Money is got out of a lover in two ways visibly natural or lawful means, and by artifices. Old authors are of the view that when a courtesan can get as much money as she wants from her lover, she should not make use of artifice. But Vatsyayana lays down 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 artifice should be resorted to for the purpose of extorting money from him at all events.
Now the artifices to be used for getting money from her lover are as follows: taking money from him on different occasions, for the purpose of purchasing various articles, such as ornaments, food, drink, flowers, perfumes and clothes, and either not buying them, or getting from him more than their cost; praising his intelligence to his face; pretending to be obliged to make gifts on occasion of festivals connected with vows, trees, gardens, temples, or tanks; pretending that at the time of going to his house, her jewels have been stolen either by the king’s guards, or by robbers; alleging that her property has been destroyed by fire, by the falling of her house, or by the carelessness of her servants; pretending to have lost the ornaments of her lover along with her own;
causing him to hear through other people of the expenses incurred by her in coming to see him; contracting debts for the sake of her lover; disputing with her mother on account of some expenses incurred by her for her lover, and which were not approved of by her mother; not going to parties and festivities in the houses of her friends for the want of presents to make to them, she having previously informed her lover of the valuable presents given to her by these very friends; not performing certain festive rites under the pretence that she has no money to perform them with; engaging artists to do something for her lover; entertaining physicians and ministers for the purpose of attaining some object; assisting friends and benefactors both on festive occasions, and in misfortune;
performing household rites; having to pay the expenses of the ceremony of marriage of the son of a female friend; having to satisfy curious wishes during her state of pregnancy; pretending to be ill, and charging her cost of treatment; having to remove the troubles of a friend; selling some of her ornaments, so as to give her lover a present; pretending to sell some of her ornaments, furniture, or cooking utensils to a trader, who has been already tutored how to behave in the manner; having to buy cooking utensils of greater value than those of other people, so that they might be more easily distinguished, and not changed for others of an inferior description; remembering the former favors of her lover, and causing them always to be spoken of by her friends and followers;
informing her lover of the great gains of other courtesans; describing before them, and in the presence of her lover, her own great gains, and making them out to be greater even than theirs, though such may not have been really the case; openly opposing her mother when she endeavors to persuade her to take up with men with whom she has been formerly acquainted, on account of the great gains to be got from them; lastly, pointing out to her lover the liberality of his rivals.
Thus ends the ways and means of getting money.
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