Acquiring wealth

Arthagamopaya Prakarana

oney is obtained from a lover either by natural and lawful means, or by artifice. The ancient sages advised that if a courtesan can elicit abundant money from her lover, she should not make use of artifice. But Vatsyayana affirms that though she may get some money from him by natural means, yet when she makes use of artifice he gives her doubly more, and therefore, it should be resorted to for extorting money from him.

Adept at the art of giving sexual fulfillment, the young courtesan sits atop his erect lingam in a posture that provides him with a beautiful view of her rounded posteriors. He uses his legs to vigorously thrust upwards.

Extracting Money by Artifice

The artifices to be used for obtaining money from her lover are: taking money from him for the purchase of ornaments, food, drink, flowers, perfumes and clothes, and either not buy them or buy them at a lower cost; praising his intelligence to his face, thereby obliging him to present gifts on festive occasions connected with vows, tree worship, garden parties, temple feasts and Holi - the festival of color; asserting falsely that her jewels have been forcibly taken by the king's guards or by robbers on her way to his house; alleging that her belongings have been destroyed by fire due to negligent servants; pretending to have lost his ornaments with her own; conveying to him through other people the expenses incurred by her in coming to see him; contracting debts for his sake; disputing with her mother about some expense incurred by her on his behalf; not attending parties in her friends' houses for lack of suitable presents, in return for their valuable presents to her; not performing certain festive rites due to lack of money; engaging artists to perform for him; and entertaining physicians and ministers who are important for attaining his objects.

Other methods of extracting money by artifice are: assisting friends and benefactors on festive occasions and in misfortune; paying the marriage expenses of a friend's son; recovering the cost of treatment of a pretended illness; satisfying abnormal desires during her pregnancy; giving her lover a valuable memento by selling some of her ornaments, furniture, or cooking utensils to a trader, well tutored in concealment; buying expensive cooking utensils more easily distinguishable than those of other people; remembering his former favors, and having them spoken of by friends and followers; telling him in glowing, exaggerated terms of the riches of rival courtesans; describing to other courtesans, and in his presence, her own valuable possessions, and even falsely exaggerating their openly opposing her mother who is persuading her to reunite with former lovers who richer; and lastly, extolling to her lover the liberality of his rivals.

A courtesan accompanied by musicians and a group of dancers displays her dancing skills in a lively performance in the king's court. Such performances reap handsome rewards in the form of money, gold and jewels.

Getting Rid of a Lover

A woman should always know her lover's state of mind, feelings, and disposition by the changes in his temper, manner, and facial expressions. A waning lover's behavior can be judged when he gives the woman less than is wanted, or something other than is asked for, false promises, building up her hopes, pretending to do something and doing otherwise; not fulfilling her wishes, forgetting his promises, speaking with his servants incoherently and mysteriously; and at every opportunity, sleeping in another house under some pretext.

When a courtesan finds that her lover's disposition towards her is changing, she should take possession of all his valuables before he becomes aware of her intentions, and allow a supposed creditor to take them away forcibly from her in satisfaction of a pretended debt. After this, if the lover is rich and has behaved well towards her, she should always treat him with respect; but if he becomes poor and destitute, she should free herself from him. Getting rid of a lover who is out of favor is achieved by denigrating his habits and vices as disagreeable and censurable, sneering and stamping her foot; speaking on a subject of which he is ignorant, scoffing at his learning, and thus belittling his pride; seeking the company of men who are superior to him in learning and wisdom, disregarding him on all occasions; censuring men with the same faults as his; expressing dissatisfaction at his methods of enjoyment, not letting him kiss her, refusing access to her bed and denying his rights to her body; showing a dislike for the wounds made by his nails and teeth, keeping completely still during forced congress, seducing him when he is fatigued and joking at his failure, while laughing at his attachment to her; not responding to his embraces by feigning sleep or going out visiting when he desires to enjoy her during the daytime. Other ways of belittling him are: misconstruing his words, and laughing without reason or at his jokes, looking with side glances at her own attendants, clapping at his statements, interrupting his stories, telling other stories, proclaiming his faults and vices as incurable; speaking disparagingly about him to her female attendants; not looking at him when he comes to her; asking him for what cannot be granted; and, after all, dismissing him.

There are some shlokas on this subject :

The duty of a courtesan consists in forming connections with suitable men after due and full consideration, and attaching the person with whom she is united to herself; in obtaining wealth from the person attached to her, and then dismissing him after she has taken away all his possessions.

A courtesan leading in this manner the life of a wife is not troubled with too many lovers, and yet obtains abundance of wealth.

If a former lover, turned away by the courtesan wishes to reunite with her, she should determine his intentions: whether or not he still has any affection for her, and would consequently spend money upon her. If after mature consideration, she finds his intentions to be really upright, she can reconcile with him.