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CHAPTER II
OF THE EMBRACE
THIS part of the Kama Shastra, which treats of sexual union, is
also called `Sixty-four' (Chatushshashti). Some old authors say
that it is called so, because it contains sixty-four chapters. Others
are of opinion that the author of this part being a person named
Panchala, and the person who recited the part of the Rig Veda called
Dashatapa, which contains sixty-four verses, being also called Panchala,
the name `sixty-four' has been given to the part of the work in
honour of the Rig Vedas. The followers of Babhravya say on the other
hand that this part contains eight subjects, viz. the embrace, kissing,
scratching with the nails or fingers, biting, lying down, making
various sounds, playing the part of a man, and the Auparishtaka,
or mouth congress. Each of these subjects being of eight kinds,
and eight multiplied by eight being sixty-four, this part is therefore
named `sixty-four'. But Vatsyayana affirms that as this part contains
also the following subjects, viz. striking, crying, the acts of
a man during congress, the various kinds of congress, and other
subjects, the name `sixty-four' is given to it only accidentally.
As, for instance, we say this tree is `Saptaparna', or seven-leaved,
this offering of rice is `Panchavarna', or five-coloured, but the
tree has not seven leaves, neither has the rice five colours.
However the part sixty-four is now treated of, and the embrace,
being the first subject, will now be considered.
Now the embrace which indicates the mutual love of a man and woman
who have come together is of four kinds:
Touching
Rubbing
Piercing
Pressing
The action in each case is denoted by the meaning of the word which
stands for it.
When a man under some pretext or other goes in front or alongside
of a woman and touches her body with his own, it is called the
`touching embrace'.
When a woman in a lonely place bends down, as if to pick up something,
and pierces, as it were, a man sitting or standing, with her breasts,
and the man in return takes hold of them, it is called a `piercing
embrace'.
The above two kinds of embrace take place only between persons
who do not, as yet, speak freely with each other.
When two lovers are walking slowly together, either in the dark,
or in a place of public resort, or in a lonely place, and rub
their bodies against each other, it is called a `rubbing embrace'.
When on the above occasion one of them presses the other's body
forcibly against a wall or pillar, it is called a `pressing embrace'.
These two last embraces are peculiar to those who know the intentions
of each other.
At the time of the meeting the four following kinds of embrace
are used:
Jataveshtitaka, or the twining of a creeper.
Vrikshadhirudhaka, or climbing a tree.
Tila-Tandulaka, or the mixture of sesamum seed with rice.
Kshiraniraka, or milk and water embrace.
When a woman, clinging to a man as a creeper twines round a tree,
bends his head down to hers with the desire of kissing him and
slightly makes the sound of sut sut, embraces him, and looks lovingly
towards him, it is called an embrace like the `twining of a creeper'.
When a woman, having placed one of her feet on the foot of her
lover, and the other on one of his thighs, passes one of her arms
round his back, and the other on his shoulders, makes slightly
the sounds of singing and cooing, and wishes, as it were, to climb
up him in order to have a kiss, it is called an embrace like the
`climbing of a tree'.
These two kinds of embrace take place when the lover is standing.
When lovers lie on a bed, and embrace each other so closely that
the arms and thighs of the one are encircled by the arms and thighs
of the other, and are, as it were, rubbing up against them, this
is called an embrace like `the mixture of sesamum seed with rice'.
When a man and a woman are very much in love with each other,
and, not thinking of any pain or hurt, embrace each other as if
they were entering into each other's bodies either while the woman
is sitting on the lap of the man, or in front of him, or on a
bed, then it is called an embrace like a `mixture of milk and
water'.
These two kinds of embrace take place at the time of sexual union.
Babhravya has thus related to us the above eight kinds of embraces.
Suvarnanabha moreover gives us four ways of embracing simple members
of the body, which are:
The embrace of the thighs.
The embrace of the jaghana, i.e. the part of the body from the
navel downwards to the thighs.
The embrace of the breasts.
The embrace of the forehead.
When one of two lovers presses forcibly one or both of the thighs
of the other between his or her own, it is called the `embrace
of thighs'.
When a man presses the jaghana or middle part of the woman's body
against his own, and mounts upon her to practise, either scratching
with the nail or finger, or biting, or striking, or kissing, the
hair of the woman being loose and flowing, it is called the `embrace
of the jaghana'.
When a man places his breast between the breasts of a of Vatsyayana
woman and presses her with it, it is called the `embrace of the
breasts'.
When either of the lovers touches the mouth, the eyes and the
forehead of the other with his or her own, it is called the `embrace
of the forehead'.
Some say that even shampooing is a kind of embrace, because there
is a touching of bodies in it. But Vatsyayana thinks that shampooing
is performed at a different time, and for a different purpose,
and it is also of a different character, it cannot be said to
be included in the embrace.
There are also some verses on the subject as follows:
`The whole subject of embracing is of such a nature that men who
ask questions about it, or who hear about it, or who talk about
it, acquire thereby a desire for enjoyment. Even those embraces
that are not mentioned in the Kama Shastra should be practised
at the time of sexual enjoyment, if they are in any way conducive
to the increase of love or passion. The rules of the Shastra apply
so long as the passion of man is middling, but when the wheel
of love is once set in motion, there is then no Shastra and no
order.'
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