Pururava-manasija-sutra
About the text
Another word in the title — "paururava" indicates mythological authorship attributed to the legendary King Purupavasy. There is a spectacular hymn in the Rigveda, honoring the story of this King´s love for the Apsara Urvashi who was rescued by him. One part of this hymn appears to be lost, but the missing part of the story is presented in "Shatapathka-brakhmani".
Witty Apsara set several conditions before the King. He was required to satisfy her sexually three times a day: never take her by force or use violence and interestingly, she did not want to see him naked, so all of the above happened at night. But cunning Gandharvas, who were fond of Aspara, orchestrated that one of the conditions were broken and Urvashi turned into a swan and flew away.
The further plot about searching for the beloved one can be found in fairy tales like "The Swan Princess", but we are interested in the first part of the myth. The complexity of the task and variety of love exercises made Pururavasa the archetype of the great lover. That is why the authorship of sutra is attributed to him.
Of course, it is not true. The sutra was written in fully classical Sanskrit, not vedik one. Moreover, it contains terms from Natya-shastra and Nyaya. The term "svadhisthana" is also used to refer to the female genitalia, however, it was established in Yoga only around the 12th century. Therefore, the sutra was written after this period. On the other hand, it mentions Vedic gods like Kama, Indra, and Brahma, but not the gods of the Hindu pantheon. In addition, it describes relatively liberal customs, such as recommending premarital sex. This means that the sexual culture has not yet been messed up by Islamic or European influences. Therefore, I would estimate the dating period of the text is around the 12th to 14th centuries.
(c) Andrey Safronov, "Notes in the Margins of Ancient Texts"
athātah paurūravasaṃ manasijasūtraṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ ॥ 1॥
tacchāstraparijñāne yuvāvasthāyāḥ prayojakatvāt ॥ 2 ॥
We are introducing Manasija-sutra by Pururavas since people at a young age are eager to learn about this science.
Phases of a love game
aṅgacatuṣtayopalakṣito ratyānandaḥ ॥ 4 1॥
Pleasure from passion could be divided into four1 phases.
1 In the edition available to us, this line was numbered 4, and we moved it in accordance with the story’s structure.
darpakodvodhane śyāmādharasudhāprāśanamaupadeśikāṅgam ॥ 3॥
The first phase is about savoring a nectar from the lips of a young maiden, when longing is awakening.
urasi kucābhyāṃ saṃśleṣaṇaṃ dvitiyamaṅgam ॥5॥
The second phase is pressing the woman’s breasts to the man’s chest.
doṣbhyām kucayorupamardanaṃ tretīyamaṅgam ॥ 6॥
Squeezing the breasts with the hands is the third phase.
jatukāṣṭhavatsaṃśleṣaṇaṃ turīyamaṅgam ॥ 7॥
The fourth one is intercourse [so intimate] like [connection] between a tree and a resin.
Types of pleasure
svādhiṣṭhānasudhāyā anuprāśanaṃ paramānandakāraḥ ॥ 8॥
The greatest pleasure is reached by the following2 savoring of the nectar of Svadhishthana.
2 After listed above phases.
ananyajasadmani sākalyenodañjipraveśaḥ brahmānandasyoupādānakāraṇam ॥ 9॥
The reason for experiencing pleasure [similar to pleasure] of Brahma is an absolute penetration of the penis into the abode of Kama3.
3 In the womb
udañjisāmipraveśaḥ lekharṣabhānande prayojakībhūto hetuḥ ॥10॥
A unique source of pleasure [similar to pleasure] of Indra is a half-way penetration of the penis.
añjisthāne anukṣaṇavyāghātāsya sādhakatamaṃ dārḍhyaṃ paramakāraṇam ॥ 11॥
The source of the greatest [pleasure] is very powerful and frequent thrusts of the penis in the womb at the moment of strong erection.
saṅkucitasvādhisthānasya bhedanakāryajanyamānandamavāṇmanasagocaram ॥12॥
The satisfaction that has arisen from the active unfolding of tight svadhishthana is beyond discussion and comprehension.
sardagṛdivyāghātaḥ cidābhāsasyānudarśane paramakāraṇam ॥13॥
The origin of the highest [pleasure, leading to] contemplation of the light of consciousness is the thrusts into a single spot of sardagridi4.
4 According to the commentary, a single spot of sardagridi is four fingers below the navel and is associated with a flower. It is likely to be the cervix.
Ways of arousing desire
darpakajanyasyābhyarhitatve ekatalprāohaṇasyātyāvaśyakatvāt ॥14॥
A dire need to share a bed [is driven by] admiration for newly arisen desire.
yuvatiabhilāṣā ratyutsāhavardhane hetuḥ puruṣābhilāṣāyāścānuṣaṅgikatvāt ॥15॥
The passion is intensifying when the desire of a young woman is conditioned [by his response] by the man’s desire.
aupadeśikasyānaṅgasaṅgrāmasya yuvatīnamānandatṛptau prayojakatvābhāvāt ॥16॥
[The desire of a woman exists] due to the lack of her aspiration to orgasm during the first love battle5.
5 Literally “in the battle of the Bodiless.” “Bodiless” is one of the epithets of Kama.
dvitīyāhave tu tatsattvāt ॥17॥
On the other hand, there is [a thirst for climaxing] during the second [love battle].
puruṣānāṃ tadvaiparītyāt ॥18॥
For men, it [happens] the opposite way.
āliṅganakucadhāraṇdiriva nīvīśayasthāpanasyāpyabhimatatvāt smaroddīpane asādhāraṇakāraṇarūpatvāt ॥19॥
A particular kindling of passion [arises] from the desire to put a hand on the womb6, similar [kindling of passion arise] during cuddling, squeezing of the breasts, and other [phases].
6 Could be read as “into the womb”.
Feelings we experience during an intercourse
vyānatādiprabandhasya yuvāvasthāyāḥ prayojakatvāt ॥20 ॥
Poses starting with the “kneeling” one are suitable for a young age7.
7 This refers to the list of poses in Kalyaana-maala text, where “kneeling pose” is the first one .
sardagṛdi-vyāghātajanyasyānandasyānubhūter ubhayaniṣṭhatvaṃ rasānandānubhūter ubhayatra saṃśliṣṭatvāt ॥21॥
The sensation of orgasm, arising from the thrusts upon the point of sardagradi, rests in both [in man and woman], following the merging of pleasures with juices from both sides.
secanakālaḥ sāyujyānandasya anubhavadarśane prayojakībhūto hetuḥ ॥22॥
The moment of ejaculation is a special motive for experiencing pleasure from an intercourse.
urojasaṅgrahaṇe tadgatakāṭhinyasya prayojakatvam ॥23॥
The method to provoke the hardness8 of nipples is squeezing the breasts.
8 The word “gata” could be interpreted both as arising and disappearance of the hardness. The commentator has noticed this duality and allows for a different interpretation of the sutra: The method [that should be used] when hardness of the nipples disappears involves squeezing the breasts.
kāṭhinyasyopādānakāraṇarūpatvāt ॥24॥
Because [this kind of squeezing] is the immediate cause of the hardness [of the nipples].
śambarārerāyodhane udañjidhārṣṭyaprayojakatvam ॥25॥
For the battle with the enemy of Shambary9 , the hardness of the penis [is] a driving force,
9 The enemy of Shambary is Praduymna, the embodiment of Kama. It refers to love battle
dhātusañcayodrekasyāpi tathātvamubhayoḥ kāryakāraṇarūpatvāt ॥26॥
since both10 [states are] in a cause-and-effect connection to the decrease or increase of the body fluids.
10 Hardness of the breasts and penis.
yonimukhe udañjimukhapraveśasyācireṇa urojodbhave paramakāraṇatvam ॥27॥
The ultimate reason for swift hopping of the female breasts is the penetration of the head of the penis into the depths of the womb11.
11 Or by touching the clitoris with the penis
prakṛtivikārasya lohitaupacayaḥ ratyutsāhavardhane hetuḥ ॥28॥
The form changes with the rush of blood as intensity of passion increases.
ubhayorupacayaḥ manmathasaṅgarasya rucyutpādakatve hetuḥ ॥29॥
When desire is emerging, blood rushing to the genitals of both partners leads to amorous unity12.
12 Could be also translated as “amorous battle”.
adharāmṛtāsvādanaṃ tu aupadeśika-rasotpatternidānam ॥ 30॥
Sipping the nectar of immortality from the lips [is] the cause of the emergence of the first rasa13.
13 The first rasa (out of the eight described in the “Natya Shastra”) is the shringara-rasa: the emotional state of erotic excitement.
radane daśanaṃ tu sannihitarasāvirbhāvasya kāraṇam ॥31॥
A bite with teeth is the experience of another rasa14, connected to the previous one.
14 Vira-rasa is heroic, uplifting-manipura state.
saṃśleṣaṇasyāpi pūrvoktarasasyaiva avasthāntaratvam ॥32॥
Experience, similar to the abovementioned rasa [also arises] during cuddling.
jatukāṣṭhavat saṃśleṣe’api caramarasasyautsargikatvena prādhānyam ॥33॥
The most important factor for the ultimate rasa15 is a [strong] embrace comparable to the bonding of a tree with resin.
15 vira-rasa.
State of sensations after the intercourse
secanadiṣṭasyopariṣṭādvartamānasyānehasaḥ viragotpādane hetukāraṇatvam ॥34॥
The time following the moment of orgasm is the primary cause of detachment.
muhūrtakālasyopariṣṭādvartamānasya samayasyotpannavirāgasya pradhvaṃsanadvārā ratyutsāhaśaktau paramakāraṇam ॥35॥
The passion [recures] when detachment disappears within 1 muhurta16 after its onset.
16 48 minutes.
nirlomayonisambhedasya puruṣaśakteḥ paramakāraṇatvam ॥36॥
The highest origin of male potency lies in the fusion with a hairless womb,
puruṣaśakterabhāve sambhedaṃ kartumaśakyatvāt ॥37॥
as without male potency, the union with the womb is beyond reach.17
17It’s likely that the lines got mixed up here, and this line should be placed after line 33
pañcaśarajanye yuvatianumateḥ prayojakatvāt ॥38॥
According to the guideline, a woman’s consent is essential for the emergence of desire.
anumatyabhāve janyāvasānasyārthākṣiptatvāt ॥39॥
Arisen [desire] diminishes when a [woman’s] consent is absent.
Connection between the desire and the season
sahasyadiṣṭe darpakajanyasya atīvepsitatvam ॥40॥
The awakening of desire is particularly desirable during the period of Sahasya (December-January).
kusumasamaye’pi tathātvam ॥41॥
[The intercourse is desirable] also during the blossoming period (in spring).
rohitāśvasyādhiṣṭhāne ‘ṅgapradhāna-sākalyenānanyajasaṅgare yatheccham abhyanujñāsampradānam ॥42॥
In October – November the consent to the amorous battle and its fundamental steps18 is given in accordance with desire.
18 They are described in 3-6 lines.
jaivātṛkādhiṣṭhāne’pi tathātvam ॥43॥
Similarly, [it happens] in November-December.
anīcakāśe kāle bāhyatantrasyaiva prādhānyam ॥44॥
During the high grass season (in autumn) the priority should be given to other arts.
uṣmakasyānehasi śaraghasrāntarite jhaṣaketorāyodhanasyābhyanujñānam ॥45॥
During the hot season (in summer) the amorous battle is prescribed once every five days.
prāvṛṣi paṅktisaṅkhyāvicchedena ratijanyasyopadeśaḥ ॥46॥
[In the guidelines] it is stated that during the rainy season (in July – October) passion arises every 10 days.
Levels of pleasure of a man depending on woman´s age
atiśyāmābhiḥ saha samprayogo janolokānandānubhave’ anuśāsanavākyasyopadeśaḥ ॥47॥
The guideline says that sex with older19 [girls] gives pleasure of wordly [nature]
tapolokasya anandānubhave pūrvarūpapūrṇāvasthāyāḥ niyatakāraṇatvam ॥48॥
[Reaching] the experience of pleasure on the level of ascetics [involves] intercourse with young women20.
20śyāmā.
sarvānandasamūhebhyas utpannasyānirvacanīyānandasyānubhave upaśyāmāsamprayogaḥ ॥49॥
Sex with very young girls21 fulfills with the experience of indescribable pleasure, [similar] to the one arises when all pleasure are pieced together.
21 upaśyāmā.
atikrāntāvasthayā saha samprayogo sāmānyānandasyāvabhāsakaḥ ॥50॥
Sex with the women, whose youth has passed is described as a tranquil pleasure.
praveṣṭasaṅgrahaṇāttatpurastādyathecchaṃ rativilāsasyānuśāsane’ adhikāra(ka)tvam ॥51॥
diṣṭaprakṛtivikārasya praveṣṭasaṅgrahaṇaṃ ratitantrāvasāne prayojakībhūto hetuḥ ॥52॥
The freedom to enjoy passion at will, both before and after marriage is explained as follows:
“The marriage during change of age is a unique reason for the conclusion of the passion practice”.22
22 Different translation is possible: embracing the hand of aging (time of transformation [our] nature). It is accepting our aging.
About the translation of the text:
“Paururava-manasija-sutra” is relatively unknown for wider audience text from Kamashastra canon (Science of Love). It should be noted that the text differs significantly from more well-known texts, both in the rhetoric (using somewhat unconventional terminology for this genre) and in ideas it expresses. The text clearly reflects the influence of yogic terminology and tantra.
We have at our disposal a version of this text published by the “Chokomba” publishing house in the middle of the last century, along with an elaborate commentary in Sanskrit, which significantly facilitated the understanding of the very concise sutras. Unfortunately, the commentary for a couple of sutras has been lost, which created certain difficulties that we managed to overcome.
The materials were systematized by Vitaliy Koshlatyy, Kateryna Sotova, Olha Furmanuk, Dmytro Danilov, and others. Final refinement of the text: Roman Ohnevyyuk, Olha Nelina, Olha Chernyak, Tetiana Prykhodko.
Translation into English Hanna Rogkova.