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Was the Kama Sutra the original idea for spam email?
"Take pomegranate and cucumber seeds, extract the juice of elabāluka (eluva, Gisekia pharmaceoides) and bhatakataiyā (Solanum indicum, eggplant). Cook in oil over a low heat. Use it to massage the penis. It will remain swollen for six months."
...It didn't sound so bad until I got to the last line...
"Ram's or he-goat
"Get a bigger flute!" "Increase ur Size! 6" "Don't walk with tail between your legs." "V|agr.a, C|a.li5, and Phen.term.|ne CHeep!!"Was the Kama Sutra the original idea for spam email?
"Take pomegranate and cucumber seeds, extract the juice of elabāluka (eluva, Gisekia pharmaceoides) and bhatakataiyā (Solanum indicum, eggplant). Cook in oil over a low heat. Use it to massage the penis. It will remain swollen for six months."
...It didn't sound so bad until I got to the last line...
"Ram's or he-goat's testicles boiled in sugared milk increase sexual prowess."
...Can I have some more Rocky Mountain Oyster Pudding, grandma?
"If a man anoints his penis with datura, black pepper [maricha], and long pepper [pippalī], crushed and mixed with honey, its use will allow him to bewitch and subjugate his partners."
...Or at least cause them to be doubled over in fiery pain.
Once you're done mucking about with spicy peppers, priapisms, and testes, why not try this ancient recipe:
"By rubbing one's hand with the excrements of a peacock, which has been made to take haritāla [yellow myrobalan] and manashilā [red arsenic], everything one touches becomes invisible."
...Infallable.
Okay, in an attempt to save you, Dear Reader, a ton of time may I present:
All You Will Ever Need To Know About the Kama Sutra*
1) There are no pictures in the original Kama Sutra, much to the chagrin of reviewers on Amazon.
2) For the naughtiest parts, go straight to Chapter Six
3) You aren't going to learn any new tricks unless you're a sweet, innocent teenager.
4) The Kama Sutra is extremely repetitive. (This explains my low-ish rating - I'd probably put it at a 2.5. And those stars are just there for the aforementioned chuckles at the insanity. Ancient people were batshitcrazy. It's a miracle we're still around.) There is a good reason for the repetitiveness - as a teaching text, a student is supposed to read the original with enlightened commentary. Unfortunately this translation includes 2 extra commentaries after every paragraph. The translator even apologizes in the intro for its "maladroitness." Even with good reason, doesn't make it fun to read.
5) A lot of the advice is violent - scratching, slapping, bleeding, etc.
6) The Kama Sutra wasn't exactly written by Vātsyāyana - he collected the "erotic science" sections of the Kama Shastra (which were becoming harder and harder to find).
7) The history of the Kama Sutra is interesting, as is the background of the three Shastras - go learn about them. Maybe I'm too dense, but I didn't learn much about history by reading the original text.
8) The Kama Sutra tries to explain all sexual practices, even those that are not recommended or are forbidden. Vātsyāyana felt it very important to be complete. Which I can get behind.
*(unless you are an ancient Indian scholar, of course.)
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The Kama Sutra is commonly mismarketed as a sex guide or as pornography. Although courtesans are mentioned, it is not about the sex trade but includes discussion of marriage, adultery, transvestism, homosexuality etc. Most memorable from the childhood perusal of it is the
Like most children, my brother and I knew where everything was in our house, paying particular attention to the things we weren't supposed to know about. This book was contained in a shoebox in the closet of my parent's bedroom.The Kama Sutra is commonly mismarketed as a sex guide or as pornography. Although courtesans are mentioned, it is not about the sex trade but includes discussion of marriage, adultery, transvestism, homosexuality etc. Most memorable from the childhood perusal of it is the long listing of positions for coitus, many, if not all, of them named for various animals. This was weirdly fascinating, not for any erotic charge--there isn't any--but for the suggestions it implanted about how strange Indian culture must have been.
I suppose Mom and Dad must have been disappointed also, neither of them having evinced any particular interest in the mores of medieval India.
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four year old this book meant a lot to me, it completely shaped my views on literature and what a book meant to people. at age 8 i killed a man. that has nothing to do with this book, just thought i'd mention it. anyway, without this book i would never have got that job as a basketball player for the det before biff and chip, before the alphabet books, this is the first book i ever read. i remember well being read this book as i nodded off to sleep, and the pleasant dreams that would follow. as a
four year old this book meant a lot to me, it completely shaped my views on literature and what a book meant to people. at age 8 i killed a man. that has nothing to do with this book, just thought i'd mention it. anyway, without this book i would never have got that job as a basketball player for the detroit pistons. no homo.
this book is about the human condition and what it means to be a working class youth in 16th century london. this is why this book appealed to me so. it can speak to people on all walks of life, no homo.
i killed a man once. but anyway....
this book started the second world war. i have no evidence for this, yet still i believe it. but anyway, this book is awesome. my favourite part is when the nasty old witch realises we're all the same in the end, and we are all born equal. then she bones the elevator attendant. no homo.
anyway, i killed a man. but yeah, this book changed my life. after reading this at the age of 213, i realised life was not a game, that we must make each day as important as the last, and that pandas are spies for Belgium. no homo.
this book taught me about how a robot works. now i will apply to robot wars and design a robot that can kill all others, maybe even one day rule the world. it sounds silly, bu this book truly filled me with hope, which is what a book should not do. honestly, this book is a bad influence on everyone that reads it. i let a person live once. homo.
did you ever go to sea world? it was about several sexual positions and how keith chegwin ruled monday night television. he didn't. but he wished he did. no homo.
anyway, this book was written long ago, which is cool cos a lot of things happen long ago (e.g. trousers, the beubonic plague, hitler, TISWAS, the list goes on). i think people should read this book so that everyone understands the true meaning of christmas. no santa.
as a toddler, this book scared me. i didn't understand. but now. the end. no homo.
so yeah, this book taught me how to walk, you wouldn't believe it but its true. this book is all about walking places. it just got a bad rep for being about the murder of alsations, but no, it is about how to walk.
so please, read this book and die. homo.
from the reviewer of this book,
Salmand Rushdie.
In general, nobody has any idea what Kama Sutra means, what the books is or what the author intended it to be. Simply put, dispel yourself of any preconceived notions before you read even the first paragraph of this opus or my review.
I was consistently intrigued by the exotic perspective and expansive scope of the Kama Sutra. In a sentence, the book is an exposition of the author's perso
Coming from a strong background in philosophy and the Classics, I found this book to be an invigorating read.In general, nobody has any idea what Kama Sutra means, what the books is or what the author intended it to be. Simply put, dispel yourself of any preconceived notions before you read even the first paragraph of this opus or my review.
I was consistently intrigued by the exotic perspective and expansive scope of the Kama Sutra. In a sentence, the book is an exposition of the author's personal experience of and his well-read study of carnal enjoyment. I found this perspective to be particularly interesting because you must set the narrative within the context of a highly stratified caste society with little to no social/economic/spiritual/political mobility. This book forced me to recognize that this society elevated, at least theoretically, carnal pleasure to a spiritual and cultural (pseudo)-science whereby these stratifications may be bent, re-interpreted and, to use a word in its literal sense, humanized. Do not underestimate the empirical and scientific level at which the author has applied his mind. I am certain that Aristotle or Aquinas would have been enraptured. Surprisingly to me, the scope of the Kama Sutra did not extend to other aspects of carnal pleasure to include among other things the culinary sciences. Perhaps, this is because the arts of cooking and the enjoyment of taste were not within the purview of the audience of the Kama Sutra.
Speaking of Aristotle and the Greeks, the Kama Sutra contains an interesting comparative comment on the nature of prostitutes and their differing capacities in the Indian and Greek worlds. In the method of pre-Industrial revolution works, the author enjoys "scientific" proofs of his arguments by natural analogy. For example, the author supports his conclusions on that natural behaviors of mankind by analogies to his empirical observations of nature and animal life. This method, of course, will be immediately recognizable to any student of philosophy.
The books follows a logical plan, which comprises of small treatises regarding specific aspects of the topic including the opinions of previous scholars and the author's agreement or disagreement with them. The work starts with an exhortation to the study of Kama, its benefits and its general nature. The book also includes treatises on the nature of man and woman, the nature of desire, the nature of union both carnal and spiritual, the nature of a wife and, the most unusual part in my opinion, the nature of the prostitute. Unfortunately, a collection of only a handful of the thousand of verses of this work has received notice and attention by the modern world - namely the verses, which describe the 64 arts of Kama ranging from cooing and biting to sexual positions and the appropriate setting for such sexual union. I do not understand why people believe that they will discover some sexual awakening from a book, whose focus is spiritual and philosophical in nature; if you are looking for this, there are obviously more available sources of this information.
I conclude my review with a longing that the many works and authors, which are cited in this book, are unavailable and lost as far as I can tell. The book is a good foothold in Hindu culture and philosophy and has encouraged me to download the Rig Veda to my iPad/iPhone.
The Kama Sutra deserves a read by any curious mind and has earned a solid 5-star rating.
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Admittedly I was curious as to what this book actually was. It's an infamous book that has made it on to numerous "must read before you die" and "taboo" book lists, but that doesn't necessarily mean I knew what it was. When I had the chance to read this small snippet of it I took it. I remember hearing it was a guide of sorts on sex. It isn't necessarily a "how to" guide on sexual positions so don't come with that mind set if you want to read it. There are descriptions and pictures on
3.75 starsAdmittedly I was curious as to what this book actually was. It's an infamous book that has made it on to numerous "must read before you die" and "taboo" book lists, but that doesn't necessarily mean I knew what it was. When I had the chance to read this small snippet of it I took it. I remember hearing it was a guide of sorts on sex. It isn't necessarily a "how to" guide on sexual positions so don't come with that mind set if you want to read it. There are descriptions and pictures on certain positions but not "put hand here while licking neck of partner" kind of instructions. A few people I know thought that which makes me laugh now because how is any of that sexy haha.
This was a quick read version with art and words of long ago that I enjoyed reading. You have to appreciate that someone took the time to make a guide promoting equality in sexual pleasure. Heck some people don't even believe these things even now. If you think you'll be embarrassed to read the Karma Sutra but are still curious then I suggest giving this edition a shot. It's short at only 64 pages so won't take too much time to finish. I wouldn't mind reading a different version for comparison in the future.
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The book is less pornographic than you would think - I have seen countless "reproductions" that merely involve couples photographed in the positions. These detract from the content of the original, as does the reputation that proceeds this book.
This actually is more
Arguably the hottest non-fiction book I've ever read - the translator has done a fantastic job of not only providing a translation of the original text, but also including translations of the commentaries by ancient Hindu authorities.The book is less pornographic than you would think - I have seen countless "reproductions" that merely involve couples photographed in the positions. These detract from the content of the original, as does the reputation that proceeds this book.
This actually is more of a list of erotic behavior than it is a manual - anyone that reads this will never have a need to read an issue of 'Cosmo' again. (but then, anyone who has gone further than the missionary position probably doesn't need to read Cosmo either ;)
Instead of a "sex manual" it is more of an insight to the sexuality of middle-ages India - there are entire chapters on biting, scratching, sexual positions, courting, seduction, quarrels and fights, "emergency cures and potions," as well as whole sections on homosexual behavior. The commentary (which was originally written a century or so after the original text) gives further advice, stating that certain behavior is not "suitable" for people of certain castes, or that women of certain regions prefer certain behaviors but shun others, etc.
As someone interested in both anthropology and sexology, this volume is indispensable - but if you're someone looking for a quick, kinky read, I wouldn't recommend it.
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I find there are better ways to advise love. Honestly. The truth is differnent from the media's interpretation of what Kama Sutra is, which woul
A seemingly antiquated theory of finding love, giving it, and keeping it. As stated prior. I do wish to respect all religions, especially those of the Hindu dharma. Although there are some good points in here, most is thorny, demeaning to women, and misleading to men. It's not very poignant in it's explainations or tied to any real truth. It bothers me.I find there are better ways to advise love. Honestly. The truth is differnent from the media's interpretation of what Kama Sutra is, which would be, an intuitive guide to basically all concievable sexual positions.
It's a lot more than that. This book is a religious text, meant for followers of the faith a guide to fullfilling love life. It's a way out there culture, for me, an American. Being said, it is a good break into what ciuld be an influential finding of human behavior. Not of love, but what could be. It's interesting, but can also cloud good judgement, and obscure rightous conduct.
All I have to say, thank you all. Please do not let my review discourage you from diverisfying your views, this is just my take, make wisdom of what you find.
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It was a historical guide to relations with the opposite sex in all different castes in India. So this included the beggar all the way to royalty. To be honest much of it was tiresome and repetitive, but then every once in awhile you would stumble on something interesting l
I've always wondered about this book after I heard about it in my history class in 8th grade. When I was downloading things on ibook I saw this and I felt myself enough of an adult to finally read it without being embarrassed.It was a historical guide to relations with the opposite sex in all different castes in India. So this included the beggar all the way to royalty. To be honest much of it was tiresome and repetitive, but then every once in awhile you would stumble on something interesting like how the women of a polygamist should always be fighting one another unless it causes to much discomfort to the husband. Just all the women's rights just never existed and they were treated worse than cattle, since cattle of course are holy in India.
It would also talk about how best to cheat on your spouse, and how you could tell if someone was cheating on you.
Courtship was also very interesting with its formalities and what was permitted. Pressing with nails and biting were something that always came up in the book as something to communicate to others either by doing it to them, or by biting or pressing you nails on a gift for them like a flower.
There was also a couple chapters on sex, but they can be easily skipped if that's not your cup of tea. Especially the chapter on Eunuchs, just wierd.
An odd book that after reading a few choice parts to my spouse, we were left laughing out loud a few times. I am glad to say that I now have an opinion about this "historical classic".
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However, the sexual parts (which is just 1 out of 7 parts of the book)are still thought provoking and could still bewilder one's imaginations! This being an instruction book and an undeniably an indespensable part of classic literature is nothing but a must read piece of work of art.
Thanks again Tata J for le
This is a funny book! Since the book was written in the ancient India, many of the non-sexual instructions like courtship, concubines, courtesan, prostitutes, are just passe and ridiculous!However, the sexual parts (which is just 1 out of 7 parts of the book)are still thought provoking and could still bewilder one's imaginations! This being an instruction book and an undeniably an indespensable part of classic literature is nothing but a must read piece of work of art.
Thanks again Tata J for lending me this book! I hope you will find more books like this, read them right away and pass them on to your equally voracious brother!
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That man over there . . . is a lover who fell madly in love with you at first sight. He has never been afflicted like this before, by anyone else, he is suffering terribly, burning up. It is quite possible that he will even die of this today.On reflection, it appears that all of human life is permeated by sexuality . . . That is why the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, 'Man is sexual.' Sexuality is the semen of the mind.
—Devadatta Shastri, Jaya Commentary
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Richard Schmidt, the German tran
That man over there . . . is a lover who fell madly in love with you at first sight. He has never been afflicted like this before, by anyone else, he is suffering terribly, burning up. It is quite possible that he will even die of this today.On reflection, it appears that all of human life is permeated by sexuality . . . That is why the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, 'Man is sexual.' Sexuality is the semen of the mind.
—Devadatta Shastri, Jaya Commentary
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Richard Schmidt, the German translator, would wax lyrical: 'The burning heat of the Indian sun, the fabulous luxuriance of the vegetation, the enchanted poetry of moonlit nights permeated by the perfume of lotus flowers and, not least, the distinctive role the Indian people have always played, the role of unworldly dreamers, philosophers, impractical romantics—all combine to make the Indian a real virtuoso in love.'The real Kamasutra by contrast, is not the sort of book to read in bed while drinking heavily, let alone holding the book with one hand in order to keep the other free.
—Introduction
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This is not a book about sex positions, but it's also likely not as "interesting" as you think it is: even the second book for which this work is famous for. It all gets a bit repetitive.
Best read if you've got a historical interest in Ancient India and related customs.
This translation is very readable and can be recommended purely for the inclusion of the extensive included Jayamangala Sanskrit commentary.
['Y' and 'S' below indicate extracts taken from commentaries, not the main text]
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In recommending that the man not touch the woman sexually for the first three nights after marriage, using this time to understand her feelings, win her trust, and arouse her love, Vatsayana takes a momentous step in the history of Indian sexuality by introducing the notion of love in sex. He even goes so far as to advance the radical notion thatthe ultimate goal of marriage is to develop love between the couple and thus considers the love-marriage (which the religious texts regarded as ritually 'low' and disapproved of, and which is still a rarity in contemporary Indian society) to be the pre-eminent form of marriage.
Y: A man should not be congratulated
If he happens to succeed tag something without knowing its science,
For it is pure chance, like a bookworm eating a hole
In the shape of a letter of the alphabet.
Childhood is the time to acquire knowledge and other kinds of power, the prime of youth is for pleasure, and old age is for religion and release.
Y: There is a saying:
Until the age of sixteen a man is a child,
As long as he eats rice cooked in milk;
He is middle-aged until he is seventy; and after that he is said to be old.
S: Until the age of sixteen, a woman is called a girl, from sixteen to thirty a young woman. After the first age, when they re equal, the men are much older than the women with whom they are matched; a woman is old at fifty, a man at seventy.
Power, in the form of wealth, consists in acquiring knowledge . . .
Pleasure, in general, consists in engaging the ear, skin, eye, tongue, and nose each in its own appropriate sensation, all under the control of the mind and heart driven by the conscious self.
People should not indulge in pleasures . . . they make a man associate with worthless people and undertake bad projects; they make him impure, a man with no future, as well as careless, lightweight, untrustworthy, and unacceptable. And it is said that many men in the thrall of desire were destroyed, even when accompanied by their troops.
Undertake any project that might achieve
The three aims of life, or two, or even just one,
But not one that achieves one
At the cost of the other two.
When a man has become educated, he enters the householder stage of life and begins the lifestyle of a man-about-town, using the money that he has inherited, on the one hand, or obtained from gifts, conquest, trade, or wages, on the other, or from both. He settles down in a. City, a capital city, a market town, or some large gathering where there are good people, or wherever he has to stay to make a living.
But nothing rash should be done merely because of passion.
Y: For sometimes when a woman has made love with one man she may make love with other men who happen to be there. And so it is said:
A fire is never sated by logs,
Not the ocean by the rivers that flow into it;
Death cannot be sated by all the creatures in the world,
Nor a fair-eyed woman by men.
Y: Indeed, woman want a climax that takes a long time to produce, because they desire is eight times that of a man.
The man is aroused by the thought, 'I am taking her', the young woman by the thought, 'I am being taken by him.'
When the wheel of sexual ecstasy is in full motion,
There is no textbook at all, and no order.
The emotions and fantasies
Conjured up in a moment
In the midst of sexual chaos
Cannot be imagined even in dreams.
With the flowers from her hair strewn about, her laughter interrupted by her hard breathing . . .
Y: As Vasishtha says:
'But a man who copulates
In the mouth of his wife
Causes his ancestors to starve
For fifteen years.
[*Note: The passage that Y cites from Vasishtha is at 12.23, where the ancestors of the man who copulates in the mouth of his wife do not starve for fifteen years but, rather, are forced to eat nothing but his semen for a month.]
For the statement that 'There is a text for this'
Does not justify a practice.
. . . Medical science, for example,
Recommends cooking even dog meat,
For juice and virility;
But what intelligent person would eat it?
A room of his house dedicated to sex, a room decorated, full of flowers, and fragrant with perfume and incense . . .
Never court a girl
With a disgusting name
That is a constellation, a river, a tree,
Or ends in a syllable beginning with 'l' or 'r'.
For it is commonly said: 'Young women desire right from the start a man whom they know well and see all the time, but, even when they desire him, they do not make advances.'
Whenever he gives her anything or receives anything from her, he invests it with erotic feeling.
This suitor is the best
Because his very nature is love.
Now, there are ten stages of desire, and their signs are: love at first sight, the attachment oft he mind and heart, the stimulation of the imagination, broken sleep, weight loss, revulsion against sensual objects, the loss of all sense of shame, madness, loss of consciousness, and death.
He carries on a conversation that seems to be about something else but has a double meaning, about her . . .
He cooks the heart of a mongoose, the fruits of a fenugreek plant and a long gourd, and snake eyes, over a fire that does not smoke. Then he rubs into this the same measure of the collegium used as eye make-up. When he has smeared his eyes with this, he can move about without a shadow or a body.
When the man arrives, she gives him a love-gift, something that will arouse his love or erotic curiosity, saying, "This is for you alone, and no one else, to enjoy."
__________
Yashodhara's comment on 7.1.25 ('Do this in such a way that the woman you want does not realize, "A man with something spread on his penis is making love to me"') has inspired at least one reader to remark, 'Any woman who would let you make love to her with all that stuff smeared on you would have to be madly in love with you already.' ...more
I always find this book interesting and not for the commonly thought reasons. Yes it is a book about sex, but it also a book that leads up to the act by discussing social climates, moods and behavior, psychological conundrums and mindset and energy. There are bold pictures here, s Found this again the other day in an old stack of books I needed to box up for storage. I ended up reading this again and lending it to a friend, as all good books should end up (if you have friends that return books).
I always find this book interesting and not for the commonly thought reasons. Yes it is a book about sex, but it also a book that leads up to the act by discussing social climates, moods and behavior, psychological conundrums and mindset and energy. There are bold pictures here, showing positions and processes that are interesting as well, and yet the overall read drew my eye to the words, with the plates and pictures as a compliment, always.
This stands as one of the greatest works of relationships, in many ways. It gets talked about as taboo or as outright disgusting old adult literature, but I disagree. There are many things going on in this book and the various positions, in talking, touching and physically exercising the usages here are myriad. Make no mistake, this book gets you going in many ways, but I feel that when the mind is stimulated, the heart and body follow along and the entire experiment yields the desired outcome.
Don't hear many people talk about this book anymore. There are variations of the translation out there in multitude, but this one I enjoy the most.
Danny
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It handles things quite "scientifically" and is in no way erotic. In fact, only one out of seven parts discusses "Sexual Union" while the rest focuses on more cultural issues and etiquette. Most of which are clearly outdated, but hence I have a great gener
The Kama Sutra handles subjects of marriage, hetero- and homosexuality, monogami and polygami alike, how to steal a woman from another man – as well as the life of courtesans, and last mot not least, how to attract a woman by extra "medicines".It handles things quite "scientifically" and is in no way erotic. In fact, only one out of seven parts discusses "Sexual Union" while the rest focuses on more cultural issues and etiquette. Most of which are clearly outdated, but hence I have a great general historical interest – I found it both fascinating and, at times, comical to read about how you were supposed to behave around, and treat a woman 2000 or so years ago – also how a woman herself is to treat males of various castes and social standing.
In a way, it is not so different from those classic 19th-20th century "house wife" books – and when taking time to reflect, it is not so much different from our woman world view before 20th century. The only difference is that in India, it's been written down in, perhaps you might say, pure scientific matter of fact.
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"...One who understands [the Kama Sutra's] essence
will look to virtue, wealth and pleasure,
his own faith, the world around him,
and not act just out of passion...
Learned a
It undoubtedly would've been helpful for me personally had I read this classic work as a younger man, rather than as one now approaching his 80's! Unfortunately, most Americans, hearing the name Kama Sutra, immediately think "sex manual". Here's how the 3rd cent. Indian author, Mallanaga Vatsyayanna, in the Epilogue sums it up:"...One who understands [the Kama Sutra's] essence
will look to virtue, wealth and pleasure,
his own faith, the world around him,
and not act just out of passion...
Learned and adept in these,
looking to virtue, also wealth
and not seeking only pleasure
with a passion excessive,
he will succeed in what he does."
The Kama Sutra is eminently practical, but also explains the logical reasons behind what it suggests. I noticed, too, that over & over again it makes "recommendations": recognizing that each person has to approach the subject matter in view of his/her own circumstances, locality, social norms, etc. Such a book, it seems to me, would be an invaluable aid in sex education courses in helping young minds understand that it's definitely not "all about sex".
For the record, this edition, beautifully translated from the Sanscrit by A. N. D. Haksar in 2011, is not illustrated. I didn't actually notice this until I started reading some of the descriptions, and realized that probably I'd have been much too distracted from the content of the work had there been illustrations. Having read it and understood its purpose better, it could be helpful now to find a good illustrated edition for further perusal.
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I would use this book as a part of sexual
The Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana is a great book that gives a detailed description on several aspects on sex, love and marriage in Sanskriti culture. There's a lot of cultural information in this collection of tales and advice that is really interesting and rather surprising. These examples are made using the highest ideal/potential one can work towards. It's not the general standard that was actually lived by but the standards a person was meant to aim for.I would use this book as a part of sexual education. A clean, unbiased use of the book would give a decent background to people about what could be possible in a sexual relationship. It's not enough to cram down the negative fallout of what could happen if you have uninformed, unprotected sex. People should learn the varied depth of what emotional and physical pleasure is about.
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This ancient survey of customs and relationships that were contemporary at the time the pieces were written (it is a compilation of works from various authors) offers unique insight, going beyond the popular conception of the book. It is interesting on many levels. If someone is just looking f
Great book on society and culture and sex...in that order. Not even 100 pages are explicitly dedicated to intercourse. More of the book is talking about what is acceptable in various cultures at that time.This ancient survey of customs and relationships that were contemporary at the time the pieces were written (it is a compilation of works from various authors) offers unique insight, going beyond the popular conception of the book. It is interesting on many levels. If someone is just looking for the sexual positions and tips there are illustrated versions too, but I can't comment on those because I've never read them. There's a whole shelf full at Barnes and Nobel last time I checked.
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This new edition of The Kama Sutra does not have any pictures of how to accomplish the sexual positions. Disappointed? Well, there's always t
Everyone knows what The Kama Sutra is about. Right? Well, for those of you laughing at me or looking at me askance, maybe you don't know quite so much as you think you do. Yes, it is about sex, but, more than that, it is a study of pleasure, of courtship. Only one chapter focuses on sexual positions, although the other chapters do include other sexual acts.This new edition of The Kama Sutra does not have any pictures of how to accomplish the sexual positions. Disappointed? Well, there's always the cover and the inside flaps. Reading this, I'm a bit curious how the work became known as a book full of pictures of sexual positions. Certainly, Vatsyayana does describe a fair number, but probably not as many as are in the books that have been published. My own theory is that people came up with a bunch more positions while trying to figure out the ones Vatsyayana described, with limited detail.
From a historian's viewpoint, this was a really neat book to read. One thing I read for particularly was the treatment of women. Now, considering that it's from roughly the third century CE, women are obviously property. Their role is to be subservient. Still, I was somewhat impressed with two things. 1) Vatsyayana also wrote this with women in mind, and included discussions of how a woman can come to have power over her lover or husband. 2) Vatsyayana openly says that women can have strong sexual drives. This is something that is often denied still today.
On the other hand, some of the advice is spot on, and modern males could still learn from it. For example, Vatsyayana says that "One needs to study a woman's behaviour when making a pass at her." Very true. Women are generally going to give off some hints, some signals telling you whether or not they are interested. Being able to read these signals is an art. Of course, his next piece of advice, should she for some strange reason, not be interested is that in some cases "she is available, but by force when they are alone." Not so good. Oh, ancient value systems.
Despite having been written by a celibate focused on meditation, The Kama Sutra really strikes me as the guidebook of a 3rd century Barney Stinson. Seriously, think about it. Within there are precise descriptions on how to bed women of every variety, along with consideration of sexual positions and how to be attractive. "A paste of rosebay, ginger and dried plum leaves" was probably the old school Indian method of 'suiting up.' Or not. Haha. But seriously, it is so much more awesome to read while thinking about this.
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That being said, the Kama Sutra has probably always been a hard book for any woman to appreciate- it is overtly sexist and makes multiple claims about women being prim To be honest I feel a little ridiculous rating a book which belongs to an era and culture so removed from my own. I don't feel that any person born in the west in the twenty first century can truly grasp much of the Kama Sutra beyond its basic meaning, and we certainly cannot fathom its cultural significance in its own day and age.
That being said, the Kama Sutra has probably always been a hard book for any woman to appreciate- it is overtly sexist and makes multiple claims about women being primarily money-seeking individuals while men are primarily knowledge-seeking individuals. Although it may not have seemed so clearly sexist to women at the time it was written it would doubtless have offended the sensibilities of many due to its then-controversial subject material.
Let's make one thing clear though- in a post-modern context there is nothing particularly shocking and certainly nothing remotely sexy about the sage Vatsayana's work. The Kama Sutra is primarily a religious text and should only ever be approached as such. It is not meant to be a sexual guide and reference book, as it is so often purported to be, in fact only one seventh of the book discusses sex with any degree of explicity and that which it does discuss is marked by such outdated wisdom as to seem comical to the twenty-first century reader.
When read in the correct mindset (ie- one that considers the historical importance of the Kama Sutra, remembering that it is one of the most valuable and detailed Hindu religious texts regarding the methods of acquiring or enhancing ones Kama), the Kama Sutra provides valuable insight to the Hindu religion and is therefore a must read for all individuals fascinated by eastern spiritual practice. ...more
Hardly anything is known about him, although it is believed that his disciples went on his instructions, on the request of the Hindu Kings in the
Vātsyāyana is the name of a Hindu philosopher in the Vedic tradition who is believed to have lived around 3rd century CE in India. His name appears as the author of the Kama Sutra and of Nyāya Sutra Bhāshya, the first commentary on Gotama's Nyāya Sutras.Hardly anything is known about him, although it is believed that his disciples went on his instructions, on the request of the Hindu Kings in the Himalayan range to influence the hill tribals to give up the pagan cult of sacrifices. He is said to have created the legend of Tara among the hill tribes as a tantric goddess. Later as the worship spread to the east Garo hills,the goddess manifest of a 'yoni' goddess Kamakhya was created. His interest in human sexual behavior as a medium of attaining spirituality was recorded in his treatise Kama Sutra.
At the close of the Kama Sutra this is what he writes about himself:
"After reading and considering the works of Babhravya and other ancient authors, and thinking over the meaning of the rules given by them, this treatise was composed, according to the precepts of the Holy Writ, for the benefit of the world, by Vatsyayana, while leading the life of a religious student at Benares, and wholly engaged in the contemplation of the Deity. This work is not to be used merely as an instrument for satisfying our desires. A person acquainted with the true principles of this science, who preserves his Dharma (virtue or religious merit), his Artha (worldly wealth) and his Kama (pleasure or sensual gratification), and who has regard to the customs of the people, is sure to obtain the mastery over his senses. In short, an intelligent and knowing person attending to Dharma and Artha and also to Kama, without becoming the slave of his passions, will obtain success in everything that he may do."
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Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/326957.The_Kama_Sutra_of_Vatsyayana
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