Re: stock phrase about women? 

Stephen Hodge s.hodge at PADMACHOLING.FREESERVE.CO.UK
Sun Mar 14 15:32:42 UTC 2004


I'm reposting this since it seems to have got lost in the ether.
*******

Just one more idea about the original meaning of "vana-bha'nga" -- does
it have any connection with "patra-bha'nga, I wonder.  This is mentioned a
couple of times in the Kaama-suutra, although that brings up yet more
problems since different translators have their own ideas about what *this*
means.  If, as per some of the Chinese parallels, we might be looking at
"love-tokens" made from flowers, fruit etc, then there is also the charming
custom of tearing leaves into little sexually suggestive shapes, also
mentioned in the KS.

Stephen Hodge





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