Kama Sutra

The "Kama Sutra" (Sanskrit: कामसूत्र), (alternative spellings: Kamasutram or simply Kamasutra), is an ancient Indian text widely considered to be the standard work on love in Sanskrit literature written by the Indian intellectual Vatsyayana. A portion of the work deals with human sexual behavior. [ [http://www.indrasinha.com/kamasutra.html Common misconceptions about "Kama Sutra".] "The "Kama Sutra" is neither a sex-manual nor, as also commonly believed, a sacred or religious work. It is certainly not a tantric text. In opening with a discussion of the three aims of ancient Hindu life – dharma, artha and kama – Vatsyayana's purpose is to set kama, or enjoyment of the senses, in context. Thus dharma or virtuous living is the highest aim, artha, the amassing of wealth is next, and kama is the least of three." —Indra Sinha.]

The "Kama Sutra" is mostly notable of a group of texts known generically as "Kama Shastra" (Sanskrit: IAST|Kāma Śhāstra). [For Kama Sutra as the most notable of the kāma śhāstra literature see: Flood (1996), p. 65.] Traditionally, the first transmission of "Kama Shastra" or "Discipline of Kama" is attributed to Nandi the sacred bull, Shiva's doorkeeper, who was moved to sacred utterance by overhearing the lovemaking of the god and his wife Parvati and later recorded his utterances for the benefit of mankind. [For Nandi reporting the utterance see: p. 3. Daniélou, Alain. "The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text". Inner Traditions: 1993. ISBN 0-89281-525-6.]

Historian John Keay says that the "Kama Sutra" is a "compendium" that was collected into its present form in the second century CE. [For the "Kama Sutra" as a compilation, and dating to second century CE, see: Kkgeay, pp. 81, 103.]

Regarding how the composition became known to the Western world, Burton's translation says the following in its introduction:

It may be interesting to some persons to learn how it came about that Vatsyayana was first brought to light and translated into the English language. It happened thus. While translating with the pundits the `Anunga Runga, or the stage of love', reference was frequently found to be made to one Vatsya. The sage Vatsya was of this opinion, or of that opinion. The sage Vatsya said this, and so on. Naturally questions were asked who the sage was, and the pundits replied that Vatsya was the author of the standard work on love in Sanskrit literature, that no Sanscrit library was complete without his work, and that it was most difficult now to obtain in its entire state. The copy of the manuscript obtained in Bombay was defective, and so the pundits wrote to Benares, Calcutta and Jaipur for copies of the manuscript from Sanskrit libraries in those places. Copies having been obtained, they were then compared with each other, and with the aid of a Commentary called `Jayamangla' a revised copy of the entire manuscript was prepared, and from this copy the English translation was made. The following is the certificate of the chief pundit:

`The accompanying manuscript is corrected by me after comparing four different copies of the work. I had the assistance of a Commentary called "Jayamangla" for correcting the portion in the first five parts, but found great difficulty in correcting the remaining portion, because, with the exception of one copy thereof which was tolerably correct, all the other copies I had were far too incorrect. However, I took that portion as correct in which the majority of the copies agreed with each other.'

Content

The Mallanaga Vatsyayana's "Kama Sutra" has 1250 verses, distributed in 36 chapters, which are further organized into 7 parts. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=wAAiY4J5-ekC&pg=PR60&dq=Kamasutra+by+Mallanaga+Vatsyayana,+translated+by+Wendy+Doniger&ei=FgnNRrriO4jopQKJvYHfBA&sig=jZby2tcI8GmElLhqjepcm6ZgxSA#PPA236,M1 book, see index pages] by Wendy Doniger, also [http://www.sacred-texts.com/sex/kama/index.htmand translation] by Burton ] According to both the Burton and Doniger [ [http://www.sacred-texts.com/sex/kama/index.htm Date checked: 29 March 2007 Burton] and [http://books.google.com/books?id=wAAiY4J5-ekC&pg=PR60&dq=Kamasutra+by+Mallanaga+Vatsyayana,+translated+by+Wendy+Doniger&ei=FgnNRrriO4jopQKJvYHfBA&sig=jZby2tcI8GmElLhqjepcm6ZgxSA#PPA236,M1 Doniger] ] translations, the contents of the book are structured into 7 parts like the following:

:;1. Introductory: Chapters on contents of the book, three aims and priorities of life, the acquisition of knowledge, conduct of the well-bred townsman, reflections on intermediaries who assist the lover in his enterprises (5 chapters).:;2. On sexual union: Chapters on stimulation of desire, types of embraces, caressing and kisses, marking with nails, biting and marking with teeth, on copulation (positions), slapping by hand and corresponding moaning, virile behavior in women, superior coition and oral sex, preludes and conclusions to the game of love. It describes 64 types of sexual acts (10 chapters).:;3. About the acquisition of a wife: Chapters on forms of marriage, relaxing the girl, obtaining the girl, managing alone, union by marriage (5 chapters).:;4. About a wife: Chapters on conduct of the only wife and conduct of the chief wife and other wives (2 chapters).:;5. About the wives of other people: Chapters on behavior of woman and man, encounters to get acquainted, examination of sentiments, the task of go-between, the king's pleasures, behavior in the women's quarters (6 chapters).:;6. About courtesans: Chapters on advice of the assistants on the choice of lovers, looking for a steady lover, ways of making money, renewing friendship with a former lover, occasional profits, profits and losses (6 chapters).:;7. On the means of attracting others to one's self: Chapters on improving physical attractions, arousing a weakened sexual power (2 chapters).

Pleasure and spirituality

Some Indian philosophies following the "four main goals of life", [For the "Dharma Śāstras" as discussing the "four main goals of life" (dharma, artha, IAST|kāma, and moksha) see: Hopkins, p. 78.] [For dharma, artha, and kama as "brahmanic householder values" see: Flood (1996), p. 17.] known as the "purusharthas": [For definition of the term पुरुष-अर्थ (IAST|puruṣa-artha) as "any of the four principal objects of human life, i.e. _sa. धर्म, _sa. अर्थ, _sa. काम, and _sa. मोक्ष" see: Apte, p. 626, middle column, compound #1.]

1). Dharma: Virtuous living.2). Artha: Material prosperity.3). Kama: Aesthetic and erotic pleasure. [For "IAST|kāma" as one of the four goals of life ("IAST|kāmārtha") see: Flood (1996), p. 65.] [For definition of "IAST|kāma" as "erotic and aesthetic pleasure" see: Flood (1996), p. 17.] 4). Moksha: Liberation.

Dharma, Artha and Kama are aims of everyday life, while Moksha is release from the cycle of death and rebirth. The "Kama Sutra" (Burton translation) says:

"Dharma is better than Artha, and Artha is better than Kama. But Artha should always be first practised by the king for the livelihood of men is to be obtained from it only. Again, Kama being the occupation of public women, they should prefer it to the other two, and these are exceptions to the general rule." ("Kama Sutra" 1.2.14) [Quotation from the translation by Richard Burton taken from [http://www.sacred-texts.com/sex/kama/kama102.htm] . Text accessed 3 April 2007.]

Of the first three, virtue is the highest goal, a secure life the second and pleasure the least important. When motives conflict, the higher ideal is to be followed. Thus, in making money virtue must not be compromised, but earning a living should take precedence over pleasure, but there are exceptions.

In childhood, Vātsyāyana says, a person should learn how to make a living; youth is the time for pleasure, and as years pass one should concentrate on living virtuously and hope to escape the cycle of rebirth. [Book I, Chapter ii, Lines 2-4 "Vatsyayana Kamasutram" Electronic Sanskrit edition: Titus Texts, University of Frankfurt" IAST|bālye vidyāgrahaṇādīn artʰān, kāmaṃ ca yauvane, stʰāvire dʰarmaṃ mokṣaṃ ca]

The "Kama Sutra" is sometimes wrongly thought of as a manual for tantric sex. While sexual practices do exist within the very wide tradition of Hindu tantra, the "Kama Sutra" is not a tantric text, and does not touch upon any of the sexual rites associated with some forms of tantric practice.

Also the Buddha preached a "Kama Sutra", which is located in the Atthakavagga (sutra number 1). This "Kama Sutra", however, is of a very different nature as it warns against the dangers that come with the search for pleasures of the senses.

Translations

The most widely known English translation of the "Kama Sutra" was made by the famous traveler and author Sir Richard Francis Burton and compiled by his colleague Forster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot in 1883. Historian Burjor Avari has criticized Burton's translation as "inadequate," having had the result that the book gained a reputation in the West of being a pornographic work. [Avari (2007), p. 171.]

A recent translation is that of Indra Sinha, published in 1980. In the early 1990s its chapter on lovemaking positions began circulating on the internet as an independent text and today is often assumed to be the whole of the "Kama Sutra". [Sinha, p. 33.]

Alain Daniélou contributed a translation called "The Complete Kama Sutra" [ [http://www.alaindanielou.org/The-Complete-Kama-Sutra.html The Complete Kama Sutra by Alain Daniélou] in 1994. This translation featured the original text attributed to Vatsayana, along with a medieval and modern commentary. Unlike Burton's version, Alain Danielou's new translation preserves the numbered verse divisions of the original and includes two essential commentaries: the Jayamangala commentary, written in Sanskrit by Yashodhara during the Middle Ages, and a modern Hindi commentary by Devadatta Shastri. Another noteworthy difference is the preservation of the full explicitness of the original text. All aspects of sexual life have been mentioned -- including marriage, adultery, prostitution, group sex, sadomasochism, male and female homosexuality, and transvestism. [ [http://www.galva108.org/kamasutra.html Review of The Complete Kama Sutra by Alain Daniélou] ]

It was translated again in 2002 by Wendy Doniger, the professor of the history of religions at the University of Chicago, and Sudhir Kakar, the Indian psychoanalyst and senior fellow at Center for Study of World Religions at Harvard University. Their translation provides a psychoanalytic interpretation of the text. [Avari (2007), p. 171.]

See also

* "Ananga Ranga"
* "Lazzat Un Nisa"
* History of sex in India
* Kamashastra
* The Perfumed Garden
* Song of Solomon

Notes

References

*cite book |last=Apte |first=Vaman Shivram |title=The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary |year=1965 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers |location=Delhi |isbn=81-208-0567-4 (fourth revised & enlarged edition).
*cite book |last=Avari |first=Burjor |title=India: The Ancient Past|year=2007 |publisher=Routledge|location=London |isbn= 978-0-415-35616-9
* Harvard reference
Authorlink=Alain Daniélou
Last=Daniélou
First=Alain
Title=The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text
Publisher=Inner Traditions
Year=1993
ID=ISBN 0-89281-525-6.
* Sudhir Kakar and Harvard reference
Authorlink=Wendy Doniger
Last=Doniger
First=Wendy
Title=Kamasutra (Oxford World's Classics)
Publisher=Oxford University Press
Year=2003
ID=ISBN 0-19-283982-9.
*cite book |last=Flood |first=Gavin |title=An Introduction to Hinduism |year=1996 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn= 0-521-43878-0
*cite book |last=Flood |first=Gavin (Editor)|title=The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism|year=2003 |publisher=Blackwell Publishing Ltd.|location=Malden, MA|isbn=1-4051-3251-5
*cite book |last=Hopkins |first=Thomas J. |title=The Hindu Religious Tradition|year=1971 |publisher=Dickenson Publishing Company, Inc. |location=Cambridge
*cite book |last=Keay |first=John|authorlink=John Keay |title=India: A History |year=2000 |publisher=Grove Press |location=New York |isbn=0-8021-3797-0
*cite book |last=Sinha |first=Indra|authorlink= Indra Sinha |title=The Cybergypsies |year=1999 |publisher=Viking |location=New York |isbn=0-60034-158-5

External links

;Original and translations
* [http://www.indohistory.com/kamasutra.html Sir Richard Burton's English translation of Kama Sutra]
* (French only)
* [http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/etcs/ind/aind/klskt/kamasutr/kamas.htm The Kama Sutra in the original Sanskrit] provided by the TITUS project