Vaisika (About Courtesans), chapter six of Vātsyāyana’s Kamasutra, illuminates the cultured world of courtesans in ancient India. Written in the classical period (c. 2nd–4th century CE), the text details selection, training in music, dance, conversation and householdcraft, strategies for patronage, and rules of conduct. Key themes are artistry and professionalism, the economics of intimacy, reputation and law, and the delicate balance of autonomy and dependence. Rather than mere sensuality, it treats courtesans as skilled cultural agents shaping taste, politics and social life. Today the chapter offers rich material for historians, performance scholars and anyone exploring gender, labor and the cultural politics of desire.