The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated From the Sanscrit in Seven Parts With Preface, Introduction and Concluding RemarksVatsyayana
Philosophy
The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated From the Sanscrit in Seven Parts With Preface, Introduction and Concluding Remarks
Vatsyayana
Love; Sex
The younger wife should regard the elder wife of her husband as her
mother, and should not give anything away, even to her own relations,
without her knowledge. She should tell her everything about herself, and
not approach her husband without her permission. Whatever is told to her
by the elder wife she should not reveal to others, and she should take
care of the children of the senior even more than of her own. When alone
with her husband she should serve him well, but should not tell him of
the pain she suffers from the existence of a rival wife. She may also
obtain secretly from her husband some marks of his particular regard for
her, and may tell him that she lives only for him, and for the regard
that he has for her. She should never reveal her love for her husband,
nor her husband's love for her to any person, either in pride or in
anger, for a wife that reveals the secrets of her husband is despised by
him. As for seeking to obtain the regard of her husband, Gonardiya says,
that it should always be done in private, for fear of the elder wife. If
the elder wife be disliked by her husband, or be childless, she should
sympathize with her, and should ask her husband to do the same, but
should surpass her in leading the life of a chaste woman.
Thus ends the conduct of the younger wife towards the elder.
A widow in poor circumstances, or of a weak nature, and who allies
herself again to a man, is called a widow re-married.
The followers of Babhravya say that a virgin widow should not marry a
person whom she may be obliged to leave on account of his bad character,
or of his being destitute of the excellent qualities of a man, she thus
being obliged to have recourse to another person. Gonardya is of opinion
that as the cause of a widow's marrying again is her desire for
happiness, and as happiness is secured by the possession of excellent
qualities in her husband, joined to love of enjoyment, it is better
therefore to secure a person endowed with such qualities in the first
instance. Vatsyayana however thinks that a widow may marry any person
that she likes, and that she thinks will suit her.
At the time of her marriage the widow should obtain from her husband the
money to pay the cost of drinking parties, and picnics with her
relations, and of giving them and her friends kindly gifts and presents;
or she may do these things at her own cost if she likes. In the same way
she may wear either her husband's ornaments or her own. As to the
presents of affection mutually exchanged between the husband and herself
there is no fixed rule about them. If she leaves her husband after
marriage of her own accord, she should restore to him whatever he may
have given her, with the exception of the mutual presents. If however
she is driven out of the house by her husband she should not return
anything to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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