Kāmasūtra · Chapter 2.4

rāga-vṛddhau saṃgharṣātmakaṃ nakha-vilekhanam.

tasya prathama-samāgame pravāsa-pratyāgamane pravāsa-gamane kruddha-prasannāyāṃ mattāyāṃ ca prayogaḥ. na nityam a:caṇḍa-vegayoḥ.

tathā daśana-cchedyasya sātmya-vaśād vā.

tad [1] ācchuritakam [2] ardha-candro [3] maṇḍalaṃ [4] rekhā [5] vyāghra-nakhaṃ [6] mayūra-padakaṃ [7] śaśa-plutakam [8] utpala-pattrakam iti rūpato 'ṣṭa-vikalpam.

kakṣau stanau galaḥ pṛṣṭhaṃ jaghanam ūrū ca sthānāni.

pravṛtta-rati-cakrāṇāṃ na sthānam a:sthānaṃ vā vidyata iti suvarṇanābhaḥ.

tatra savya-hastāni praty:agra-śikharāṇi dvi-tri-śikharāṇi caṇḍa-vegayor nakhāni syuḥ.

anugata-rāji samam ujjvalam a:malinam a:vipāṭitaṃ vivardhiṣṇu mṛdu snigdha-darśanam iti nakha-guṇāḥ.

dīrghāṇi hasta-śobhīny āloke ca yoṣitāṃ citta-grāhīṇi gauḍāṇāṃ nakhāni syuḥ.

hrasvāni karma-sahiṣṇūni vikalpa-yojanāsu ca svecchāpātīni dākṣiṇatyānām.

madhyamāny ubhaya-bhāñji mahārāṣṭrakāṇām iti.

taiḥ su:niyamitair hanu-deśe stanayor adhare vā laghu-karaṇam an:udgata-lekhaṃ sparśa-mātra-jananād romāñca-karam ante saṃnipāta-vardhamāna-śabdam [1] ācchuritakam.

prayojyāyāṃ ca tasyāṅga-saṃvāhane śirasaḥ kaṇḍūyane piṭaka-bhedane vyākulī-karaṇe bhīṣaṇena prayogaḥ.

grīvāyāṃ stana-pṛṣṭhe ca vakro nakha-pada-niveśo [2] ardha-candraḥ.

tāv eva dvau parsa-parābhimukhau maṇḍalam.

nābhi-mūla-kakundara-vaṃkṣaṇeṣu((10)) tasya prayogaḥ.

sarva-sthāneṣu nāti:dīrghā [4] lekhā((11)).

saiva vakrā [5] vyāghra-nakhakam ā stana-mukham.

pañcabhir abhimukhair lekhā cūcukābhimukhī((12)) [6] mayūra-padakam.

tat-saṃprayoga-ślāghāyāḥ stana-cūcuke saṃnikṛṣṭāni pañca-nakha-padāni [7] śaśa-plutakam.

stana-pṛṣṭhe mekhalā-pathe cotpala-pattrākṛtīty [8] utpala-pattrakam.

ūrvoḥ stana-pṛṣṭhe ca pravāsaṃ gacchataḥ smāraṇīyakaṃ saṃhatāś catasras tisro vā lekhāḥ.
iti nakha-karmāṇi.

ākṛti-vikāra-yuktāni cānyāny api kurvīta.

vikalpānām an:antatvād ānantyāc ca kauśala-vidher abhyāsasya ca sarva-gāmitvād rāgātmakatvāc chedyasya prakārān ko 'bhisamīkṣitum arhatīty ācāryāḥ..2.4.25 bhavati hi rāge 'pi citrāpekṣā. vaicitryāc ca parasparaṃ rāgo janayitavyaḥ. vaicakṣaṇya-yuktāś ca gaṇikās tat-kāminaś ca parasparaṃ prārthanīyā bhavanti. dhanur-vedādiṣv api hi śastra-karma-śāstreṣu vaicitryam evāpekṣyate kiṃ punar iheti vātsyāyanaḥ.

na tu para-parigṛhītāsv evaṃ kuryāt. pracchanneṣu pradeśeṣu tāsām anusmaraṇārthaṃ rāga-vardhanāc ca viśeṣān darśayet.

nakha-kṣatāni paśyantyā gūḍha-sthāneṣu yoṣitaḥ. cirotsṛṣṭāpy abhinavā prītir bhavati peśalā((13))..

cirosṛṣṭeṣu rāgeṣu prītir gacchet parābhavam. rāgāyatana-saṃsmāri yadi na syān nakha-kṣatam..

paśyato yuvatiṃ dūrān nakhocchiṣṭa-payodharām. bahu-mānaḥ parasyāpi rāga-yogaś ca jāyate..

puruṣaś ca pradeśeṣu nakha-cihnair vicihnitaḥ. cittaṃ sthiram api prāyaś calayaty eva yoṣitaḥ..

nānyat paṭutaraṃ kiṃ cid asti rāga-vivardhanam. nakha-danta-samutthānāṃ karmaṇāṃ gatayo yathā.