नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

492 THE NĀṬYAŚĀSTRA [ XXV. 74

A courtezan’s mercenary treatment of men

74. Courtezans except when they belongs to gods or the king are always available for money to a man whether he is dear to them or not.

75-76. [To them] a man [giving money] becomes dear even if they hated him before, becomes dearer than ever if she already was dear to them, appears to be well-behaved even if he is wicked, and to be possessed of good many qualities even if has none.

On seeing him their eyeballs dance [in joy] and they smile as it were with eyes, and due to simulation of [proper] feeling their faces put up a pleasant colour.

77. Hence after understanding the feeling or its want in women one should approach them according to the methods mentioned in the Science of Love (kāmatantra)¹.

78. Passion arises in them after they have been treated properly or they have been separated after the first Union just as fire comes out of the wood.

79. This is the traditional method of dealing with women so far as Gallants are concerned. This should be utilised in suitable measure in the Nāṭaka or the Prakaraṇa.

80. This is the method of dealing with courtezans to be followed by the experts. Now listen about the Special Representation.

Here ends the Chapter XXV of Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra, which treats of the External Manners.

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74 (C.74; K.XXIII.70),
75-76 (C.75-76; K.XXIII.71-72).
77 (K.XXIII.743). ¹ C. omits this passage which is merely a variant of 65 (K.61).
78 (C.77; K.XXIII.74). 79 (C.78; K.XXIII.75).
80 (C.79; K.XXIII.76).