What Is the Karma Sutra?
The Kama Sutra is an ancient Hindu text in Sanskrit which is acknowledged to be one of the most important ancient works on human sexuality. It was compiled by Vatsyayana, an Indian philosopher who lived sometime in the 4th century C.E. The Kama Sutra describes the social niceties of behavior between men and women, sexual behavior and other cultural attitudes specific to the time period the works were composed in.
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Introduction of the Kama Sutra to the Modern World
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Work translating the Kama Sutra was done by Bhagvanlal Indraji in the 19th century. Noted explorer and linguist Sir Richard Burton helped to publish it in 1883 and also provided accompanying footnotes. Translated into English from Sanskrit, "Kama Sutra" means "Aphorisms on Pleasure."
Divisions of the Kama Sutra
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The Kama Sutra is divided into seven sections: An Introduction, The Sexual Union of Males and Females, The Acquisition of a Wife, About a Wife, About Others' Wives, About Courtesans, and On the Arts of Seduction.
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Social Context of the Kama Sutra
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The Kama Sutra is not a religious text, nor is it an instruction book on sexual behavior. It has been likened to an ancient manual for marriage and engaging in the proper behavior between the sexes, as well as a philosophical guide for proper living.
Wider Cultural Meaning of the Kama Sutra
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Seen in a wider cultural background to ancient India, the Kama Sutra involves only a phase of life. Vatsyayana believed childhood should be celibate and only concern itself with learning; adulthood involves fulfilling sensual pleasures (which the Kama Sutra helps instruct) and old age should concern itself with spiritual cleansing and liberation.
Sexual Behavior in the Kama Sutra
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Sexual behavior in the Kama Sutra is treated as a natural set of acts between men and women, and neither stigmatizes nor degrades it. It is considered a serious aspect of the marriage and part of a loving relationship.
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