यह भोग भी एक तपस्य है

Yeh bhog bhi ek tapasya hai
Tum tyaag ke maare kya jano?
Apmaan racheta ka hoga
Rachana ko agar thukraaoge

This glut, too is a kind of penance
But you, so wracked by sacrifice, wouldn't know it.
For wouldn't it be an insult to the creator,
To reject all of creation?


These words of unusual wisdom were sung by Chitralekha, a courtesan in the movie of the same name (1964). The setting is dramatic: Chitralekha has been distracting Beejgupt, a minor vassal of the Gupta empire. A great ascetic of the kingdom has arrived at Chitralekha's mansion to goad her away from Beejgupt...to make her see that her life of decadent, languorous sin is worthless in the larger scheme of things. Though she may seem to enjoy all that life has to offer, moksha--or the freedom from the cycle of birth and death--will elude her. To this, Chitralekha sings to the ascetic what is perhaps the most striking of courtesan songs, turning the entire premise of at least three major schools of Hindu philosophy on their heads.

This general theme comes in two primary flavours: ascetics attempting (usually in vain) to reform courtesans, and courtesans attempting (usually successfully) to seduce ascetics. Unfortunately, the latter theme is rarely found in the morally rarefied world of Bollywood. Where virtuous heroes find themselves seduced, the seductresses are always vampish and the men inevitably rue their dalliance. In general, however, courtesans and minxes in the movies have always maintained a healthy irreverence for preachy, pious men. Consider the song "Jao re jogi tum jao re" (Move on, ascetic) from the film "Amrapali" (1966) portrayed by the beautiful Vyjayanti Mala, who plays the title courtesan, Amrapali.
Depending on the period in which the movie is set, the courtesan may be replaced by a generally seductive siren, and the ascetic by a self-righteous and pious man. The song "Main ka karoon Ram, mujhe buddha mil gaya" (Oh god! What do I do! I've got me an old man!) from the film "Sangam" (1964) is a very unusual twist on this theme. Here, the vivacious Radha (again, played by Vyjayanti Mala) seduces her own stuffy husband (played by Raj Kapoor) with a classy cabaret.

Tadka Dal
Hermits and ascetics: Resistance is futile.

Source
Hindu mythology has a long tradition of celestial maidens seducing ill-tempered ascetics. It is told that these ascetics would sit in penance, threatening to upset the cosmic balance with their quest for Truth and for power over nature's hidden secrets. When the gods themselves failed to break their penance, other-worldly bombshells would be sent down to seduce these mighty, yet wholly unprepared men. They never failed. The most famous instance of such a seduction was that of the sage Vishvamitra by the celestial dancer Menaka.