Epstein episode in the Ancients' interpretation

The Epstein scandal exposes deeper truths about sexuality, power and social hypocrisy

- LAKSHMI BAYI

Normal people live for most of their lives bound within their five senses.

The activities of seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and feeling nice things are universally accepted to be good. Unless you are an ascetic, contorting your body into impossible yogic poses, or worse, lying on a bed of nails or walking through fire, people tend towards bodily comforts.

Sexual relations are one of the most attractive of sensual pleasures. Nature has ensured the production of the next generation as a result of this activity. The reason why an obedient mother's boy suddenly turns against her, to follow his wife is often the result of this sexual hold. Even now in many places in India, marriage is the only way to access regular sex. Furtive self pleasuring or a visit to an affordable but not necessarily hygienic brothel are all stop gap events.

So much has been written in our ancient texts about female sexuality. Sadly it remains hidden between the pages of the books. For a woman to even suggest sexual desires is tantamount to her confessing that she has “loose” morals. Very often it is an older relative who gropes her, introducing her harshly to sex. What should be love making is often crude and painful. At times women exposed to such marauding men, keep silent. They are married off to “normal” boys. They can never express all that they have gone through. Counselling is still taboo in many places.

We have the tender, involved lovemaking at the top of the spectrum. Then we have giving in to conjugal rights which is often duty and/or a way for progeny. Then we have the sanctioned assaults within a marriage, where the attack (sometimes on both sexes) can be emotional, drunken, angry or plain cruel. One pleasant and faultless way of “castration” of a man is to make him a friend. The other is to mock his sexual prowess. This is taken as a direct insult to his “manliness” and after all, what is a man without that ingredient in his make up!