नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

-XXV. 42] DEALINGS WITH COURTEZANS 487

a woman may be kept out of anger and even if angry she may be pacified¹.

33-35. A covetous woman should be won over by [making her] a gift of money, a learned woman by knowledge of arts, a clever woman by sportfulness, a sensitive woman by acting to her desire, a woman who hates man by stories to her liking, a girl below sixteen (bālā) by a present of playthings, a terrified woman by cheering her up, a proud woman by servile attendance and a noble lady by the practice of arts¹.

The three types of woman

36. Women, are by nature of three classes : superior, middling and inferior.

The superior woman

37-39. The woman who remains unperturbed when she has been offended, does not use harsh words to her beloved, has a short-lived anger, possesses skill in arts and crafts, is desired by men for her high birth, wealth, capacity for giving enjoyment and the like, is an expert in the acts of love (kāmatantra), is honest, possesses physical charm, becomes angry only when there is a [proper] cause, speaks without malice and knows the proper occasion [for all acts] is of the superior class (uttamā)¹.

The middling woman

40-41. The woman who desires men and is desired by men, is skilled in the acts of love, jealous of her rivals, is overcome with malice and has a short-lived anger, is proud, and can be pacified in a moment, is of the middling class (madhyamā)¹.

The inferior woman

42. The woman who is angry without a suitable cause, ill-natured, very proud, fickle, harsh and remains angry for a long-time, is of the inferior class (adhamā)¹.

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¹ Read 32b. as yena ca priyate etc.
33-35 (C.33-35; K.XXIII.31b-33). ¹ K. omits. 54a.
36 (C.36; K.XXIII.34).
37-39 (C.37-39; K.XXIII.35-37). ¹ Cf. BhP. p. 102, l. 1-5.
40-41 (C.40-41; K.XXIII.38-39). ¹ Cf. BhP. p. 102, l. 6-9.
42 (C.42; K.XXIII.40). ¹ Cf. BhP. p. 102, l. 10-13.