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.When a courtesan is kind, even at her own expense, to a man who is very stingy,or to aman proud of his looks, or to an ungrateful man skilled in gaining the heartsof others,without any good resulting from these connections to her in the end, this lossis called aloss of wealth not attended by any gain.When a courtesan is kind to any such man as described above, but who inaddition is afavourite of the king, and moreover cruel and powerful, without any good resultin theend, and with a chance of her being turned away at any moment, this loss iscalled a lossof wealth attended by other losses.In this way gains and losses, and attendant gains and losses in religious meritandpleasures may become known to the reader, and combinations of all of them mayalso bemade.KAMASUTRA118Thus end the remarks on gains and losses, and attendant gains and losses.In the next place we come to doubts, which are again of three kinds: doubtsabout wealth,doubts about religious merit, and doubts about pleasures.The following are examples:When a courtesan is not certain how much a man may give her, or spend upon her,this iscalled a doubt about wealth.When a courtesan feels doubtful whether she is right in entirely abandoning alover fromwhom she is unable to get money, she having taken all his wealth from him inthe firstinstance, this doubt is called a doubt about religious merit.When a courtesan is unable to get hold of a lover to her liking, and isuncertain whethershe will derive any pleasure from a person surrounded by his family, or from alowperson, this is called a doubt about pleasure.When a courtesan is uncertain whether some powerful but low principled fellowwouldcause loss to her on account of her not being civil to him this is called adoubt about theloss of wealth.When a courtesan feels doubtful whether she would lose religious merit byabandoning aman who is attached to her without giving him the slightest favour, and therebycausinghim unhappiness in this world and the next,1 this doubt is called a doubt aboutthe loss ofa religious merit.When a courtesan is uncertain as to whether she might create disaffection byspeakingout, and revealing her love and thus not get her desire satisfied, this iscalled a doubtabout the loss of pleasure.Thus end the remarks on doubts.Mixed DoubtsThe intercourse or connection with a stranger, whose disposition is unknown,and whomay have been introduced by a lover, or by one who possessed authority, may beproductive either of gain or loss, and therefore this is called a mixed doubtabout the gainand loss of wealth.When a courtesan is requested by a friend, or is impelled by pity to haveintercourse witha learned Brahman, a religious student, a sacrificer, a devotee, or an asceticwho mayhave all fallen in love with her, and who may be consequently at the point ofdeath, bydoing this she might either gain or lose religious merit, and therefore this iscalled amixed doubt about the gain and loss of religious merit.KAMASUTRA119If a courtesan relies solely upon the report of other people (i.e.hearsay)about a man, andgoes to him without ascertaining herself whether he possesses good qualities ornot, shemay either gain or lose pleasure in proportion as he may be good or bad, andthereforethis is called a mixed doubt about the gain and loss of pleasure.Uddalika has described the gains and losses on both sides as follows:If, when living with a lover, a courtesan gets both wealth and pleasure fromhim, it iscalled a gain on both sides.When a courtesan lives with a lover at her own expense without getting anyprofit out ofit, and the lover even takes back from her what he may have formerly given her,it iscalled a loss on both sides.When a courtesan is uncertain whether a new acquaintance would become attachedtoher, and, moreover, if he became attached to her, whether he would give heranything, itis then called a doubt on both sides about gains.When a courtesan is uncertain whether a former enemy, if made up by her at herownexpense, would do her some injury on account of his grudge against her; or, ifbecomingattached to her, would take away angrily from her anything that he may havegiven toher, this is called a doubt on both sides about loss.Babhravya has described the gains and losses on both sides as follows:When a courtesan can get money from a man whom she may go to see, and alsomoneyfrom a man whom she may not go to see, this is called a gain on both sides.When a courtesan has to incur further expense if she goes to see a man, and yetruns therisk of incurring an irremediable loss if she does not go to see him, this iscalled a loss onboth sides.When a courtesan is uncertain whether a particular man would give her anythingon hergoing to see him, without incurring expense on her part or whether on herneglecting himanother man would give her something, this is called a doubt on both sidesabout gain.When a courtesan is uncertain whether, on going at her own expense to see anold enemy,he would take back from her what he may have given her, or whether by her notgoing tosee him he would cause some disaster to fall upon her, this is called a doubton both sidesabout loss
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