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:
- the knife stroke [acchuritaka]
- the half-moon [ardhacandra]
- the circle [mandala]
- the dash [rekha]
- the tiger’s claw [vyàghranakha]
- the peacock’s claw [mayurapadaka]
- the hare’s jump [shashaplutaka]
- 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
