Kama Sutra
Kama SutraPREFACE.INTRODUCTION.PART I. THE VATSYAYANA SUTRA. INTRODUCTORY PREFACE.CHAPTER II.CHAPTER III.CHAPTER IV.CHAPTER V.PART II.CHAPTER I.CHAPTER II.CHAPTER III.CHAPTER IV.CHAPTER V.CHAPTER VI.CHAPTER VII.CHAPTER VIII.CHAPTER IX.CHAPTER X.PART III.CHAPTER I.CHAPTER II.CHAPTER III.CHAPTER IV.CHAPTER V.PART IV.CHAPTER I.CHAPTER II.PART V.CHAPTER I.CHAPTER II.CHAPTER III.CHAPTER IV.CHAPTER V.CHAPTER VI.PART VI.INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.CHAPTER I.CHAPTER II.CHAPTER III.CHAPTER IV.CHAPTER V.CHAPTER VI.PART VII.CHAPTER I.CHAPTER II.CONCLUDING REMARKS.FOOTNOTES:chapter58Copyright
Kama Sutra
Vatsyayana
PREFACE.
In the literature of all countries there will be found
a certain number of works treating especially of love. Everywhere
the subject is dealt with differently, and from various points of
view. In the present publication it is proposed to give a complete
translation of what is considered the standard work on love
inSanscritliterature, and which is
called the 'Vatsyayana Kama Sutra,' or Aphorisms on Love, by
Vatsyayana.While the introduction will bear with the evidence concerning
the date of the writing, and the commentaries written upon it, the
chapters following the introduction will give a translation of the
work itself. It is, however, advisable to furnish here a brief
analysis of works of the same nature, prepared by authors who lived
and wrote years after Vatsya had passed away, but who still
considered him as a great authority, and always quoted him as the
chief guide to Hindoo erotic literature.Besides the treatise of Vatsyayana the following works on the
same subject are procurable in India:—The Ratirahasya, or secrets of love.The Panchasakya, or the five arrows.The Smara Pradipa, or the light of love.The Ratimanjari, or the garland of love.The Rasmanjari, or the sprout of love.The Anunga Runga, or the stage of love; also called
Kamaledhiplava, or a boat in the ocean of love.The author of the 'Secrets of Love' (No. 1) was a poet
named Kukkoka. He composed his work to please one Venudutta, who
was perhaps a king. When writing his own name at the end of each
chapter he calls himself "Siddha patiya pandita,"i.e., an ingenious man among learned
men. The work was translated into Hindi years ago, and in this the
author's name was written as Koka. And as the same name crept into
all the translations into other languages in India, the book became
generally known, and the subject was popularly called Koka Shastra,
or doctrines of Koka, which is identical with the Kama Shastra, or
doctrines of love, and the words Koka Shastra and Kama Shastra are
used indiscriminately.The work contains nearly eight hundred verses, and is
divided into ten chapters, which are calledcalledPachivedas. Some of the things treated of
in this work are not to be found in the Vatsyayana, such as the
four classes of women, viz., the Padmini, Chitrini, Shankini and
Hastini, as also the enumeration of the days and hours on which the
women of the different classes become subject to love. The author
adds that he wrote these things from the opinions of Gonikaputra
and Nandikeshwara, both of whom are mentioned by Vatsyayana, but
their works are not now extant. It is difficult to give any
approximate idea as to the year in which the work was composed. It
is only to be presumed that it was written after that of
Vatsyayana, and previous to the other works on this subject that
are still extant. Vatsyayana gives the names of ten authors on the
subject, all of whose works he had consulted, but none of which are
extant, and does not mention this one. This would tend to show that
Kukkoka wrote after Vatsya, otherwise Vatsya would assuredly have
mentioned him as an author in this branch of literature along with
the others.The author of the 'Five Arrows' (No. 2 in the list) was one
Jyotirisha. He is called the chief ornament of poets, the treasure
of the sixty-four arts, and the best teacher of the rules of music.
He says that he composed the work after reflecting on the aphorisms
of love as revealed by the gods, and studying the opinions of
Gonikaputra, Muladeva, Babhravya, Ramtideva, Nundikeshwara and
Kshemandra. It is impossible to say whether he had perused all the
works of these authors, or had only heard about them; anyhow, none
of them appear to be in existence now. This work contains nearly
six hundred verses, and is divided into five chapters, called
Sayakas or Arrows.The author of the 'Light of Love' (No. 3) was the poet
Gunakara, the son of Vechapati. The work contains four hundred
verses, and gives only a short account of the doctrines of love,
dealing more with other matters.'The Garland of Love' (No. 4) is the work of the famous poet
Jayadeva, who said about himself that he is a writer on all
subjects. This treatise is, however, very short, containing only
one hundred and twenty-five verses.The author of the 'Sprout of Love' (No. 5) was a poet called
Bhanudatta. It appears from the last verse of the manuscript that
he was a resident of the province of Tirhoot, the son of a Brahman
named Ganeshwar, who was also a poet. The work, written in
Sanscrit, gives the descriptions of different classes of men and
women, their classes being made out from their age, description,
conduct, etc. It contains three chapters, and its date is not
known, and cannot be ascertained.'The Stage of Love' (No. 6) was composed by the poet
Kullianmull, for the amusement of Ladkhan, the son of Ahmed Lodi,
the same Ladkhan being in some places spoken of as Ladana Mull, and
in others as Ladanaballa. He is supposed to have been a relation or
connection of the house of Lodi, which reigned in Hindostan from
A.D. 1450-1526. The work would, therefore, have been written in the
fifteenth or sixteenth century. It contains ten chapters, and has
been translated into English, but only six copies were printed for
private circulation. This is supposed to be the latest of the
Sanscrit works on the subject, and the ideas in it were evidently
taken from previous writings of the same nature.The contents of these works are in themselves a literary
curiosity. There are to be found both in Sanscrit poetry and in the
Sanscrit drama a certain amount of poetical sentiment and romance,
which have, in every country and in every language, thrown an
immortal halo round the subject. But here it is treated in a plain,
simple, matter of fact sort of way. Men and women are divided into
classes and divisions in the same way that Buffon and other writers
on natural history have classified and divided the animal world. As
Venus was represented by the Greeks to stand forth as the type of
the beauty of woman, so the Hindoos describe the Padmini or Lotus
woman as the type of most perfect feminine excellence, as
follows:She in whom the following signs and symptoms appear is called
a Padmini. Her face is pleasing as the full moon; her body, well
clothed with flesh, is soft as the Shiras or mustard flower, her
skin is fine, tender and fair as the yellow lotus, never dark
coloured. Her eyes are bright and beautiful as the orbs of the
fawn, well cut, and with reddish corners. Her bosom is hard, full
and high; she has a good neck; her nose is straight and lovely, and
three folds or wrinkles cross her middle—about the umbilical
region. Her yoni resembles the opening lotus bud, and her love seed
(Kama salila) is perfumed like the lily that has newly burst. She
walks with swan-like gait, and her voice is low and musical as the
note of the Kokila bird, she delights in white raiments, in fine
jewels, and in rich dresses. She eats little, sleeps lightly, and
being as respectful and religious as she is clever and courteous,
she is ever anxious to worship the gods, and to enjoy the
conversation of Brahmans. Such, then, is the Padmini or Lotus
woman.Detailed descriptions then follow of the Chitrini or Art
woman; the Shankhini or Conch woman, and the Hastini or Elephant
woman, their days of enjoyment, their various seats of passion, the
manner in which they should be manipulated and treated in sexual
intercourse, along with the characteristics of the men and women of
the various countries in Hindostan. The details are so numerous,
and the subjects so seriously dealt with, and at such length, that
neither time nor space will permit of their being given
here.One work in the English language is somewhat similar to
these works of the Hindoos. It is called 'Kalogynomia: or the Laws
of Female Beauty,' being the elementary principles of that science,
by T. Bell, M.D., with twenty-four plates, and printed in London in
1821. It treats of Beauty, of Love, of Sexual Intercourse, of the
Laws regulating that Intercourse, of Monogamy and Polygamy, of
Prostitution, of Infidelity, ending with acatalogue raisonnéeof the defects of
female beauty.Other works in English also enter into great details of
private and domestic life. 'The Elements of Social Science, or
Physical, Sexual and Natural Religion,' by a Doctor of Medicine,
London, 1880, and 'Every Woman's Book,' by Dr. Waters, 1826. To
persons interested in the above subjects these works will be found
to contain such details as have been seldom before published, and
which ought to be thoroughly understood by all philanthropists and
benefactors of society.After a perusal of the Hindoo work, and of the English books
above mentioned, the reader will understand the subject, at all
events from a materialistic, realistic and practical point of view.
If all science is founded more or less on a stratum of facts, there
can be no harm in making known to mankind generally certain matters
intimately connected with their private, domestic, and social
life.Alas! complete ignorance of them has unfortunately wrecked
many a man and many a woman, while a little knowledge of a subject
generally ignored by the masses would have enabled numbers of
people to have understood many things which they believed to be
quite incomprehensible, or which were not thought worthy of their
consideration.
INTRODUCTION.
It may be interesting to some persons to learn how it came
about that Vatsyayana was first brought to light and translated
into the English language. It happened thus. While translating with
the pundits the 'Anunga runga, or the stage of love,' reference was
frequently found to be made to one Vatsya. The sage Vatsya was of
this opinion, or of that opinion. The sage Vatsya said this, and so
on. Naturally questions were asked who the sage was, and the
pundits replied that Vatsya was the author of the standard work on
love in Sanscrit literature, that no Sanscrit library was complete
without his work, and that it was most difficult now to obtain in
its entire state. The copy of the manuscript obtained in Bombay was
defective, and so the pundits wrote to Benares, Calcutta and
Jeypoor for copies of the manuscript from Sanscrit libraries in
those places. Copies having been obtained, they were then compared
with each other, and with the aid of a Commentary called
'Jayamangla' a revised copy of the entire manuscript was prepared,
and from this copy the English translation was made. The following
is the certificate of the chief pundit:—"The accompanying manuscript is corrected by me after
comparing four different copies of the work. I had the assistance
of a Commentary called 'Jayamangla' for correcting the portion in
the first five parts, but found great difficulty in correcting the
remaining portion, because, with the exception of one copy thereof
which was tolerably correct, all the other copies I had were far
too incorrect. However, I took that portion as correct in which the
majority of the copies agreed with each other."The 'Aphorisms on Love,' by Vatsyayana, contains about one
thousand two hundred and fifty slokas or verses, and are divided
into parts, parts into chapters, and chapters into paragraphs. The
whole consists of seven parts, thirty-six chapters, and sixty-four
paragraphs. Hardly anything is known about the author. His real
name is supposed to be Mallinaga or Mrillana, Vatsyayana being his
family name. At the close of the work this is what he writes about
himself:"After reading and considering the works of Babhravya
and other ancient authors, and thinking over the meaning of the
rules given by them, this treatise was composed, according to the
precepts of the Holy Writ, for the benefit of the world, by
Vatsyayana, while leading the life of a religious student at
Benares, and wholly engaged in the contemplation of the Deity. This
work is not to be used merely as an instrument for satisfying our
desires. A person acquainted with the true principles of this
science, who preserves his Dharma (virtue or religious merit), his
Artha (worldly wealth) and his Kama (pleasure or sensualgratification), and who has regard to the
customs of the people, is sure to obtain the mastery over his
senses. In short, an intelligent and knowing person, attending to
Dharma and Artha and also to Kama, without becoming the slave of
his passions, will obtain success in everything that he may
do."It is impossible to fix the exact date either of the life of
Vatsyayana or of his work. It is supposed that he must have lived
between the first and the sixth centuries of the Christian era, on
the following grounds:—He mentions that Satkarni Srtvahan, a king
of Kuntal, killed Malayevati his wife with an instrument called
kartari by striking her in the passion of love, and Vatsya quotes
this case to warn people of the danger arising from some old
customs of striking women when under the influence of this passion.
Now this king of Kuntal is believed to have lived and reigned
during the first century A.C., and consequently Vatsya must have
lived after him. On the other hand, Virahamihira, in the eighteenth
chapter of his 'Brihatsanhita,' treats of the science of love, and
appears to have borrowed largely from Vatsyayana on the subject.
Now Virahamihira is said to have lived during the sixth century
A.D., and as Vatsya must have written his works previously,
therefore not earlier than the first century, A.C., and not later
than the sixth century A.D., must be considered as the approximate
date of his existence.On the text of the 'Aphorisms on Love,' by Vatsyayana, only
two commentaries have been found. One called 'Jayamangla' or
'Sutrabashya,' and the other 'Sutra vritti.' The date of the
'Jayamangla' is fixed between the tenth and thirteenth centuries
A.D., because while treating of the sixty-four arts an example is
taken from the 'Kávyaprakásha,' which was written about the tenth
century A.D. Again, the copy of the commentary procured was
evidently a transcript of a manuscript which once had a place in
the library of a Chaulukyan king named Vishaladeva, a fact elicited
from the following sentence at the end of it:—"Here ends the part relating to the art of love in the
commentary on the 'Vatsyayana Kama Sutra,' a copy from the library
of the king of kings, Vishaladeva, who was a powerful hero, as it
were a second Arjuna, and head jewel of the Chaulukya
family."Now it is well known that this king ruled in Guzerat from
1244 to 1262 A.D., and founded a city called Visalnagur. The date,
therefore, of the commentary is taken to be not earlier than the
tenth and not later than the thirteenth century. The author of it
is supposed to be one Yashodhara, the name given him by his
preceptor being Indrapada. He seems to have written it during the
time of affliction caused by his separation from a clever and
shrewd woman, at least that is what he himself says at the end of
each chapter. It is presumed that he called his work after the name
of his absent mistress, or the word may have some connection with
the meaning of her name.This commentary was most useful in explaining the true
meaning of Vatsyayana, for the commentator appears to have had a
considerable knowledge of the times of the older author, and gives
in some places very minute information. This cannot be said of the
other commentary, called "Sutra vritti," which was written about
A.D., by Narsing Shastri, a pupil of a Sarveshwar Shastri; the
latter was a descendant of Bhaskur, and so also was our author, for
at the conclusion of every part he calls himself Bhaskur Narsing
Shastra. He was induced to write the work by order of the learned
Raja Vrijalala, while he was residing in Benares, but as to the
merits of this commentary it does not deserve much commendation. In
many cases the writer does not appear to have understood the
meaning of the original author, and has changed the text in many
places to fit in with his own explanations.A complete translation of the original work now follows. It
has been prepared in complete accordance with the text of the
manuscript, and is given, without further comments, as made from
it.
PART I. THE VATSYAYANA SUTRA. INTRODUCTORY PREFACE.
SALUTATION TO DHARMA, ARTHA AND
KAMA.In the beginning, the Lord of Beings created men
and women, and in the form of commandments in one hundred thousand
chapters laid down rules for regulating their existence with regard
to Dharma,[1]Artha,[2]and
Kama.[3]Some of these
commandments, namely those which treated of Dharma, were separately
written by Swayambhu Manu; those that related to Artha were
compiled by Brihaspati; and those that referred to Kama were
expounded by Nandi, the follower of Mahadeva, in one thousand
chapters.Now these 'Kama Sutra' (Aphorisms on Love), written
byNandiin one thousand chapters, were
reproduced by Shvetaketu, the son of Uddvalaka, in an abbreviated
form in five hundred chapters, and this work was again similarly
reproduced in an abridged form, in one hundred and fifty chapters,
by Babhravya, aninhabitantof the
Punchala (South of Delhi) country. These one hundred and fifty
chapters were then put together under seven heads or parts named
severally—1st. Sadharana (general topics).2nd. Samprayogika (embraces, etc.).3rd. Kanya Samprayuktaka (union of males and
females).4th. Bharyadhikarika (on one's own wife).5th. Paradika (on the wives of other people).6th. Vaisika (on courtesans).7th. Aupamishadika (on the arts of seduction, tonic
medicines, etc.).The sixth part of this last work was separately expounded by
Dattaka at the request of the public women of Pataliputra (Patna),
and in the same way Charayana explained the first part of it. The
remaining parts, viz., the second, third, fourth, fifth, and
seventh were each separately expounded by—Suvarnanabha (second part).Ghotakamukha (third part).Gonardiya (fourth part).Gonikaputra (fifth part).Kuchumara (seventh part), respectively.Thus the work being written in parts by different authors was
almost unobtainable, and as the parts which were expounded by
Dattaka and the others treated only of the particular branches of
the subject to which each part related, and moreover as the
original work of Babhravya was difficult to be mastered on account
of its length, Vatsyayana, therefore, composed his work in a small
volume as an abstract of the whole of the works of the above-named
authors.
CHAPTER II.
ON THE ACQUISITION OF DHARMA, ARTHA AND
KAMA.Man, the period of whose life is one hundred years,
should practise Dharma, Artha, and Kama at different times and in
such a manner that they may harmonize together and not clash in any
way. He should acquire learning in his childhood, in his youth and
middle age he should attend to Artha and Kama, and in his old age
he should perform Dharma, and thus seek to gain Moksha,i.e., release from further
transmigration. Or, on account of the uncertainty of life, he may
practise them at times when they are enjoined to be practised. But
one thing is to be noted, he should lead the life of a religious
student until he finishes his education.Dharmais obedience to the
command of the Shastra or Holy Writ of the Hindoos to do certain
things, such as the performance of sacrifices, which are not
generally done because they do not belong to this world, and
produce no visible effect; and not to do other things, such as
eating meat, which is often done because it belongs to this world,
and has visible effects.Dharma should be learnt from the Shruti (Holy Writ), and from
those conversant with it.Arthais the acquisition of arts,
land, gold, cattle, wealth, equipages and friends. It is, further,
the protection of what is acquired, and the increase of what is
protected.Artha should be learnt from the king's officers, and from
merchants who may be versed in the ways of commerce.Kamais the enjoyment of
appropriate objects by the five senses of hearing, feeling, seeing,
tasting, and smelling, assisted by the mind together with the soul.
The ingredient in this is a peculiar contact between the organ of
sense and its object, and the consciousness of pleasure which
arises from that contact is called Kama.Kama is to be learnt from the Kama Sutra (aphorisms on love)
and from the practice of citizens.When all the three, viz., Dharma, Artha, and Kama come
together, the former is better than the one which follows
it,i.e., Dharma is better than
Artha, and Artha is better than Kama. But Artha should be always
first practised by the king, for the livelihood of men is to be
obtained from it only. Again, Kama being the occupation of public
women, they should prefer it to the other two, and these are
exceptions to the general rule.Objection 1.Some learned men say that as Dharma is connected with things
not belonging to this world, it is appropriately treated of in a
book; and so also is Artha, because it is practised only by the
application of proper means, and a knowledge of those means can
only be obtained by study and from books. But Kama being a thing
which is practised even by the brute creation, and which is to be
found everywhere, does not want any work on the
subject.Answer.This is not so. Sexual intercourse being a thing dependent on
man and woman requires the application of proper means by them, and
those means are to be learnt from the Kama Shastra. The
non-application of proper means, which we see in the brute
creation, is caused by their being unrestrained, and by the females
among them only being fit for sexual intercourse at certain seasons
and no more, and by their intercourse not being preceded by thought
of any kind.Objection 2.The Lokayatikas[4]say:—Religious ordinances
should not be observed, for they bear a future fruit, and at the
same time it is also doubtful whether they will bear any fruit at
all. What foolish person will give away that which is in his own
hands into the hands of another? Moreover, it is better to have a
pigeon to-day than a peacock to-morrow; and a copper coin which we
have the certainty of obtaining, is better than a gold coin, the
possession of which is doubtful.Answer.It is not so. 1st. Holy Writ, which ordains the practice of
Dharma, does not admit of a doubt.2nd. Sacrifices such as those made for the destruction of
enemies, or for the fall of rain, are seen to bear
fruit.3rd. The sun, moon, stars, planets and other heavenly bodies
appear to work intentionally for the good of the
world.4th. The existence of this world is effected by
the observance of the rules respecting the four classes[5]of men and their four
stages of life.5th. We see that seed is thrown into the ground with the hope
of future crops.Vatsyayana is therefore of opinion that the ordinances of
religion must be obeyed.Objection 3.Those who believe that destiny is the prime mover
of all things say:—We should not exert ourselves to acquire wealth,
for sometimes it is not acquired although we strive to get it,
while at other times it comes to us of itself without any exertion
on our part. Everything is therefore in the power of destiny, who
is the lord of gain and loss, of success and defeat, of pleasure
and pain. Thus we see the Bali[6]was raised to the throne
of Indra by destiny, and was also put down by the same power, and
it is destiny only that can re-instate him.Answer.It is not right to say so. As the acquisition of every object
pre-supposes at all events some exertion on the part of man, the
application of proper means may be said to be the cause of gaining
all our ends, and this application of proper means being thus
necessary (even where a thing is destined to happen), it follows
that a person who does nothing will enjoy no
happiness.Objection 4.Those who are inclined to think that Artha is the
chief object to be obtained argue thus. Pleasures should not be
sought for, because they are obstacles to the practice of Dharma
and Artha, which are both superior to them, and are also disliked
by meritorious persons. Pleasures also bring a man into distress,
and into contact with low persons; they cause him to commit
unrighteous deeds, and produce impurity in him; they make him
regardless of the future, and encourage carelessness and levity.
And lastly, they cause him to be disbelieved by all, received by
none, and despised by everybody, including himself. It is
notorious, moreover, that many men who have given themselves up to
pleasure alone, have been ruined along with their families and
relations. Thus, King Dandakya,[7]of the Bhoja dynasty,
carried off a Brahman's daughter with evil intent, and was
eventually ruined and lost his kingdom. Indra, too, having violated
the chastity of Ahalya,[8]was made to suffer for it. In a like manner the mighty
Kichaka,[9]who tried to
seduce Draupadi, and Ravana,[10]who attempted to gain over Sita,
were punished for their crimes. These and many others fell by
reason of their pleasures.Answer.This objection cannot be sustained, for pleasures, being as
necessary for the existence and well being of the body as food, are
consequently equally required. They are, moreover, the results of
Dharma and Artha. Pleasures are, therefore, to be followed with
moderation and caution. No one refrains from cooking food because
there are beggars to ask for it, or from sowing seed because there
are deer to destroy the corn when it is grown up.Thus a man practising Dharma, Artha and Kama enjoys happiness
both in this world and in the world to come. The good perform those
actions in which there is no fear as to what is to result from them
in the next world, and in which there is no danger to their
welfare. Any action which conduces to the practice of Dharma, Artha
and Kama together, or of any two, or even one of them, should be
performed, but an action which conduces to the practice of one of
them at the expense of the remaining two should not be
performed.
CHAPTER III.
ON THE ARTS AND SCIENCES TO BE STUDIED.
Man should study the Kama Sutra and the arts and sciences
subordinate thereto, in addition to the study of the arts and
sciences contained in Dharma and Artha. Even young maids should
study this Kama Sutra along with its arts and sciences before
marriage, and after it they should continue to do so with the
consent of their husbands.
Here some learned men object, and say that females, not being
allowed to study any science, should not study the Kama
Sutra.
But Vatsyayana is of opinion that this objection does
not hold good, for women already know the practice of Kama Sutra,
and that practice is derived from the Kama Shastra, or the science
of Kama itself. Moreover, it is not only in this but in many other
cases that though the practice of a science is known to all, only a
few persons are acquainted with the rules and laws on which the
science is based. Thus the Yadnikas or sacrificers, though ignorant
of grammar, make use of appropriate words when addressing the
different Deities, and do not know how these words are framed.
Again, persons do the duties required of them on auspicious days,
which are fixed by astrology, though they are not acquainted with
the science of astrology. In a like manner riders of horses and
elephants train these animals without knowing the science of
training animals, but from practice only. And similarly the people
of the most distant provinces obey the laws of the kingdom from
practice, and because there is a king over them, and without
further reason.[11]And from experience we find that some women, such as
daughters of princes and their ministers, and public women, are
actually versed in the Kama Shastra.
A female, therefore, should learn the Kama Shastra, or
at least a part of it, by studying its practice from some
confidential friend. She should study alone in private the
sixty-four practices that form a part of the Kama Shastra. Her
teacher should be one of the following persons, viz., the daughter
of a nurse brought up with her and already married,[12]or a female friend
who can be trusted in everything, or the sister of her mother
(i.e., her aunt), or an old female
servant, or a female beggar who may have formerly lived in the
family, or her own sister, who can always be trusted.
The following are the arts to be studied, together with the
Kama Sutra:—
Singing.
Playing on musical instruments.
Dancing.
Union of dancing, singing, and playing instrumental
music.
Writing and drawing.
Tattooing.
Arraying and adorning an idol with rice and flowers.
Spreading and arraying beds or couches of flowers, or flowers
upon the ground.
Colouring the teeth, garments, hair, nails, and
bodies,i.e., staining, dyeing,
colouring and painting the same.
Fixing stained glass into a floor.
The art of making beds, and spreading out carpets and
cushions for reclining.
Playing on musical glasses filled with water.
Storing and accumulating water in aqueducts, cisterns and
reservoirs.
Picture making, trimming and decorating.
Stringing of rosaries, necklaces, garlands and
wreaths.
Binding of turbans and chaplets, and making crests and
top-knots of flowers.
Scenic representations. Stage playing.
Art of making ear ornaments.
Art of preparing perfumes and odours.
Proper disposition of jewels and decorations, and adornment
in dress.
Magic or sorcery.
Quickness of hand or manual skill.
Culinary art,i.e., cooking
and cookery.
Making lemonades, sherbets, acidulated drinks, and spirituous
extracts with proper flavour and colour.
Tailor's work and sewing.
Making parrots, flowers, tufts, tassels, bunches, bosses,
knobs, &c., out of yarn or thread.
Solution of riddles, enigmas, covert speeches, verbal puzzles
and enigmatical questions.
A game, which consisted in repeating verses, and as one
person finished, another person had to commence at once, repeating
another verse, beginning with the same letter with which the last
speaker's verse ended, whoever failed to repeat was considered to
have lost, and to be subject to pay a forfeit or stake of some
kind.
The art of mimicry or imitation.
Reading, including chanting and intoning.
Study of sentences difficult to pronounce. It is played as a
game chiefly by women and children, and consists of a difficult
sentence being given, and when repeated quickly, the words are
often transposed or badly pronounced.
Practice with sword, single stick, quarter staff, and bow and
arrow.
Drawing inferences, reasoning or inferring.
Carpentry, or the work of a carpenter.
Architecture, or the art of building.
Knowledge about gold and silver coins, and jewels and
gems.
Chemistry and mineralogy.
Colouring jewels, gems and beads.
Knowledge of mines and quarries.
Gardening; knowledge of treating the diseases of trees and
plants, of nourishing them, and determining their ages.
Art of cock fighting, quail fighting and ram fighting.
Art of teaching parrots and starlings to speak.
Art of applying perfumed ointments to the body, and of
dressing the hair with unguents and perfumes and braiding
it.
The art of understanding writing in cypher, and the writing
of words in a peculiar way.
The art of speaking by changing the forms of words. It is of
various kinds. Some speak by changing the beginning and end of
words, others by adding unnecessary letters between every syllable
of a word, and so on.
Knowledge of language and of the vernacular dialects.
Art of making flower carriages.
Art of framing mystical diagrams, of addressing spells and
charms, and binding armlets.
Mental exercises, such as completing stanzas or verses on
receiving a part of them; or supplying one, two or three lines when
the remaining lines are given indiscriminately from different
verses, so as to make the whole an entire verse with regard to its
meaning; or arranging the words of a verse written irregularly by
separating the vowels from the consonants, or leaving them out
altogether; or putting into verse or prose sentences represented by
signs or symbols. There are many other such exercises.
Composing poems.
Knowledge of dictionaries and vocabularies.
Knowledge of ways of changing and disguising the appearance
of persons.
Knowledge of the art of changing the appearance of things,
such as making cotton to appear as silk, coarse and common things
to appear as fine and good.
Various ways of gambling.
Art of obtaining possession of the property of others by
means of muntras or incantations.
Skill in youthful sports.
Knowledge of the rules of society, and of how to pay respects
and compliments to others.
Knowledge of the art of war, of arms, of armies,
&c.
Knowledge of gymnastics.
Art of knowing the character of a man from his
features.
Knowledge of scanning or constructing verses.
Arithmetical recreations.
Making artificial flowers.
Making figures and images in clay.
