Book Cover of The Kama Sutra

The Kama Sutra

by Mallanaga Vatsyayana

The Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfilment in life. Attributed to Vātsyāyana, the Kama Sutra is neither exclusively nor predominantly a sex manual on sex positions, but written as a guide to the art of living well, the nature of love, finding a life partner, maintaining one's love life, and other aspects pertaining to pleasure-oriented faculties of human life. It is a sutra-genre text with terse aphoristic verses that have survived into the modern era with different bhāṣyas (exposition and commentaries). The text is a mix of prose and anustubh-meter poetry verses. The text acknowledges the Hindu concept of Purusharthas, and lists desire, sexuality, and emotional fulfilment as one of the proper goals of life. Its chapters discuss methods for courtship, training in the arts to be socially engaging, finding a partner, flirting, maintaining power in a married life, when and how to commit adultery, sexual positions, and other topics. The majority of the book is about the philosophy and theory of love, what triggers desire, what sustains it, and how and when it is good or bad.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

Sanskrit

Published In

1883

Authors

Vātsyāyana is an ancient Indian philosopher, known for authoring the Kama Sutra. He lived in India during the second or third century CE, probably in Pataliputra (modern day Patna). He is not to be c...

Books by Mallanaga Vatsyayana

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

The Mastery of Destiny Cover image

The Mastery of Destiny by James Allen

James Allen’s inspirational and thought-provoking books have inspired millions. In The Mastery of Destiny, he instructs readers on developing self-con...

Abide in Christ Cover image

Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray

Towards the close of his ministry on earth, Jesus taught his disciples of the need for them to abide in Him. This word "abide" speaks of the intimacy...

Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion Cover image

Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion by David Hume

Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is a philosophical work by the Scottish philosopher David Hume, first published in 1779. Through dialogue, three...

Meditations on First Philosophy Cover image

Meditations on First Philosophy by René Descartes

Meditations on First Philosophy, in which the existence of God and the immortality of the soul are demonstrated is a philosophical treatise by René De...

Will Nobody Marry Me? Cover image

Will Nobody Marry Me? by George Pope Morris

This collection of 17 poems by George Pope Morris explores the themes of marriage, love, and courtship. Morris's poems are known for their lyrical bea...

Bill & Doreen's Courtship (Selections from "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke") Cover image

Bill & Doreen's Courtship (Selections from "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke") by C. J. Dennis

The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke chronicles the journey of Bill, a working-class young man in early 20th-century Melbourne, Australia. Bill, initially...

How to Succeed Cover image

How to Succeed by Orison Swett Marden

In this volume, Orison Swett Marden explains the road to success in simple terms for the benefit of anyone, who wishes to follow in his footsteps. Ove...

Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home Cover image

Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home by Emily Post

Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home (frequently referenced as Etiquette) is a book authored by Emily Post in 1922. The book co...

The Divorce of Catherine of Aragon Cover image

The Divorce of Catherine of Aragon by James Anthony Froude

In the tumultuous era of Tudor England, a mighty king's pursuit of love and power ignited a religious and political storm that shook the foundations o...

Home Education Series Vol. I: Home Education Cover image

Home Education Series Vol. I: Home Education by Charlotte Mason

Step into a world where education transcends the ordinary and becomes a profound journey of discovery. In "Home Education Series Vol. I: Home Educatio...

Reviews for The Kama Sutra

No reviews posted or approved, yet...