Vaisika, the Kamasutra chapter on courtesans, appears in Vātsyāyana’s classical Sanskrit treatise (c. 3rd–5th century CE). It examines the training, arts, manners, and economic and emotional roles of professional women in urban life—how they choose patrons, manage households, and cultivate music, poetry, and conversation. Key points: social classification, decorum, negotiation, and artistic refinement. Today it offers historians and cultural scholars a window into ancient gendered economies, urban culture, and evolving attitudes toward sexuality and companionship.