INTRODUCTION
"The Kama Sutra: A treatise on men and women, their mutual relationship, and connection with each other."
What is the Kama Sutra?
In ancient India sense and sensuality were seen as two sides of the same coin. To embrace and enjoy sex was considered to be an integral part in the journey of life to be enjoyed without guilt. Sexuality was at the very heart of all Hindu culture, including poetry, art, and music.
Ancient Hindu sages preached the importance of sexual love; temple walls and religious caves were carved with exquisitely erotic sculptures; and Hindu paintings detailed explicit sexual activities. One Hindu text has famously stood the test of time to become the definitive practical guide to great sex: the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana.
MANY OF THE POSITIONS and practices described in the Kama Sutra have their origins in ancient tantric and yogic rituals. This artwork shows a woman in the position of the Wife of Indra (see pg.126), combining sex with a yoga breathing exercise.
THE DEFINITIVE SEX GUIDE
The Kama Sutra was written by the sage Vatsyayana, probably some time in the 4th century. It is a compilation of the teachings of Hindu sages that were handed down over countless generations, and it had a profound influence on the social mores of Hindu society for centuries to follow. The sexual dictates were just a small part of the work, for the Kama Sutra also laid out the rules for entertaining and housekeeping; the duties of the husband and wife; and the role of the courtesan. However, it is Vatsyayana's vivid descriptions of sexual positions that had a major influence on Hindu artworks and writings over the centuries and, more recently, on Western culture
too. Today, the term kama sutra is used to describe any collection of sexual positions, but especially more exotic or extravagant postures.
KAMA SHASTRA SOCIETY
The Kama Sutra was first published in England in 1883, during the notoriously sexually repressed Victorian era. It appeared in limited editions for private circulation to members of the Kama Shastra Society of London and Benares. The translation was the work of the enigmatic Victorian explorer Sir Richard Burton and his friend Forester Arbuthnot, a former civil servant in India. Both men shared a love of erotica and were dedicated to the translation and publication of exotic foreign texts, including the Arabian Nights.
SEXUAL REVOLUTION
When the Kama Sutra was published for the general readership at the height of the Western sexual revolution in the 1960s, people were astonished by the variety and descriptions of its lovemaking positions. In the West, sex had been a repressed subject for a long time and was viewed as a preserve for male enjoyment only. Women's sexuality and sexual needs were rarely discussed or even acknowledged. It was widely accepted that women put up with sex to please their husbands and to bear children.
Suddenly, the West discovered what the East had known for thousands of years--that women were as orgasmic as men and could derive as much satisfaction and pleasure from sex as their partners. Not only that, the incredulous Western reader also discovered that there were many other lovemaking positions to be thoroughly enjoyed in addition to the male-dominant "Missionary position."
KAMA TODAY
The Kama Sutra is remarkable for its non-judgmental and very pragmatic approach to sexual matters, and a great deal of its teaching remains relevant and interesting to the contemporary man and woman. The Kama Sutra certainly makes it very clear that the woman's satisfaction is as important as the man's (and, fortunately, recent research confirms that most men now share this opinion).
A fascinating modern translation by Wendy Doniger and Sudhir Kakar demonstrates that Vatsyayana's text was perhaps more liberal and egalitarian than was previously thought, and that Burton's translation --though a magnificent achievement for its time--is marred by Victorian squeamishness and indirect language that was not evident in the original Sanskrit. The new translators even go so far as to suggest that Burton occasionally adapted the text to incorporate Victorian values. A particularly blatant example is Burton's translation of Vatsyayana's description of what a woman should do when her husband is unfaithful: "She should not blame him excessively, though she be a little displeased.
"The Kama Sutra: A treatise on men and women, their mutual relationship, and connection with each other."
What is the Kama Sutra?
In ancient India sense and sensuality were seen as two sides of the same coin. To embrace and enjoy sex was considered to be an integral part in the journey of life to be enjoyed without guilt. Sexuality was at the very heart of all Hindu culture, including poetry, art, and music.
Ancient Hindu sages preached the importance of sexual love; temple walls and religious caves were carved with exquisitely erotic sculptures; and Hindu paintings detailed explicit sexual activities. One Hindu text has famously stood the test of time to become the definitive practical guide to great sex: the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana.
MANY OF THE POSITIONS and practices described in the Kama Sutra have their origins in ancient tantric and yogic rituals. This artwork shows a woman in the position of the Wife of Indra (see pg.126), combining sex with a yoga breathing exercise.
THE DEFINITIVE SEX GUIDE
The Kama Sutra was written by the sage Vatsyayana, probably some time in the 4th century. It is a compilation of the teachings of Hindu sages that were handed down over countless generations, and it had a profound influence on the social mores of Hindu society for centuries to follow. The sexual dictates were just a small part of the work, for the Kama Sutra also laid out the rules for entertaining and housekeeping; the duties of the husband and wife; and the role of the courtesan. However, it is Vatsyayana's vivid descriptions of sexual positions that had a major influence on Hindu artworks and writings over the centuries and, more recently, on Western culture
too. Today, the term kama sutra is used to describe any collection of sexual positions, but especially more exotic or extravagant postures.
KAMA SHASTRA SOCIETY
The Kama Sutra was first published in England in 1883, during the notoriously sexually repressed Victorian era. It appeared in limited editions for private circulation to members of the Kama Shastra Society of London and Benares. The translation was the work of the enigmatic Victorian explorer Sir Richard Burton and his friend Forester Arbuthnot, a former civil servant in India. Both men shared a love of erotica and were dedicated to the translation and publication of exotic foreign texts, including the Arabian Nights.
SEXUAL REVOLUTION
When the Kama Sutra was published for the general readership at the height of the Western sexual revolution in the 1960s, people were astonished by the variety and descriptions of its lovemaking positions. In the West, sex had been a repressed subject for a long time and was viewed as a preserve for male enjoyment only. Women's sexuality and sexual needs were rarely discussed or even acknowledged. It was widely accepted that women put up with sex to please their husbands and to bear children.
Suddenly, the West discovered what the East had known for thousands of years--that women were as orgasmic as men and could derive as much satisfaction and pleasure from sex as their partners. Not only that, the incredulous Western reader also discovered that there were many other lovemaking positions to be thoroughly enjoyed in addition to the male-dominant "Missionary position."
KAMA TODAY
The Kama Sutra is remarkable for its non-judgmental and very pragmatic approach to sexual matters, and a great deal of its teaching remains relevant and interesting to the contemporary man and woman. The Kama Sutra certainly makes it very clear that the woman's satisfaction is as important as the man's (and, fortunately, recent research confirms that most men now share this opinion).
A fascinating modern translation by Wendy Doniger and Sudhir Kakar demonstrates that Vatsyayana's text was perhaps more liberal and egalitarian than was previously thought, and that Burton's translation --though a magnificent achievement for its time--is marred by Victorian squeamishness and indirect language that was not evident in the original Sanskrit. The new translators even go so far as to suggest that Burton occasionally adapted the text to incorporate Victorian values. A particularly blatant example is Burton's translation of Vatsyayana's description of what a woman should do when her husband is unfaithful: "She should not blame him excessively, though she be a little displeased.
[After Clicking on the Download Button, You Will Redirect to Offers Wall. Please Complete Your Offer It take only 2 Minutes]
Post a Comment