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A PICTURE OF THE TIMES
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indeed, I have done my duty, and have carefully prepared her for the profession for which from birth she was intended. From the earliest childhood I have bestowed the greatest care upon her, doing everything in my power to promote her health and beauty. As soon as she was old enough I had her carefully instructed in the arts of dancing etc. ....... I did many other things to promote her success and to secure for her liberal renumeration; yet after all the time, trouble and money which I have spent upon her, just when I was beginning to reap the fruit of my labours, the ungrateful girl has fallen in love with a stranger."
This then was the one thing that the 'mother' constantly dreaded - the rise of sincere love in a courtesan. The fear was only natural, as faithfulness to one individual would spell ruin in her profession. A wise 'mother' had always to be on guard and instruct the courtesan about the dangers of the different temptations that her life offered. It was her duty as a courtesan not to forget her true profession.
It is with such a purpose in view that in the present work the wise and experienced Vişamaśīlā gives instructions to the fair and fortunate Śrngāramañjari. She enumerates the maxims that a courtesan has to follow to escape falling into the trap of a cheat or a rogue. The purport of her entire teaching is that a courtesan should be wise and discriminating and not get entangled in the bonds of affection. By doing so she fulfills her duties and obligations towards society in which she enjoys a high position.
This class of courtesans constituted an important section of society which influenced a considerable number of people. Their 53. Deśopadeśa, p. 11, vs. 10. 54. Later rhetoricians have raised a controversy whether the srågara-love
involved in gawika's case is true or not. And when it is not true whether it should be called srngära or srügārābhāsa. Bharata (23, 18-26) mentions three types of courtesans: madanatură (one craving company), raktá (attached) and virakta (one who is averse). Here raktā is the one of true love. Våtsyāyana (in the sixth book, mentions two goals of her life, namely, natural love and artificial love, (VI, 1, 1, 2) and the former he calls ekacarini. (VI, 2, 1-2). In the Sriigāratilaka, Rudrata states: (I, 64, 65) शङगाराभास एव स्याद्यदि ता रागवजिताः। . . तस्मात्तासामपि क्वापि रागः स्यात् ।। So he accepts her true love, without which hers will be a case of rasābhūsa only; Bhoja does not discuss the point in his works, but the SMK has stories of true love, and one of the lessons that Vişamasilā teaches is that the courtesan should never be sincere in her love. Visvanātha after mentioning that a common woman shows only outward love for the sake of the money says in the end: Hatfy E71 Topf (Sahityadarpana, III, 71). In the recently published Srigaramänjari of Akbarshah the author criticizing the definition given by Bhanudatta in Rasamarijari : वित्तमात्रोपाधिकसकलपुरुषानरागा सामान्या। carries the controversy thus: 740 I faatarfar Ficara TUTETT ga alfa I... अन्यच्च अनुरागस्त्वैकौत्र। बहपुरुषेषु यो मनस्सङगः सोऽनुराग एव न भवति किन्तु 3TFTTHIA: 1... ATAFOTÍMaraztfitofi DETEUA551A) aract: I. (pp. 12-13)
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