Scratching

Chapter Four

The Art Of Scratching

[nakharadanajàti]

After kissing, the usage of scratching and biting is described.

1 The nails are used for scratching and scraping in order to increase excitation.

2 The nails are used for scratching and scraping in the heat of passion, or, by contrast, to show vigor when enthusiasm is lacking, or on the evening of an amorous encounter, on returning from a journey, or prior to a departure. This practice is also a sign of anger, joy, or intoxication, but it cannot be practiced in every circumstance.

It is a mark of affection, to recall passion by keeping the souvenir during an absence. It is also the visible sign of anger, joy, or drunkenness in a young man.

3 Biting “with the teeth, like scratching with the nails, is a sign of possession.

Both have the same effect of increasing excitation and showing domination.

4 The marks left by nail imprints are of eight kinds:

1. the knife stroke [acchuritaka]
2. the half-moon [ardhacandra]
3. the circle [mandala]
4. the dash [rekha]
5. the tiger’s claw [vyàghranakha]
6. the peacock’s claw [mayurapadaka]
7. the hare’s jump [shashaplutaka]
8. the lotus leaf [utpalapattraka]

5 The best parts to scratch are the cheeks, the breasts, the neck, the back, the thighs, and the crotch.

6 According to Suvaróanàbha,

“In the heat of union, people are not aware of the parts of the body that they can scratch and those they should avoid.”

7 The nails of the left hand should be long and pointed. Some people cut them into two or three points. They are then known as nails of aggression.

This cannot be done with the right hand, which is used for too many other purposes. They are cut into three points, like a raven claw, thus allowing them to lacerate a wide area. Less violent people cut their nails into half-moon shape.

8 Fingernails have eight qualities: the cross-lines are of the same color as the nails themselves; they are all of the same length, shiny, clean, without broken edges, strong, smooth, nice to look at.

9 The inhabitants of Gauda [North Bengal] consider long nails to be an ornament of the hands. Such nails are an attraction for the girls of the region.

10 The southern peoples’ nails are small, resistant, well suited for practicing any kind of scratching, and can easily be inserted anywhere.

11 The people of Mahàraûþra keep the nails of both hands short and aggressive.

Different kinds of scratches are used to mark the various parts of the partner’s body.

12 Seven areas of the body are suitable for scratching. First scratch the breasts and lower lip with a light hand and a continuous stroke. A light touch causes gooseflesh. When the pressure applied is stronger, it is termed the knife stroke [achchuritaka],

With moderate force, slide all five nails to the spot chosen, which has been prepared by pulling the skin gently and pinching it fairly hard. It is a matter of practice. It should be done very lightly, so that it does not make any wound, but only a mark. A mere touch suffices to cause gooseflesh. The thumbnail can be used instead of all the nails together, if it has sufficient effect. Grating may have the same effect as a scratch, even if no cut is made. A girl should be able to show her scratch marks on her chin and her bottom, even if she does not expose any other nail marks. It should be done especially on the breasts.

Joining the fingers of one hand, lightly touch the cheeks, breasts, and lower lip, in such a way as to cause gooseflesh. Then make a mark with the thumb, reinforced by the other fingers. This scratch is called ; the knife stroke, and can be practiced on various parts of the body, according to the occasion.

13 When a girl is receptive, agitates her limbs, scratches her head, removes her blackheads out of nervousness, it is a sign that the time is ripe to mark her cruelly.

14 The half-moon

The semicircular mark left by the nail on the neck or below the breasts is called the half-moon. Very cruel when done with the little finger, it is more permanent when done with the middle one.

15 The circle

Two half-moon marks made by nails face to face are known as the circle.

16 The parts of the body suited for marking with the circle are the lower belly, the crotch, and the buttocks.

17 The dash

A straight line may be traced with the nails on any part of the body, but it must be short.

18 The tiger’s claw

A line curving inwards, traced near the breasts or on the face is called the tiger’s claw.

19 The peacock’s claw

When the nipple is seized by all five nails and pulled outwards, the nail marks around the breasts are known as the peacock’s claw.

20 The hare’s jump

If the woman enjoys the peacock’s claw, the mark left by pulling the tip of the nipple harder with the nails is called the hare’s jump.

21 The lotus leaf

On the side of the breasts or on the buttocks, a mark looking like a lotus leaf is known as such.

22 When a man leaves on a journey, in order to remind his mistress of him, he traces three or four lines on her breasts or thighs with his nails.

23 Apart from the above, he may also mark her in other ways.

24 Since imagination knows no limits, variations are innumerable when practiced with astuteness. Nail scratching being so widely used as an erotic stimulant when practiced properly, how could the authors of the Kàma Úàstra enumerate all its varieties?

When a man is excited, he takes pleasure in scratching, but at that moment he does not think about the art of scratching and the different signs that his nails may leave.

25 Passion feeds on varied practices. Variety fosters mutual attraction. The courtesan is interesting to an erotic man due to her particular talents, an interest which is mutual. In treatises on the arts of war, the texts speak of the need for a diversity of weapons. What should we say in our own case, asks Vàtsyàyana.

In order to renew excitation after having been satisfied, unusual practices are required, whence the taste for fancy dress, bizarre practices, different positions, which cause a mutual interest. Variety is required to satisfy the need for change. From a strictly erotic point of view, however, are these particularities really necessary?

When they take an unusual position, the courtesan and her lover, whoever he may be, are depersonalized. For the courtesan, her lover, whatever his appearance, is the very god of love. If they wish to play in a special way, they come to an agreement between themselves, seeking, however, to avoid any degrading act. It is thus that the most bizarre forms of amorous relations come into being. The same problems are met with in archery, fencing, or any other applied science. The treatises teach both theory and practice. In archery, it is a matter of piercing with an arrow, and quantities of different arrows are aimed at this target. Why should one question the various ways of reaching one’s goal set out in the Kàma Sùtra? Where is the difference?

On this subject, Vàtsyàyana considers that, in a state of amorous excitation, a desire is aroused for the most varied and strangest acts. The man and woman derive satisfaction from the most curious forms of intercourse. People used to sophisticated sexual relations utilize women who are specialized in the art of pleasure. Men who are expert at the art of loving are sought after by the courtesans, themselves expert in the art of enjoyment.

Just as in the art of war, defined by the Dhanur Veda, skill in managing arms is indispensable, so in the art of love, skill in technique and adaptability to all circumstances are also essential.

26 One must not leave nail or tooth marks on other men’s women. They can only be marked with the nails in their secret parts, as a souvenir and to increase their excitation.

27 On seeing nail marks on her secret parts [guptanga], a girl feels affection awake for a lover, whether new or old.

28 If there are no nail marks to recall the lover’s presence, it means that passion has long since disappeared and love has been overcome.

Nail marks serve to recall the beauty, youth, and qualities of the object of passion.

If there are no longer nail marks on the girl’s body to remind her of her lover’s beauty, youth, and qualities, love has long since passed away and ended.

29 When a man sees, even from afar, nail marks on a girl’s breasts, he feels interest and desire for her, even without knowing her.

30 Similarly, it often happens that when a woman sees nail marks on the various parts of a man’s body, her spirit awakens and takes her to him.

31 No acts can be compared to scratching and biting for increasing amorous excitation and driving to action.

This is true for both men and women.

Vàtsyàyana indicates eight main ways of scratching, as well as the best moments and places and the methods for doing it. Scratching is an art (kalà) and, as with all arts, it must be studied and practiced, which is the scope of this chapter.

It is important to note what Vàtsyàyana says: while making love, man appreciates a certain fantasy in the various acts, because it excites him. Sensual women appreciate a man who is expert in erotic fantasy, and desire to sleep with him.

For Vàtsyàyana, nail marks are also souvenirs of sexual relations. On seeing these marks on her secret parts, a girl who believed she had broken off her relationship finds renewed desire for the boy who marked her so. Scars from nails and teeth awaken memories of youth. If such marks no longer exist, it means that the amorous relationship has been over for a long time and that love is dead. Scratch marks are not only a souvenir, but bring to life the lover’s youth, beauty, qualities, and performance in love. Nothing can be compared to scratches and bites to increase erotic excitation.

From the point of view of sexuality and psychology, acts such as scratching and biting form part of the art of living. This does not only “lean mankind, since the very same acts can be observed in the male-female relations of all species. The purpose of these acts is to arouse the desire to couple. When, with a view to copulation, excitation increases, scratches and bites are useful to ensure its success.

The places recommended by Vàtsyàyana for bites and scratches xxxxxxxxe those that erotic science considers as centers of stimulation. The body’s erogenous zones are the best suited for caresses, kisses, scratches, and other erotic activities prior to copulation. All the places indicated by Vàtsyàyana are generally acknowledged to be centers of sensual excitation and play an important role from the erotic point of view.

In order to increase passion and experience full satisfaction, it is essential to know the art of scratching and other practices. The lover’s prime virtue (dharma) during preliminary practices is to arouse the woman by titillating her limbs so that she reaches maximum excitation. It was with this practical aim in mind that Vàtsyàyana wrote this chapter on scratching. However, just as in the case of copulation, Vàtsyàyana divides people into categories such as hare, hind, etc. In practicing scratching, the categories must also be differentiated from a physical and psychological point of view, although the general structure of all individuals is similar, their sensitivity differs, as well as the choice of the point of attack. The finding of these points of attack is easy according to the pleasure felt in touching or scratching them. According to medical science, some areas of women’s skin are connected with the ovaries. Under certain circumstances or sudden excitation, a contact will produce not only a stimulation, but a true orgasm. A negative reaction to pressure in these areas can cause fainting. This is why, to protect the woman’s mental and physical health, she must be scratched and bitten in places that stimulate her sexually.

End of the Fourth Chapter

The Art of Scratching

of the Second Part entitled Amorous Advances