Part 2: Profession of Women

In the Harṣacarita, it is noted that women were engaged in various professions in the 7^th century A.D. There was a lady door-keeper in Yaśomatī’s inner-apartment.^[1] King Śūdraka appointed the female door-keepers called pratīhārī^[2] in his palace as described in the Kādambarī. There were female attendants of queen also. Such as-some maid-servants, known as tāmbūlakaraṅkavāhinī^[3] were employed to carry the betel-nut-box. When Mālatī, the messenger of king Dadhīca went to meet Devī Sarasvatī, the maid-servant, known as tāmbūlakaraṅkavāhinī^[4] and some paricāraka followed her. It proves that there was female-messenger also.

There were many maidens in the inner-apartment who were expert in garland making,^[5] face-wash making,^[6] portrait -making^[7] and many more. Again, the female masseuse known as saṃvāhikā,^[8] the female beautician was known as sairandhrī^[9] or prasādhikā^[10] were also there.

The Saṅketa commentary says—

prasādhanopacārṅgā sairandhrī svavaśāsmṛta.^[11]

Maidens were mostly jolly. When Harṣavardhana was born, the old maidens were dancing very joyfully.^[12] Their main duties seemed to help and care after the princess or the king in the palace. These helping and caring qualities of the maidens were seen in various places e.g. when princess Rājyaśrī had been prepared for dressing with the bridal-dress, they were helping her in various ways. Such as-some were helping her in decorating her body, and some in preparing her face-wash^[13] etc. Some maidens seemed to be expert in the art of painting and they prepared clothes or saris as bridal dress for princess Rājyaśrī with very decorative-work. They also collected the woolen threads for making a marriage bracelet.^[14]

Again, the description of mid-wife is also found; as it is said that kumāra Harṣavardhana was brought-up in love and care of a mid-wife.^[15] They were placed as jātamātṛdevatā.^[16] The maidens were very well-acquainted with the feelings of the kings also. When the king Prabhākaravardhana was in his dead-bed, multitude of maidens viz., Lilāvatī, Dhavalākṣī, Kalāvatī, Cārumatī etc. were busy in looking-after him in various ways, and therefore, the king had been uttering their names ceaselessly (anavarata).^[17]

In the Harṣacarita, the descriptions of prostitutes are found many a times with various names, such as vesyā^[18] or paṇyavilāsinī^[19] or abhisārikā^[20] etc. Again they also mixed-up with the general people in a happy moment of the rājakula.^[21] Again, there were dancing-girls^[22] (vārayoṣitā) in the court. Bāṇa noted that one of his friend Hariṇikā was a well-known dancer (narttakī).^[23]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

kvaḥ kumāraḥ, ….iti pratipuruṣaṃ pṛśchantī veleti nāmnā yaśomatyāḥ pratihārjyājagāma, Ibid.,V.p.83

[2]:

rājānāmāsthānamaṇḍapagatamanganājanavirudhena vāmapāścāvalmina kaukṣeyakena …..pratihāri…., Kādambarī,p.16

[3]:

Harṣacarita,I. p.59

[4]:

[a] ….tāmbūlakaraṅkavāhinyā mahāpramāṇāścatarārūṭayānugamyamānā, katipayaparicārakaparikarā mālatī samadṛśyata, Ibid.,I.p.15 [b] …mālatīti nāmnā vāṇinī vārtāṃ vo viñjātum, Ibid.,I.p.14

[5]:

Ibid.,IV.p.221

[6]:

Ibid.,IV.p.244

[7]:

Ibid.

[8]:

[a] samvāhikā keralikā, Ibid.,II.p.75 [b] According to Saṃketa commentary-‘samvāhikā ya padādimardanam vidhaṭṭe, Ibid.,p.74

[9]:

sairandhrī kurṅgikā, Ibid.

[10]:

Ibid.

[11]:

Ibid.

[12]:

sarvaśca nṛtyataḥ staiṇasya galadbhiḥ padalaktakarairūṇitā rāgamayīva suśoṇa kṣoṇī, Ibid.,IV.p.64

[13]:

.…….ghanīkṛtakuṅkumakalkamiśritāṃścāṅgarāgānaṃllāvaṇyaviśeṣakṛnti ca mukhalepanāni…., Ibid.,IV.p.69

[14]:

bahuvidhabhaktinirmāṇanipuṇapuraṇapaurandhriya…………., Ibid.

[15]:

dhātrīkarāṅgulilagne pañcaṣāṇi padāni prayacchati harṣe, Ibid.,IV.p.64

[16]:

….sākṣājjātamātṛdevatā iva bahubālakāvyākulā nanṛturvṛddhadhāttyaḥ, Ibid.,IV.p.62

[17]:

dāho mahān. ……..himalavairlimpa lalāṭaṃ līlāvati, ….kapole kalaya kuvalayaṃ kalāvati, …..candanacarcāṃ racaya cārumati, ……, Ibid.,V.p.80

[18]:

sthāṇvīśvarākhyo janapadaviśeṣaḥ …….,kāmāyatanamiti veśyābhiḥ…., Ibid.,III.p.43

[19]:

paṇyavilāsinyaḥ prānṛtyan.., Ibid.,IV.p.63

[20]:

vāṃsikavisarikavihārini……pracalitaścābhisārikāsu, Ibid.,II.p.136

[21]:

sthānasthāneṣu …… panyavilāsiṇyāḥ prānṛtyat, Ibid.,IV.p.63

[22]:

nisṛtatāmbuladhūsaradharavārayoṣiti, Ibid.,V.p.77

[23]:

narttakī hariṇikā, Ibid.,II.p.75