Next to the need for food, water and sleep, the sexual urge is the most powerful biological drive. This dominant sex instinct, so essential to the survival of the species, is one of the main springs of human motivation, and its fulfilment or frustration is closely bound up with human happiness or misery. The importance of this aspect of human life is duly recognised by Charaka, the ancient ayurvedic scholar by assigning a complete section of the Charaka Samhita to vaajeekarana or virilification.
According to Charaka, “It is a fherapy which enables one to approach women in an unrestricted manner, endowing him with great strength and robustness, like that of a stallion, makes one greatly endearing to women, increases one’s proportions and strength, causes the seminal secretion even in the aging to remain vmdiminished and fertile, and enables a man to have excellent offsprings.”
OBJECTIVE OF APHRODISIAC THERAPY
The primary objective of ayurvedic sexual medicine is procreation. Recreation is always secondary to it. In this perspective, Charaka Samhita says, ” A person of self-restraint should always seek aphrodisiac measures because righteousness (dharma), wealth (artha), affection (preethi) and fame (yasas) are dependent on the maintenance of healthy manhood. A person gets these benefits through his progeny and the aphrodisiac therapy enables him to procreate children.”
BALANCE IS THE KEY
The three major biological components of the living body (metabolic principles) called tridosha, which govern all the physical and mental functions of the body, are responsible for different aspects of sexual expression. The equilibrium of these tridosha is essential for sexual fulfilment.
Vaata controls movement, and in the context of sexuality, vaata is responsible for the sex act and sexual retention. If vaata is aggravated, both the sexual act and retention are affected adversely. One feels fatigued and breathless rather quickly, and the power of retention is considerably diminished.
Pitta dosha controls cellular metabolism, subtle level, energy at gross level and is responsible for sexual vigour. An imbalance of pitta leads to a lack of initiative for sexual activity, It gives rise to all those problems that make one sexually less desirable. It may give rise to body odours, sweating and thickening of the skin, rashes, acne, herpes etc.
Kapha which controls structure, is responsible for sexual potency. Vitiation of this dosha leads to diminished or abnormal sexual excretions. This may give rise to abnormal progeny or sterility.
For a healthy sexual life, one needs to balance of all these tridoshas.
ENHANCE SENSUOUS POWER TO ENHANCE SEXUAL POWER
Sexuality begins with sensuality. During the sexual process, one transcends the senses. In other words, all the five senses are used, and it is their coordination that accounts for the intensity of sexual pleasure. For enhancing sexual power, the prime most thing is to augment the power of individual senses in the following ways:
1. Touch: The tactile sensation of the body, the sense of touch, plays a significant role in sexuality. For enhancing tactile sensation, it is important to have a regular oil massage. Through Ayurvedic massage the body and mind are nurtured. The skin is seen as a receptacle of a variety of energies. Some forms of massage are aggressive while others are soothing. What type aids an individual’s healing process depends upon the constitution and the nature of the imbalance. Through the knowledge of Ayurveda, different base oils such as sesame oil, almond oil, coconut oil or mustard oil are selected. These oils are chosen because of their unique properties. Some are warming while others are cooling. Some nourish the body through the skin while others are invigorative. In addition, specific hand motions are utilized to balance the subtle energies defined by Ayurveda. Besides the care of the skin, a regular body massage makes you aware and sensitive to your body. This is essential for complete sexual expression.
2. Sight: Sharpening the sense of sight is to develop keen observation and act in an appropriate way. Through our eyes we take in thousands of impressions each day. These impressions are actual energies with different vibratory rates. Each colour is a different energy or vibrates at a different rate. Some colours are harmonious for us and some agitate us in subtle ways. We interact with colour all the time through the clothes we wear and our home environment. Conscious use of colour can help create a healthy and revitalizing environment. Ayurveda teaches us that each person is an individual and hence, every colour has a healing capacity if prescribed for the right person. Not only is colour important but also how colours interrelate. Clashing colours in general create greater agitation while those that blend harmoniously create a greater sense of calm. In Ayurveda we also look at the quality of the impression received by the eye. Violent images as seen in real life or in the movies create agitation and disharmony. Viewing nature and flowers creates a feeling of calmness and clarity and thus benefits our journey toward health and sexuality. An enhanced sense of observation is essential at every step of sexual relation. You should be able to notice and appreciate each and every change in your partner. If you are to learn to enhance your sexual energy, begin by seeing.
3. Smell: Sense of smell is important for many reasons. If your body smells bad, people do not want to be near you. Bad body odour can be anaphrodisiac (opposite to aphrodisiac). Your body odour depends upon your dosha arrangement, and it is possible to change it and make pleasant and sexually exciting by keeping the doshas balanced. Aromatherapy is an important part of Ayurveda, as smell has long been known to evoke emotion. From the perfumes and scents long used in mating rituals to the relaxing feelings evoked by a walk through a rose garden, aromas have always played a large role in our lives. Rose, jasmine, water lily, sandalwood, smell of the soil, the flavours from food products.. .all are exhilarating smells. While most people use aromas (perfumes and aftershaves) unconsciously, Ayurveda teaches us that some aromas create harmony while others contribute to disharmony and ultimately to diseases. From this understanding we can see that aromas are also medicine in the context that they can be intelligently used to balance the subtle energy of our bodies. In Ayurveda specific aromas are prescribed to aid specific conditions.
4.Taste: To enhance the sense of taste, begin to recognize a variety of exotic spices or fruits from their flavour and taste. Through the sense of taste, we interact with the foods and their therapeutic benefits. Each of the six tastes affects the body and mind differently. Each taste has its benefits and negative consequences if we overindulge in them. Sweet taste as an example is very nourishing and builds tissue and strength, but overindulgence, as we all know, leads to excessive weight gain, diabetes and other complications. In Ayurveda we do not count calories, grams of fat, or the cholesterol content of food. From an Ayurvedic perspective, if we learn what balance of tastes are right for us, then we will eat in harmony with our body’s constitution and the body will respond with great health. Some benefit from hot, spicy food while others from milder or bland foods. Some people benefit from meat while others thrive as vegetarians. Some people need the nourishment of sweet-tasting grains and others the cleansing qualities of bitters. What tastes and types of foods are correct for each individual depends upon that person’s constitution and the nature of any imbalances that may be present.
5. Sound: Our ears take in the vibratory energy of sound. Some sounds are calming and others agitating. Of course, which sounds balance our energy depends again on our constitution. We may think that only quiet, calming sound is healing. Again we must remember the tenet of Ayurveda that teaches us what heals each person is different. For instance, agitating music can also be motivating. If lethargy and depression is a challenge, motivation is what you want. Moreover, for anxious individuals, the calming nature of new age music is beneficial. In Ayurveda, special sound energies called mantra are sometimes prescribed to induce specific reactions in the body. As far as human sexuality is concerned, fine sounds are associated with women and reveal presence and actions, their gestures and movements. A man’s imagery of a woman is associated with subtle sounds of bangles, anklets, earrings, and other jewellery worn by her. In addition to the sounds of jewellery, there are sounds of birds, music, tidal waves, and blowing wind that enhance the sexual energy in both men and women.
THE WORLD’S BEST APHRODISIAC
“A sexually excited partner is the aphrodisiac par excellence,” says Charaka Samhita. “When the desired sense objects yield great pleasure even if singly experienced by the senses, then what need be said of woman in whom the delectable objects of all the senses, viz., shabda (sound), sparsha, (touch), roopa (visual form), rasa (taste) and gandha (smell) are found established together? Such a combination of the enjoyable objects of all the senses is found only in woman and nowhere else. The woman who is good looking, youthful, endowed with auspicious signs and is good-natured, friendly, and skilled in the fine arts, acts as the best aphrodisiac.”
Charaka Samhita further describes the excellence of women, “People in this world have different types of likings. If by fortune or effort a person gets a woman of his liking, then his appearance and other qualities improve. Similarly, for a woman, the feminine qualities are enhanced on finding a suitable man. The woman who is excellent in terms of age, beauty, voice, and affectionate movements enters the heart quickly and is like celebration. A woman who has a mind and psyche similar to her male partner is submissive (vasya), pleased with what he likes (kaama, the god of sex), and is like noose for all the senses due to her excellent qualities. Separated from this woman, the man feels restless and does not find any interest in this world. Without her his body seems vacant of senses, and finding her he is no more subdued with grief, agitation, restlessness or fear; finding her he feels solace and seeing her, he is exhilarated and meets her sexually ever fresh due to his strong sexual urges, and even when he has frequent intercourse he does not get contented.”
DIVERSITY IN SEXUALITY
While sexual capacities are instinctive, human being must learn to engage in sexual acts and to experience sexual feelings in certain personal and socially acceptable ways. The natural expression of the sexual impulse is greatly modified before and during marriage by social, economic, religious and cultural forces, acting in different ways in different societies. It is not proper to assume a uniform pattern of sexual behaviour common to all human beings; in fact the range and diversity of human sexuality is its most significant feature. Charaka fully appreciated this fact, as is evident from the following citations from Charaka Samhita:
“There are men who are great in size and strength but feeble in sexual capacity. Some are small in size and strength but powerful sexually. There are some who mate with females many times like sparrows, while others, though not mating many times, are given to copious seminal discharge like an elephant.”
If sexual behaviour and its physiology and pathology are to be discussed in a realistic way, account must be taken of the modifying forces by which sexual urge is controlled, diverted or distorted. This is evident from the following passages of Charaka Samhita: “Some men get invigorated by the season, some get steadied by constant practice, some maintain their virility by means of aphrodisiac preparations and some are virile by nature. The sexual stamina and the quantity of semen get diminished by anxiety, old age, disease, strain of physical work, starvation and excessive sexual indulgence. By fear, suspicion, grief, seeing deformities of a woman, lack of response in the woman, abstention from sex, and just after full sexual enjoyment, a man is rendered incapable of mating with a woman.”
CONCEPT OF BRAHMACHARYA (CELIBACY)
Proper diet, sleep and observance of reasonable celibacy—these three factors are mentioned as the pillars of life. Brahmacharya or celibacy is a concept of turning away from liberalism towards self-discipline. Here, absolute celibacy is not desirable; if a person keeps himself absolutely free from sexual intercourse, then this gives rise to mental stress —Lanoh kshobha). Ayurvedic tradition prescribes brahmacharya up to the age of 25 years, the formative period when the emphasis is on education. This should be followed by grihasthashrama wherein full opportunity can be availed for enjoyment of sexual rleasure. Both for the individual and society human sexuality has come to serve many rurposes besides that of reproduction. The recreational (as against procreational) sexual activity serves to strengthen the male-female relationship and thus helps to ensure a stable family background. A satisfactory sexual relationship can be maintained if man and woman share a close, understanding, companionship and mutual respect. The ability to create and sustain an unselfish relationship with a member of the opposite sex is an approved measure of emotional maturity. Merely emphasizing the physiology of sex act may completely miss the essence of the beautiful sexual relationship. It is a tragic example of emotional immaturity and lack of affection in the midst of materialism.
RIGHT AGE FOR SEX
Young persons should take part in the sexual act only after attaining maturity. Children and very old persons are disqualified for indulging in sexual intercourse.
There is no fragrance in a bud. Fragrance appears only when the flower blossoms. Similar rr.enomenon takes place in the case of living beings. A person desirous of longevity should not indulge in sexual intercourse with women before the age of sixteen years. A : ung boy of very tender age does not possess all the tissue elements in their matured I rm. If he enters into sex act with a woman, his body gets dried vip like a pond having little water.
Vigorous sexual acts are forbidden after the age of seventy years. A piece of wood which is dried and shrivelled, gets broken immediately by a little pressure of touch. Similarly, mdiscriminate sexual intercourse with a woman decays the body of an old man. With the passage of years, the sexual impulse becomes less powerful and is more readily quenched by other emotions and circumstances.
EROTIC ARTICLES IN DIFFERENT SEASONS
Summer season: Big ponds having lotus flowers, surrounded by intoxicated black bees, fragrance of jaati (jasmine) and utpala (water-lily) and underground rooms which are cold.
Rainy season: Rivers with waves of foam, mountains with blue peaks and the onset of black clouds.
Autumn season: Rise of beautiful moon at night, wind that is pleasant to touch and which has the smell of the pond full of water lilies.
Early and late winter: Nights which are long enough for sexual indulgence and women smeared with saffron and aguru (eagle wood or Aquilaria agallocha)
Spring: Pleasing companions, cooling sound of the cuckoo bird, flowers in the parks and forests, pleasing diet and drinks, sound of the music, mind which is broad and free from afflictions, accomplishment of the objective, freshly initiated love affair and women— these are the weapons of cupid (the God of sex).
MEASURES TO ENHANCE VIRILITY
A person who takes ghee and milk is free from fear and diseases, indulges in sex regularly, is youthful, determined and gets vigorous sex with women.
Persons who have friends in similar profession, are accomplished in their objectives, are attached to each other, are skilful in arts, who are similar in mind and age, have noble lineage, expertise, good conduct and purity, regularly indulge in sex acts, are excited, are free from grief and pain, have similar conduct, have lovable and pleasant disposition as well as speech—friendship with such good companions promotes virility of a person.
A man gets sexually excited by massage, unction, bath, use of scents, garlands and ornaments, comfortable home, bed and seat, happiness, wearing of clothes which are not worn out and to the liking of the person, pleasing sound of the birds, sounds of ornaments of women and kneading (samvaahana) by his partner.
POINTERS ON APHRODISIAC THERAPY
• A person without a child is like a tree with just one branch devoid of fruits and shadows with an unwanted smell. On the other hand, a person who has children is bahu moorti (having many images), bahu mukha (having many faces), bahu vyooha (having many dimensions), bahu kriya (having multitude of activities), bahu chakshu (having many eyes), bahu jnaana (having multi-dimensional knowledge) and bahvaatma (having multitude of souls). Love, strength, happiness, professional excellence, widespread influence, fame, utility to the world, pleasure—all these are dependent upon children. Therefore, a person desirous of children and the qualities associated with them should daily use aphrodisiacs if he wants kaama (satisfaction of the worldly desires) and sukha (happiness).
• One should take aphrodisiac recipes in an appropriate quantity and in proper time, when the channels of circulation of his body are clean. As a dirty cloth does not get properly coloured, similarly in an unclean body, the aphrodisiac recipes do not produce the desired effects. Therefore, depending on the strength of the person, elimination therapies (panchakarma) should be administered to him, before he resorts to the aphrodisiac recipes.
• Articles which are sweet, unctuous, nourishing and heavy are capable enough to arouse the sexual desire. Therefore, a person should first of all be impregnated with these articles and then copulate with a women. He gets excited by his own urge and also by the erotic attributes of the woman. After sexual indulgence, he should take bath and drink milk or any juice or soup before going to sleep. By doing so, his semen and strength, both increase.
• Aphrodisiac therapies should be administered only to a person who is self-controlled. Otherwise if a person of immoral habits is administered this therapy, he, with additional potentiality gained through the therapy will prove to be nuisance to the society through his illegitimate sex acts.
• Aphrodisiac therapies are required to be taken regularly (nitya) as daily diet. On me other hand, rejuvenation therapies are required to be taken for a specified period only.
• Quality is important than the quantity in case of sexual act. One should judge the quality in terms of satisfaction but not in terms of frequency of the act. A person who is satisfied after sex does not possess the strength for entering into sex act immediately because this power is dependent on excitement and the excitement is dependent on satisfaction.
• The semen is ejaculated from the body because of eight factors, namely, excitement, rassionate desire, fluidity, sliminess, heaviness, anu bhaava (atomicity), pravana hhaava (the tendency to flow out) and the force of vaayu. As water comes out of a wet cloth when squeezed, similarly, the semen is ejaculated during copulation because of sexual act (chesta), and passionate attachment (samkalpa) and physical pressure (peedana). If any of these factors is lacking, the person may experience problem with ejaculation.
FEW APHRODISIAC RECIPES FROM CLASSICAL AYURVEDIC LITERATURE
• Boil ghee, black gram and testicles of goat with the soup of the meat of buffalo and fry this with fresh ghee, after adding sour fruits. Add small quantity of salt, dhaniya, eera, and dry ginger. This is an excellent recipe for the promotion of virility, strength and nourishment.
• If a person takes the meat of the chataka (tree sparrow) to his satisfaction, and thereafter takes milk, then his genital organ will become sturdy, and there will be no ejaculation of semen even if he indulges in sexual intercourse for the whole night.
• Boil shashtika type of rice, add some ghee and salt. Eat this with black gram soup. After eating this, take a glass of warm sweetened milk. The one who eats this ‘remains awakened with sexual impulse the whole night’.
• Add sugar, honey, black pepper and tugaaksheeri to the cream of curd and to this, add cardamom in appropriate quantity. Mix this properly in a fresh earthen jar. Thereafter, add these ingredients to cooked shashtika type of rice along with liberal quantity of ghee. This is called rasaala. Take it in appropriate quantity, and thereafter, eat shashtika type of rice. This recipe promotes complexion, voice, strength and virility.
• Take thirty long peppers (pippalee), grind them to a fine paste and fry with oil and ghee. Add sugar and honey in appropriate quantity and over this pour the expressed milk directly from the udder (nipple) of a cow. Mix well. It is said that, “By taking this according to his strength, and thereafter by taking Shashtika type of rice along with milk and ghee, the genital organ of the man remains strongly erected all through the night, and it does not become flaccid even after ejaculation of semen.”
• Express juice from gokshuraa (Tribulus terrestris) and vidaaree (Pueraria tuberosa and add four times milk. Add ghee in sufficient quantity and boil after adding together black gram and shashtika type of rice. This recipe promotes virility.
• Ghee boiled with shataavaree (asparagus), in ten times milk along with sugar, long pepper and honey, makes an excellent aphrodisiac recipe.