![]() With so much riding on choosing the correct woman, it is almost certain that many young men must have pored over the text, offering a quick but heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the wise author! The Importance of Sexual Pleasure Rather, the right woman had to be found, with not only her family, temperament and looks to be taken into account, but also such minutiae as her age which ‘should be three years or more younger than his own age.įinding the right wife, the text tells us, will bring to the young man ‘offspring, affinity, and the increase of friends’, as well as ‘untarnished love’. Getting married in ancient Hindu society was no simple love match. The text does caution, however, saying that whenever possible, the young man should make his own advances as his courageous display is more likely to win him favor. The text even says that a determined young man can use a female messenger if his chosen beloved ignores his advances and is not accessible to a male go-between. The text even advocates the use of a potential ‘go-between’, someone known to both parties who can speak freely to both about their interest (or lack thereof) in each other. The text details where a respectable young man might meet a girl, and even details how to talk to her. But before any sex can be enjoyed by either gender, one must first meet a girl. Finding GirlsĪn understanding of women and what women want is key to having fruitful and enjoyable relations, the Kama Sutra tells our young man. This part of the text was invaluable to young men who were given no sex education as we understand it today, but would have been filled with curiosity and interest. Education and the accumulation of knowledge and learning are important, the text says, and a man should do all he can to better himself. ![]() The text describes how he should conduct himself. The text is told from the point of view of an unnamed ‘man about town’, by which the writer is understood to mean a young man, just having come of age, who is looking to begin making his way in the world. Let us have a look in more detail at some of the benefits of this ancient text’s wisdom: The second on how to behave in private – dealing with sexual union and pleasing one’s lover.The first on acceptable social behavior in public – dealing with work, leisure, and how to meet women.The benefits of the Kama Sutra are many and varied and can be divided into two parts: Some critics claim that Doniger inserts – as did Burton all those years ago – her own points of view and sometimes allows personal opinions to color phrasing and interpretations instead of fiercely clinging to the essence of the text. The latest version, by Doniger and Kakar, is widely acclaimed as ‘the’ translation – although it, too, has some detractors. Uphadyaya, published in 1961, and Wendy Doniger and Sudhir Kakar, published in 2002, bestowed more respect onto the original teachings, and are more faithful reproductions of the author’s intentions. As it was, his wildly inaccurate text had to be printed under the imprint of a publishing house that Burton himself set up for the purpose, and was designated ‘for private distribution only’.įortunately, later translations, in particular those by S. Burton, even had he wanted to accurately translate the text as it stands, would have most likely fallen afoul of anti-obscenity laws. The Kama Sutra opposed Victorian British values and was dismissed as ‘pagan nonsense’ and something to be actively stamped out. Unfortunately, he was a Victorian and saw more merit in imposing his Victorian viewpoint and thus had all mentions of female desire removed from the text, along with advice on how to ensure that the female partner enjoyed an orgasm. However, a more recent translation – looking closely at tribes and events mentioned in the text – has allowed the work to be dated more precisely to having been written in the last half of the third century AD by Vatsyayana Mallanaga.Įarlier translations were undertaken by one Richard Francis Burton in 1883. The Kama Sutra was initially thought to have been written anything between 300 BC and 200 AD, and this understanding persisted for many years. The others offer guidance on how to find and court a suitable wife, and how to socialize – what activities are recommended, and which are not, and even how to set a good work-life balance. ![]()
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