On Union — Part 2 — Conclusion

Having established the rati in part 1, let’s move on to further details on the “union” subject.

A nAgarika is advised to keep all these acts in a specially built pleasure room, decorated with fragrant flowers and equipped with all necessary amenities of drinks and food. One should receive the partner who is bathed and presented well, offer the refreshments, and make her comfortably sit on his left side. Engage in a discussion that is pleasant and slowly draws interest towards the union by talking suggestively. The couple then can sing, converse in a coarse manner, and play musical instruments together. They persuade each other to drink. Having started the congress in this manner, chatushasti the variations of embrace, kissing, rubbing, touching, pressing, scratching, biting, and the congress are applied to please each other till both arrive at the end of the union. They should go to the washing room separately and freshen up. After that, it is advised to consume betel leaves and apply sandal paste to each other’s bodies. After having fresh juice or any other light refreshing food, they are advised to sit on the terrace and watch the moon and multiple star constellations. They continue conversing lovingly. This is how the Congress will end.

If all this is so agreeable, where is the novelty? What makes the whole of rati highly enjoyable to the couples all the way through their lifespan?

praNaya-kalaha — love quarrels

When I posted the above picture seen on the big temple with the caption “What is this picture about?” on all my social media channels, almost no one replied.

That is Lord Siva appeasing Mother pArvati after a love quarrel. It becomes very boring when the whole relationship is very smooth. Both partners are pleasing the other, then the pleasure becomes boring. So, there are bits of spice that are added by the nAgarikas to create some misunderstanding in the interest in each other. The play that is used in regard to the above picture is known as gOtra-skhalana i.e., bringing in the name of Ganga when closely engaged with pArvati. That sets the mood completely off to the partner and the skill of winning her back is known as praNaya-kalaha.

So, we reach the conclusion of book 2 of kAma-SAstra, nearly after 8 years of starting this in just 6 posts. I have deliberately excluded lots of details of the chatushasti, and interested readers can take the authentic kAmasUtra to study all the variations that are used in the union.