Sexual Equations in Bharattantra
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Desolate Wasteland
The anti-sex and anti marriage bias of the Desert Bloc has created a global population of nearly 1 crore prostitutes (10 million). Marriage is seen mostly as dysfunctional system across the West or exploitative as in the Islāmic world.
Sexual dynamics of Indian society does not stop at the explicit sculptures of Khajuraho, Konark or the Kamasutra. The most remarkable is the पंच कन्या panch-kanya pantheon.
Concept, Execution, Implementation
अहल्या द्रौपदी तारा कुंती मंदोदरी तथा ।
पंच कन्या स्मरेन्नित्य महापातकनाशनम् ।
Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari
Keeping in memory these five maidens will destroy greatest sins
All these 5 women, considered the ideals of womanhood, ‘knew’ multiple men. Unlike the 5 satis, whose sexual experience was limited only to their husbands. Even today, in classically minded households, the पंच कन्या panch-kanyapantheon is held as ideal in India.
This post extracted below technically examines in much detail, the significance of this shloka. Yet, the post below does not propose an alternate sexual equation – different from the Desert Bloc.
Walking The Talk
The relevance of this shloka was the sexual equation between the genders in भारत-तंत्र Bharat-tantra. This shloka proves how sexual liberty for women was guaranteed in भारत-तंत्र Bharat-tantra.
There is another traditional verse celebrating five satis, chaste wives: Sati, Sita, Savitri, Damayanti and Arundhati. Are then Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari not chaste wives because each has “known” a man, or more than one, other than her husband? If so, why should invoking them be extolled as redeeming? Moreover, why is the intriguing term kanya applied to them?
Of this group, three – Ahalya, Tara, Mandodari – belong to Ramayana, the epic composed by Valmiki, the first seer-poet. Draupadi and Kunti are celebrated inMahabharata, Harivamsa and the Markandeya, Devi Bhagavata and BhagavataPuranas. (via Panchkanya : Women of Substance by Pradip Bhattacharya).
भारत-तंत्र Bharat-tantra guarantees four freedoms – धर्म (dharma – justice), अर्थ (arth – wealth and means), काम (kaam – human desires) मोक्ष (moksha – liberty) and ensures three rights – ज़र (jar - gold), जन (jan - human ties) and जमीन (jameen – property) for all.
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- Konark Kamasutra Series
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- Konark Kamasutra Series2
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- Konark Kamasutra Series3
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- Konark Kamasutra Series4
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- Konark Kamasutra Series5
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- Konark Kamasutra Series6
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Since when is Ahalya,Draupadi,Kunti,Tara,Mandodari considered “ideals of womenhood”?
Which “classically minded households” (whatever that may be) considers them ideal ?
“Sexual liberty” ?
Sure, Surpanakha had that. RenukaChowdry and chaddi brigade also hav that!
But, on what basis is the assumption being made that ‘sexual liberty’ is guaranteed in that sloka?
It also gives the specific section-chapter-verse from the various texts. Where did the Sun Temple from Konark and the Khajuraho come from?
anurag.. there is some ambiguity in the liberty that you are talking, and the context in which it is understood today.. does it mean, any women can have any number of partners?
i think, the point you are raising is NOT universal, and NOT free sex.. every woman have all the liberty.. but within the social boundaries, and the social roles..
Unlike desert blocs which considers sex as sin, our society had no such hostility, and it was part of the larger divine..
Draupadi temples are very common in villages of TamilNadu and Andhra. Many girls were named Ahalya and Draupai in TN till recently (until takeover by bollywood,kollywood etc.)
A few years ago, someone actually bought these Kamasutra sculptures in Puri. Thumbnail sized, these figurines, simple and in stone, were commonly available in Puri.
” each has “known” a man, or more than one, other than her husband”
Could you explain this for Tara and Mandodri.
Though a quick search of Valmiki Ramayana, said nothing of Vibheeshana-Mandodari, the history of Raghu Ramchandra and Ram Rajya was written by many. In many other accounts, Tara, Ravana’s wife married Vibheeshana. This aspect of Lanka’s post-Ravana evolution may not have been relevant to Valmiki.