KAMA SUTRA : PART4-CHAPTER -2 Husband who has more than one Wife

The causes of re-marrying during the lifetime of the wife are as follows:
* The folly or ill-temper of the wife
*Her husband's dislike to her
* The want of offspring
* The continual birth of daughters

The incontinence of the husband
From the very beginning, a wife should endeavour to attract the heart of her
husband, by showing to him continually her devotion, her good temper, and her
wisdom. If however she bears him no children, she should herself toilette her
husband to marry another woman. And when the second wife is married, and
brought to the house, the first wife should give her a position superior to her
own, and look upon her as a sister. In the morning the elder wife should
forcibly make the younger one decorate herself in the presence of their
husband, and should not mind all the husband's favour being given to her. If
the younger wife does anything to displease her husband the elder one should
not neglect her, but should always be ready to give her most careful advice,
and should teach her to do various things in the presence of her husband. Her
children she should treat as her own, her attendants she should look upon with
more regard, even than on her own servants, her friends she should cherish
with love and kindness, and her relations with great honour.
When there are many other wives besides herself, the elder wife should
associate with the one who is immediately next to her in rank and age, and
should instigate the wife who has recently enjoyed her husband's favour to
quarrel with the present favourite. After this she should sympathize with the
former, and having collected all the other wives together, should get them to
denounce the favourite as a scheming and wicked woman, without however
committing herself in any way. If the favourite wife happens to quarrel with the
husband, then the elder wife should take her part and give her false
encouragement,

 and thus cause the quarrel to be increased. If there be only a
little quarrel between the two, the elder wife should do all she can to work it up
into a large quarrel. But if after all this she finds the husband still continues to
love his favourite wife she should then change her tactics, and endeavour to
bring about a conciliation between them, so as to avoid her husband's
displeasure.
Thus ends the conduct of the elder wife.

Download As PDF