What’s the Kama Sutra?

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• Michael Castleman says:

  December 8, 2014 at 7:11 am

  The myth in the West is that the Kama Sutra is ancient India’s racy sex manual—the title literally means “treatise on sexual pleasure.” But the truth is a bit more complicated.

  The Kama Sutra, written in the 4th century, came to Western attention during the nineteenth century when Victorian England ruled India. It was translated into English—but the translators were prim, proper Victorians who edited it to conform to English notions of sex and propriety. More recently, around the year 2000, a new English translation appeared that was much more faithful to the original text. It reveals the Kama Sutra to be a sort of Esquire Magazine of its day, telling Indian men of that long-ago era how to comport themselves with members of the opposite sex.

  The Kama Sutra is divided into seven sections that track men through life. In Book One, the bachelor sets up his pad. In Book Two, he perfects his sexual techniques. This is the book that has inspired the videos, games, and everything else that flies the Kama Sutra flag. In Book Three, our young man seduces a virgin. In Book Four, he marries and sets up a household for his wife and servants. By Book Five, he has grown sexually bored with his wife, and turns to seducing other men’s wives. Eventually, as he ages, the effort necessary for such dalliances loses its charm, so in Book Six, he takes up with courtesans, who work to please him—but for a price. Finally, in old age, he fears he is losing his potency and attractiveness, so Book Seven contains recipes for herbal potions to preserve them.

  It’s strange and fascinating reading, a sort of “Sex and the City” set 1600 years ago. If you’re interested in learning more, read my article on the Kama Sutra.

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