Far from being essentially erotic,
Vatsyayana’s Kama Sutra, writen in cryptic
sutra (aphoristic) form and comprising
seven parts, deals with a wide range of man-
woman relationships, education, courtship,
marriage and conjugal life. It pertains to the
art of living – looking for a partner, sexual
intercourse, maintaining power in a marriage,
adultery, associating with a courtesan, and
self-enhancement. he underlying Hindu
belief is that the non-ascetic human being,
while pursuing a righteous life (Dharma),
should also be atentive to the accumulation
of worldly possessions (Artha) and cultivation
of pleasures (Kama), moderating each of the
three aims according to one’s stage of life.
According to one commentary, Vatsyayana’s
work is writen from a sociologist’s standpoint,
with even the most intimate issues regarded
in an almost scientiic manner. Readers
are advised to ensure that the techniques
are appropriate to their circumstances and
preferences before they are adopted, and that
the work should not be used “merely as an
instrument for satisfying our desire”.
he concept “kama” does not solely
represent sexual desires, but more broadly
encompasses sensual pleasures, such as those
arising from an appreciation of the iner things
in life – music, good food, perfume. Prescribed
in Part I of Kama Sutra, “On the Arts and
Sciences to be Studied”, is a mind-boggling list
“The woman is the ire, her
womb the uel, the invitaion
of man the smoke. The door is
the flame, entering the ember,
pleasure the park. In this
ire gods form the ofering.
From this ofering prings
forth the hild”
- Chandogya Upaniad
part 5: Other People’s Wives
Behaviour of men and women, and
behaviour in the women’s quarters.part 6: Courtesans
How to choose and look for
a permanent lover.part 7:Attracting Others
Improving physical attraction and
arousing weakened sexual power.of 64 “arts and sciences”, which include music
and drawing, languages and sports.
Unsurprisingly, it is Part II of the Kama
Sutra, “On Sexual Union”, that has become
most talked-about. he section discusses
the art and practice of sexual intercourse,
taking into consideration the diferences in
age, inclination, size of sexual organs, modes
of caress, and various sexual positions. he
traditional Hindu point of view is that sex
is not only normal and necessary, but also
almost sacramental, the human counterpart of
creation. It is symbolised as the union of Lord
Shiva and his queen, and the terms lingam (the
male sexual organ) and yoni (the female sexual
organ) have strong religious connotations.
Vatsyayana’s work has come to be accepted
as authoritative and foundational, greatly
inspiring writers, poets, artists, dramatists,
sculptors, painters and other practitioners in
their respective works of art. Today, it remains
the oldest extant Hindu text of erotic love. agTRANSLATIONS OF
THE KAMA SUTRAThe 1883 English
translated edition by
Sir Richard Francis
Burton et al, The
Kamasutra of
Vatsyayana, was the
irst translation of the
Indian text and one
of the best known.
Unfortunately, it is said
to be inaccurate in many
parts, particularly in
the chapters that relate
to the social history of
India at the time.
More recent translations
include The Love
Teachings of Kama Sutra
by Indra Sinha (1980);
The Complete Kama
Sutra by Alain Danielou
(1994); and the well
respected Vatsyayana
Kamasutra by Wendy
Doniger and Sudhir
Kakar (2002).This essay is condensed from “The Philosophy of
Pleasure: Debunking the Kama Sutra Myth”, irst
published in Asian Geographic Issue 07/2008.