Kama Sutra
The Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian text recognized as the oldest known book on human sexual behavior, compiled by the sage Vatsyayana in the third century. Translated as "A Treatise on Pleasure," it offers a comprehensive exploration of sexual practices, relationships, and social interactions. The book comprises seven parts, covering topics such as courtship, marriage, extramarital relations, and the dynamics of human relationships, including same-sex interactions. Notably, the Kama Sutra emphasizes the importance of pleasure in a relationship, advocating that spouses must understand the arts of intimacy to maintain a happy marriage. The text goes beyond sexuality, delving into the cultural and social lives of ancient India, providing insights into the refined lifestyles of men and women of that era. While the Kama Sutra has been influential in discussions of human sexual behavior, particularly after its English translation in the 19th century, it has also sparked academic interest as a study of human relations and historical context. Today, the Kama Sutra is often associated primarily with sexual content, although it originally addressed a broader spectrum of life, including virtue and the balance of desires.
Kama Sutra
The Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian book on human sexual behavior. It is the oldest known book on the subject. The book was intended to provide sexual advice to both men and women. Although no single author is attached to the Kama Sutra, the Indian sage Vatsyayana is credited with compiling the book in the third century. It was written in a complicated form of Sanskrit, which is the classical language of India and Hinduism. Kama Sutra translates into "A Treatise on Pleasure." The book covers topics such as the arts of pleasure, courtship, marriage, extramarital relations, same-sex relations, human relations, and social life. For centuries, the book has had a widespread influence, and many scholars have studied its topics.
Topics
Vatsyayana compiled the Kama Sutra from sexual knowledge of the past. The book is divided into seven parts—Society and Social Concepts, On Sexual Union, About the Acquisition of a Wife, About a Wife, About the Wives of Other Men, About Courtesans, and On the Means of Attracting Others to Yourself. The main character of the book is the man-about-town, or a sophisticated, socially active man. Another key character is the courtesan, or a prostitute who pursues wealthy and powerful men.
The Kama Sutra contains many different topics related to sexual behavior. One of the main topics in the book is pleasure. The book teaches that to achieve a happy marriage, a husband and wife must become experienced in the arts of pleasure. These arts include both sexual and cerebral aspects. Many sexual acts are covered, including embracing, kissing, and sexual intercourse, along with various positions. Special attention is given to providing pleasure to the woman; the book asserts that if the man is unable to provide this, the woman has the option of finding pleasure from someone else. The Kama Sutra explains how a man can successfully persuade a woman and vice versa. Furthermore, it describes the states of the female mind and provides reasons as to why a woman would deny a man. It also contains charts of the different physical types of men and women. Extramarital relations and same-sex relations are also discussed. Additionally, the book explains the methods a courtesan uses to seduce and extort men. Lastly, the book provides recipes for foods, powders, and tonics that could be used to attract a mate.
Besides sexual behavior, the Kama Sutra addresses other topics as well. For example, it depicts life in ancient India. It also delves into the lifestyles of refined men and stylish women. Furthermore, the book discusses sophisticated living and the various social and artistic skills that are needed for such a living, including witty personality, books, music, sports, and cooking. The Kama Sutra also touches upon the pursuit of Dharma, Artha, and Kama—virtue, wealth and power, and pleasure, respectively. Furthermore, the book explains how this pursuit should be balanced.
Influence
The Kama Sutra has been the source of many other texts on sexual behavior. For example, it was the basis for the Ananga Ranga, an Indian sex manual written by the Hindu poet Kalyana Malla in the fifteenth century. Ananga Ranga translates into "Stage of the Bodiless One," "The Hindu Art of Love," or "Theatre of the Love God." The Kama Sutra also had an impact on the art and literature of India. Despite its influence over the centuries, the Kama Sutra was not widely read until the late nineteenth century, mainly because of its complex style of Sanskrit. But in 1883, an English translation of the Kama Sutra was published. The explorer and linguist Sir Richard Burton is credited with translating the book into English. The English translation led to widespread interest in the book, particularly in the West. Other English translations were produced as well. For example, University of Chicago professor Wendy Doniger and Harvard's Center for the Study of World Religions Indian fellow Sudhir Kakar produced an English translation of the Kama Sutra in 2009. The book also has been translated into various other languages besides English.
Today, the Kama Sutra is synonymous with sex. The book is currently available in pictorial editions, placing more emphasis on sex than on the other aspects of the book. In these editions, the images are typically more popular than the text. Furthermore, many products and services use the title Kama Sutra as a brand name.
Academic Perspectives
In the academic world, the Kama Sutra has generated much discussion. Scholars generally regard the text as more than just a book on sex. Many view the book as a study of human relations. As the only remaining text of the period of ancient India in which it was written, scholars also have studied the book in an attempt to understand that era. However, scholarly studies of the book were not common until Burton's English translation was published. Before this translation, scholars typically consulted the Ananga Ranga when studying sexual behavior. Doniger and Kakar's translation allows for a more modern study of the Kama Sutra than Burton's translation. For example, the translation depicts women and men as equally sexual.
Bibliography
Castleman, Michael. "The Real Kama Sutra: More than an Ancient Sex Manual." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, LLC. 15 Sep. 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201309/the-real-kama-sutra-more-ancient-sex-manual
Haksar, Aditya. "What Can You Learn from the Kama Sutra?" Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aditya-haksar/learn-kama-sutra‗b‗1299818.html
Hardgrove, Anne. "A Brief History of the Kama Sutra." AlterNet. Independent Media Institute. 27 May 2008. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. http://www.alternet.org/story/86582/a‗brief‗history‗of‗the‗kama‗sutra