Courtesans and Devadasis in Hindu civilization.
This page has nothing to do with Kamasutra. It simply gives a view of the condition of prostitutes in Classical India and the role of the Devadasis [Female servants of God]
Prostitution.
Since prostitution is considered to be the oldest profession in the world, naturally enough we find it in Hindu society from the begining. In the Vedas one verse apparently speaks of brotherless girls earning their livelihood in this manner and another verse speaks of mahanagni, which means 'the great naked one', but which could mean something else altogether in Vedic Sanskrit. At any rate, the myths are full of such women which surely reflect reality. According to mythology, there are several demi-goddesses called apsaras who act as heavenly courtesans. If an ascetic seems to be gaining too much mystic powers, then the gods would send down these apsaras to tempt them. Inevitably, all of the ascetics succumbed. Their other love affairs also form the staple of many myths. The most noticable thing about these goddesses is their freedom: they consorted with gods and men when they felt like it, boldly made advances, and went away when they no longer wished to remain. Similarly, King Dasaratha sent beautiful human courtesans to the ascetic Rishyasringa to bring him to the royal court.
In the sacred lawbooks we find references to prostitutes, but we do not learn much about them. Kamasutra tells us about the various grades of courtesans but nothing about their social status. By 3 A.D prostitution seems to have become insitutionalised. It was a legal profession and subject to tax. It also seems to have been a family business, since daughters or kinswomen of the courtesans became courtesans themselves when the elder women retired. There were independant courtesans who paid 1/6th of their earnings to the royal treasury. But the State itself ran brothels and had a superintendant to serve the king. Consequently the laws regarding them were quiet complicated.
Each establishment was run by a madam, who was a retired courtesan. When a courtesan was no longer beautiful she was appointed as the caretaker of next generation of courtesans, frequently their female relatives. Lower grade prostotutes were appointed as ordinary servants. Their sons acted as minstrels to the court unless they could ransom themselves by money or by working for 8 years. The courtesans hired for the palace itself were of different types. Some were hired only for their beauty while others were also hired for accomplishments like singing and dancing , knowledge of literature, fine arts, philosophy, sciences and skill in debating. The maids who served the courtesans were also considered as prostitutes but of lower grade. The courtesans were hired at a high annual salary , the same amount that was paid to the court-physician. Depending on their skill and other accomplishments their salary was double or treble of the mininmum amount. However entering into royal service was in the nature of a contract and the conditions were severe. A courtesan was supposed to give her ornaments to her mother to keep them safe; to give it to someone else invited fines. The courtesan cannot refuse to go to anyone whom the king appointed; not to do so invited a high fine or a beating. She could not speak harshly to her clients. They were obliged to serve as spies and to sow dissenssion among the king's enemies, if commanded. If a courtesan wished no longer to serve the king then she has to pay to the king 24 times the minimum annual salary. She could collect this money by two ways: a very rich man might pay it to keep her as his own concubine, or she could pay it herself from her earnings. The sources of a courtesan's income are many --- the money the clients paid her, the salary paid by the king, the money inherited from her mother, and whatever extra sources of income she might have.
There were certain laws applicable to all kinds of courtesans, whether independant or not. If the courtesan accepts her fee from a man (in this context it seems only for singing and dancing or talking) but then refuses to entertain him, then she was fined twice the fee taken. If she took the money for sex but then refuses, then she was fined eight times the fee.
On the other hand she had certain legal protection. If after taking a fee from a client it was found that the man suffered from an infectious disease or was incapable in any way, then she could refuse to entertain him without being guilty. . If any client disfigured her beauty then a heavy fine must be paid; depending on where the wounding had occurred, the fine kept on doubling. Any man who kidnapped an unwilling prostitute or robbed or cheated her was fined heavily. The rape of a courtesan's daughter carried a fine to the State and payment of the amount of money 16 times the fee for a visit, to the mother. Similarly, the rape of a prostitute carried a heavy monetary fine and if it was gang-rape then the fines increased. Though the rape of a highcaste housewife could carry stiffer penalties upto death, monetary fines should not be considered as light punishment since they were heavy enough to bankrupt most people, and nearly all crimes had fines as their punishments. The courtesan was seen as an useful citizeness of the State and so was protected.
It is difficult to know about the exact status of courtesans in ordinary life. Unfortunately literature speaks mostly of highest levels of courtesans who were famous for their accomplishments and enjoyed a high status in society. The ordinary prostitutes were outside the normal circle of family and so surely did not have a respectable status. If she grew old, then those working at State-run establishments were given other work and thus had a measure of security. But there are few facts known about the lives of independant prostitutes --- from the few references it seem that if she had not accumulated enough money, she could then take up the work of teaching younger girls, act as a maid for various types of entertainers or even cheat people by various tricks. If she was lucky she might have become a kind of secondary wife by a well-to-do man. If she was unlucky she might end up as a beggar. But how people treated her --- whether with contempt and hatred, or simply as another low class neccessary in society (say, like the barbars) --- is impossible to say.
On the other end of the scale were the most accomplished courtesans and they were a different matter altogether. They were admired and sought after and men came from far and near merely to witness their non-sexual performances. They were in fact in a peculiar position. A courtesan was a 'public-wife' and so not entitled to the honours and protection that a 'honest' wife would get. If she fell in love there were great many obstacles before her, not least that her mother might complain in court that she had failed in her duty towards her natal family. Yet they enjoyed many advantages that an ordinary housewife did not. Courtesans of the highest grade could fix their own worth and use the money themselves. They were economically independant and far richer than the majority of society. They donated a lot to the temples and thus gained more respectability. Though they had male members in their households they were not under the authority of any man. They could move around freely in day or night, and entertain themselves howsoever they pleased. They had extensive education in every sphere. Their children belonged to them. (The theme of the film 'Pretty Woman' is found in literature as well, with the courtesan with a heart of gold marrying the hero. But as soon as she became a bride she went into the house, no longer looked directly at a strange man, and lost her independance). Above all, they seemed to have a genuinely high position in society if literary evidence reflects social reality. Young girls in literature are urged to be as skilful in and learned as a courtesan. Even the seer Kanva blesses Shakuntala as she sets out for her royal husband's palace in Kalidasa's drama thus: "May you be as accomplished as a courtesan". Here a courtesan's sexual talents are not referred to. The 18th century Tamil text Radhika Santwanam was written by a courtesan. She was an well-regarded poetess in the court and other poets dedicated their works to her as their mentor. Her work shows a high level of confidence and pride in herself and in her ancestresses who had followed the same profession. It is difficult to think of such women as being miserable or yearning to exchange their lifestyle for domesticity.
Devadasi.
The custom of Devadasis or sacred courtesans is an ancient one in Hindu culture. It is found in other ancient civilizations as well. The connection is with fertility. It was believed that a specially consecrated woman who has ritual sex is actually consorting with god or spirits and thus will ensure a good harvest. In Hinduism this finally developed into a full-fledged system. Naturally having intimate relationships with kings, powerful nobles and priests was expected and finally it degenerated into exploitation. But for the less cynical people, it was a genuinely religious institution. While many devdasis sought to escape this system, many also were happy in their exalted status as the consort of God and being the line of communication betwen men and god.
Devadasis came from many sources. Poor people might sell their daughters to the temple. Parents might voluntarily give up their daughters to this service. Becasue it was seen as a holy post, many noble families sent their own daughters --- in this case, there was no stigma of having a daughter as a prostitute. On the contrary, families gained status by having a daughter selected as a devadasi. The chosen young girl was married to the god. On attaining puberty another ceremony with symbolic consumnation was performed. After that she chose her own patron(s) and lovers. Her other tasks included dancing before the god and conducting rites. In most major temples, the practice degenerated into nothing other than prostitution. By 19th century their condition was very bad indeed and the women though still honoured were also regarded as impure.
The devadasi's power lay in her ritual status as God's wife. She was given money and ornamenets so that she had economic independance. She was forever free from stigma of widowhood. Her children remained her own. She was allowed to adopt daughters who became female heirs who inherited. As the divine consort she could attain a great deal of power. Even if she did not, she was revered and her very presence made the region blessed. The contradictions of her position is brought out in her relation with her patron. She did not have the status of wife and was only a sexual commodity, yet in the patron' s house she was asked to preside over rituals like marriage in the belief her blessing would bring good fortune. When she died a magnificent funeral was given and the temple was closed for a day, a honour not even given to the king. Devadasi was thus simulatenously sacred and profane, because in Hinduism the dividing line between the two is blurred.