The courtesan's keeper by Kshemendra

"The courtesan's keeper" by Kshemendra. This book is published by Penguin India in 2014 and has 200 pages. This book is translated from Sanskrit to English by A. N. D. Haskar.

The original title of this book is 'Samaya mātrikā (समय मातृका)'. Kshemendra is estimated to have lived during 990-1070 CE in Kashmir during the reign of King Ananta.

Kalavati is a courtesan. Her grandmother and keeper has died and she is facing a lot of problems because now there is no one to overlook her affairs. A barber suggests the name of Kankali to her, who was once a courtesan, mendicant, rich widow, seductress, murderer, sanyasi and thief and who went with various names in her prime.

Will Kalavati accept her? Will she prove her worth? How will Kankali protect her mistress? How will they leach a prospective customer?

The story is set in Pravaraputra, modern day Srinagar. Flesh trade is called the oldest trade in the history of mankind. This thousand year old story gives us a glimpse in to the past, how the people lived, how they traded, what they liked and what they feared.  Although the story is thousand years old much of it is still relevant.

To write about the life of a courtesan was a bold thing at that time but Kshemendra has done it. His writing style is concise. He has managed to write a lot of things in very few words. This concise writing holds a mirror of life at that time in front of the readers.

The book has mention of Chinese and Turkish people and goods. It also mentions prosperous cities of that time, Varanasi and Pataliputra.

Some parts of the book are worth mentioning. When the barber asks Kalavati why she doesn't look good he enumerates a number of scenarios of what might be the reason of her unhappiness. These possible scenarios tell you a lot about life and times of the era.

Kankali's justification of untruthfulness as only way to prosperity for a courtesan is satirical and worth mention. In one chapter Kankali tells Kalavati about 80 types of passions and what kind of people are best suitors to ensnare.

It's a small book and simple story but it was a prose written when poetry ruled literature. It provides information of the life of the time and the society.

Recommend reading.