5.16. The Bawd (kuṭṭanī)

Not only the prostitute but the bawd is also satirically chastised by Kṣemendra. The bawd (kuṭṭanī) arranges the clients for the harlot. In another word she plays the role of a mother for the courtesan. In one full chapter, the author bitterly criticizes the bawd to make aware the people of such degenerated section of the society.

The author compares the bawd with awful poison called halāhala. According to Kṣemendra, she is crooked and like a serpent, she guards the house of a courtesan.^[1] By exposing her expertness in the art of cheating, Kṣemendra says, she is even able to rob the empire of lord Indra.^[2] He bitterly says that the bawd is actually a vampire.^[3] In Kṣemendra’s view, her company may transform a learned man to a fool in a second, a wealthy person to a beggar and where her glimpses fall upon, everything may remove.^[4] He claims her to be merciless and inauspicious like the Rāhu.^[5] She hates virtuous people, never remembers other’s benevolence and keeps relationship with rouges.^[6] In Kṣemendra’s view, she is another image of the god of death.^[7] The bawd destroys the people, who approaches her. Kṣemendra expresses his concern for the well being of the society and says that it is meaningless that Rāma killed Tāṭakā, Kṛṣṇa killed Putanā, as this bawd is not destroyed by anyone.^[8] The author exposes her dreadfulness while he says that she is even afraid of by Yama, the god of death.^[9] She always makes quarrel and looks like as if she is a ghoul.^[10]

When a wealthy client visits her frequently, the immodest bawd hopes to earn a lot, her greed increases.^[11] She observes his dresses and ornaments like a butcher observes the horns and hoofs of a sheep.^[12] Her hypocrisy is revealed when she pretends to be an affectionate mother of all only for money. Even a old brahmin is also addressed by her as ‘son’.^[13] According to Kṣemendra, the wicked bawd always robs those who are not expert, devours those who are expert, and other persons are completely looted by her. This is the reason why Kṣemendra condemns her as a looter of the mankind.^[14] He says that the bawd has no gratitude for anybody.^[15] She avoids those clients who are penniless. Until she finds the way to throw him out, she never sleeps.^[16] In Kṣemendra’s view, the bawd moves round the world, her crookedness leaves none.^[17] He considers such licentious and wicked woman as the enemy of the society. His anguish is reflected while he wonders as to who has created the bawd.^[18]