The Kama Sutra
Chapter II - About Making Acquaintance With the Woman, and of the Efforts to Gain Her Over
ANCIENT authors are of opinion that girls are not so easily seduced by employing female messengers
as by the efforts of the man himself....Vatsyayana lays it down that whenever it is possible a man should always
act himself in these matters, and it is only when such is impracticable, or impossible,
that female messengers should be employed....
Now when a man acts himself in the matter he should first of all make the acquaintance of the woman he loves
in the following manner:
He should arrange to be seen by the woman either on a natural or special opportunity.
A natural opportunity is when one of them goes to the house of the other,
and a special opportunity is when they meet either at the house of a friend, or a caste-fellow,
or a minister, or a physician, as also on the occasion of marriage ceremonies, sacrifices, festivals,
funerals, and garden parties.
When they do meet, the man should be careful to look at her in such a way as to cause the state of his mind
to be made known to her; he should pull about his moustache, make a sound with his nails,
cause his own ornaments to tinkle, bite his lower lip, and make various other signs of that description....
The man should fondle a child that may be sitting on her lap, and give it something to play with,
and also take the same back again. Conversation with respect to the child may also be held with her,
and in this manner he should gradually become well acquainted with her,
and he should also make himself agreeable to her relations....Whenever she wants anything,
or is in need of money, or wishes to acquire skill in one of the arts,
he should cause her to understand that he is willing and able to do anything that she wants, to give her money,
or teach her one of the arts, all these things being quite within his ability and power.
In the same way he should hold discussions with her in company with other people,
and they should talk of the doings and sayings of other persons, and examine different things, like jewellery,
precious stones, etc. On such occasions he should show her certain things with the values of which she may be unacquainted,
and if she begins to dispute with him about the things or their value, he should not contradict her,
but point out that he agrees with her in every way.
Thus end the ways of making the acquaintance of woman desired.
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