5.17. The Female Mendicant (śramaṇikā)

Kṣemendra has hard hit against notorious religious women also who are contributing to the society in degrading the moral and social values. Generally, the śramaṇikās and the other members living in the maṭhas are considered to be living a value based life. But Kṣemendra observes that they are not doing so. In the Narmamālā, Kṣemendra satirizes them, who are actually responsible for the falling off such religious atmosphere.

Kṣemendra comments her as ‘nityaṃ kuṭṭanī vajrayoginī’, who without any hesitation enters the house of the wicked Kāyastha bureaucrat.^[1] He observes that she is a respectable mendicant but acts as a go-between for the lovers. She is supposed to live a moral life, but in reality she is the mother of all incantation for depriving a woman of her chastity. In reality, according to Kṣemendra, the mendicant plays the role of a procuress. He satirizes her when he says that she is treated as ‘devī’ not for her virtues but for her ability in arranging woman for lustrous man.^[2] In Kṣemendra’s view, she is even accomplished in deceiving a chaste woman like Arundhatī.^[3] He says that she can provide instantly what actually a rogue wants, because her house is open for them.^[4]