When a courtesan is able to realize much money every day, by reason of many
customers, she should not confine herself to a single lover; under such
circumstances, she should fix her rate for one night, after considering the place,
the season, and the condition of the people, and having regard to her own good
qualities and good looks, and after comparing her rates with those of other
courtesans. She can inform her lovers, and friends, and acquaintances about
these charges. If, however, she can obtain a great gain from a single lover, she
may resort to him alone, and live with him like a wife.
Now the sages are of opinion that, when a courtesan has the chance of an equal
gain from two lovers at the same time, a preference should be given to the one
who would give her the kind of thing which she wants. But Vatsyayana says
that the preference should be given to the one who gives her gold, because it
cannot be taken back like some other things, it can be easily received, and is
also the means of procuring anything that may be wished for. Of such things as
gold, silver, copper, bell metal, iron, pots, furniture, beds, upper garments,
under vestments, fragrant substances, vessels made of gourds, ghee, oil, corn,
cattle, and other things of a like nature, the first - gold - is superior to all the
others.
When the same labour is required to gain any two lovers, or when the same
kind of thing is to be got from each of them, the choice should be made by the
advice of a friend, or it may be made from their personal qualities, or from the
signs of good or bad fortune that may be connected with them.
When there are two lovers, one of whom is attached to the courtesan, and the
other is simply very generous, the sages say that the preference should be
given to the generous lover, but Vatsyayana is of opinion that the one who is
really attached to the courtesan should be preferred, because he can be made
to be generous, even as a miser gives money if he becomes fond of a woman,
but a mail who is simply generous cannot be made to love with real
attachment. But among those who are attached to her, if there is one who is
poor, and one who is rich, the preference is of course to be given to the latter.
When there are two lovers, one of whom is generous, and the other ready to do
any service for the courtesan, some sages say that the one who is ready to do
the service should be preferred, but Vatsyayana is of opinion that a man who
does a service thinks that he has gained his object when he has done
something once, but a generous man does not care for what he has given
before. Even here the choice should be guided by the likelihood of the future
good to be derived from her union with either of them.
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