrakantà, my mother, 0 lotus-eyed, I am your best friend. If you have any secrets, yon can freely communicate them to me. Does your husband obey your orders ? The may of feminine life is ephemeral. So are time and place. Do you enjoy sexual happiness independently? If not, I shall put you in the way of your doing so. The lady, hearing the poisoned borrible words of the woman, was overcome by shame and said, 'How dare you talk such trash before me with an evil heart? If I do not reply to you, you will rain me by spreading all sorts of fabricated rumours against me.' Thinking thus, and fearing the consequences of silence, she replied, "The best period for copulation is from the fifth day after menstruation till the sixteenth, and my husband, well versed in srutis and omsitis, will cohabit with me during these twelve days, exclusive of the days unenjoined by law. We are enjoying temporal felicity as ordained by the sdstras, and are paying the way for celestial bliss. The wise say that if conception is formed on a good day of copulation, the son that will issue forth from such an act, will be intelligent, live long, and be rich; while those born at other times will be short-lived and sickly, and will be a source of woe to the parents. The following days are excluded for copulation : the sixth, eighth, eleventh, twelfth, fourteenth, new moon, full moon, the passage of the sun into the various signs of the zodiac, the annual ceremony (óráddha) days for parents, the star of birth, star by the name of Sravana, prata period, moming, twilight, &c. During the abovementioned period, the person that shaves, copulates, anoints or cleans bis teeth, though he be well versed in all the four Vedas, will assuredly become an outcaste. Thus have I briefly told you the ordinances enjoined for a grihasta (a family man)." . To which Vidyâyati, intent on bringing Chandrakântâ to her own level, replied, “O madcap, you have spoiled all your happiness. Hear my word, therefore. As this sickly coil is dear to all animate existences, why do you waste your flash of womanhood? Why not enjoy sexual happiness? In old age the constitution will be shattered by disordered breasts, and abstinence will bring on its attendant evils - premature old age and disease. You are practically unaware of the humbug of your husband. He is keeping himself engaged with the maid-servant from morn to night. You are too plain, anhyprocritical and pare-hearted, whereas your husband is a firebrand and pretends to be a good man externally. I heard too well of his misdeeds from an intimate prostitute-friend of mine. I have told you all this as I am a sbarer in all your joya and sorrows." After hearing the sinful words of Vidyâyati, Chandrakantâ said, "A husband is a god to women, be he a mischievous, hot-tempered, sickly, ireful, vile, padding-headed fellow, Apart from the adoration of the husband, there are no observances or free-will offerings of any sort or kind enjoined by the Vedas. To those women who aspire after Sparga, a hasband is the greatest of gods. The woman who abuses her lord will be born a dog." The vile wretch of a Vidyâvati, determined on outraging the chastity of Chandrakanta, replied, “O mad fool! Have not Urvast, Menaka, Bambha, Gțitachi, Panjikasthalâ and other angelic women acted independently and cohabited with innumerable hosts of men, and yet have been coveted by the greatest of Rishis, and but for all that remained happy? The wise, considering the ephemerality of this mortal coil, enjoy happiness, terrestrial and celestial. All must covet felicity. Who has seen heaven or hell? Whatever we actually enjoy is heaven. I am aware of the truth of happiness and misery. Independence is happiness. I became independent and rid myself of all fear by murdering my husband. The free man is the happiest being. He alone is filled with tapas. He alone is fortunate. Is there any happiness for a servile wretch ?" With illustrations like these which would abuse the mind and make it as fickle as possible, with thoughts hard as adamant which would lead one to bell-gate in no time, with breasts resembling the frontal lobes of lattened elephants, Chandrakanta set at naught all hereditary achards and remained A prostitute in privato for a month, owing to the strange irony of fate, feminine ficklenése, mental unrest and a hankering after perceptible happiness, being overcome by the finely-pointed darts of Cupid. Then her lord found out by hèr questionable reputation, conduct in life, foul tongue, &c., that she was immoral, ejected her out of the house, was wonder-struck at what happened even to his wife, made gifts of cattle, money, grain, houses, &c., to the deserving, was sore dismayed for illicit intercourse with a prostitate-wife, and, as an expiation for the sin committed, went and reached the banks of the Kâyêri.
(To be continued.)