Kings and their ministers have no access to the abodes of others, and moreover
their mode of living is constantly watched and observed and imitated by the
people at large, just as the animal world, seeing the sun rise, get up after him,
and when he sits in the evening, lie down again in the same way. Persons in
authority should not therefore do any improper act in public, as such are
impossible from their position, and would be deserving of censure. But if they
find that such an act is necessary to be done, they should make use of the
proper means as described in the following paragraphs.
The head man of the village, the king's officer employed there, and the man1
whose business it is to glean corn, can gain over female villagers simply by
asking them. It is on this account that this class of woman are called unchaste
women by voluptuaries.
The union of the above mentioned men with this class of woman takes place on
the occasions of unpaid labour, of filling the granaries in their houses, of taking
things in and out of the house, of cleaning the houses, of working in the fields,
and of purchasing cotton, wool, flax, hemp, and thread, and at the season of
the purchase, sale, and exchange of various other articles, as well as at the
time of doing various other works. In the same way the superintendents of cow
pens enjoy the women in the cow pens; and the officers, who crave the
superintendence of widows, of the women who are without supporters, and of
women who have left their husbands, have sexual intercourse with these
women. The intelligent accomplish their object by wandering at night in the
village, and while villagers also unite with the wives of their sons, being much
alone with them. Lastly the superintendents of markets have a great deal to do
with the female villagers at the time of their making purchases in the market.
During the festival of the eighth moon, i.e. during the bright half of the month
of Nargashirsha, as also during the moonlight festival of the month of Kartika,
and the spring festival of Chaitra, the women of cities and towns generally visit
the women of the king's harem in the royal palace. These visitors go to the
several apartments of the women of the harem, as they are acquainted with
them, and pass the night in conversation, and in proper sports, and
amusement, and go away in the morning. On such occasions a female
attendant of the king (previously acquainted with the woman whom the king
desires) should loiter about, and accost this woman when she sets out to go
home, and induce her to come and see the amusing things in the palace.
Previous to these festivals even, she should have caused it to be intimated to
this woman that on the occasion of this festival she would show her all the
interesting things in the royal palace. Accordingly she should show her the
bower of the coral creeper, the garden house with its floor inlaid with precious
stones, the bower of grapes, the building on the water, the secret passages in
the walls of the palace, the pictures, the sporting animals, the machines, the
birds, and the cages of the lions and the tigers. After this, when alone with her,
she should tell her about the love of the king for her, and should describe to her
the good fortune which would attend upon her union with the king, giving her at
the time a strict promise of secrecy. If the woman does not accept the offer,
she should conciliate and please her with handsome presents befitting the
position of the king, and having accompanied her for some distance should
dismiss her with great affection.
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