The Kama Sutra: Part I Chapter 2
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CHAPTER 2
ON THE ACQUISITION OF DHARMA, ARTHA AND KAMAMAN,
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.
Dharma is 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.
Artha is 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.
Kama is 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 always be
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 1Some 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.
AnswerThis 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 2The Lokayatikas1
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 today than a peacock
tomorrow; and a copper coin which we have the certainty of obtaining, is better
than a gold coin, the possession of which is doubtful.
AnswerIt 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 of men and their four stages
of life.2
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 3Those 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 that Bali3
was raised to the throne of Indra by destiny, and was also put down by the same
power, and it is destiny only that call reinstate him.
AnswerIt is not right to say so. As the acquisition of every
object presupposes 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 4Those 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, 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, was made to suffer for it. In a like manner the
mighty Kichaka, who tried to seduce Draupadi, and Ravana, who attempted to gain
over Sita, were punished for their crimes. These and many others fell by reason
of their pleasures.4
AnswerThis 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.
Footnotes
1
These were certainly materialists who seemed to think that a bird in the
hand was worth two in the bush.
2
Among the Hindoos the four classes of men are the Brahmans or priestly
class, the Kshutrya or warlike class, the Vaishya or agricultural and
mercantile class, and the Shoodra or menial class. The four stages of life
are, the life of a religious student, the life of a householder, the life of a
hermit, and the life of a Sunyasi or devotee.
3
Bali was a demon who had conquered Indra and gained his throne, but was
afterwards overcome by Vishnu at the time of his fifth incarnation.
4
Dandakya is said to have abducted from the forest the daughter of a
Brahman, named Bhargava, and, being cursed by the Brahman, was buried with his
kingdom under a shower of dust. The place was called after his name the
Dandaka forest, celebrated in the Bamayana, but now unknown.
Ahalya was the wife of the sage Gautama. Indra caused
her to believe that he was Gautama, and thus enjoyed her. He was cursed by
Gautama and subsequently afflicted with a thousand ulcers on his body.
Kichaka was the brother-in-law of King Virata, with
whom the Pandavas had taken refuge for one year. Kichaka was killed by Bhima,
who assumed the disguise of Draupadi. For this story the Mahabarata should be
referred to.
The story of Ravana is told in the Ramayana, which
with the Mahabarata form the two great epic poems of the Hindoos; the latter
was written by Vyasa, and the former by Valmiki.
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