A Brief History of the Kama Sutra

The Writer

The Kama Sutra is written in Sanskrit, the classical Indian language in which many works of Hindu literature were written. Almost nothing is known about Vatsyayana, its author . He lived sometime between the 1st and 6th Century AD, and the fact that he was a literate, learned man indicates he was a prominent and wealthy member of society.

It's important to note that Vatsyayana himself did not come up with the ideas contained within the Kama Sutra. Most of book's details on spiritualism and society pre-dated him by centuries and were bound up with Hindu mythology. Vatsyayana merely set on paper the teachings that had until then been passed down orally from generation to generation.

According to the book, there are 64 methods of making love. These are referred to as the 64 Arts, and they encompass just about every possible position available to lovers. The book places a huge emphasis on sensuality and even makes a point of warning men not to climax too quickly. Very enlightened!

The majority of the Kama Sutra isn't about sex at all. Much of it is a guide to being an Indian man about town, with advice on dressing well, eating properly and attracting women. It also provides a series of pointers on finding the best wife, suggesting that a gentleman should not marry a lady who ‘has an ill-sounding name’ or ‘is a sister’. Wise words.

The Kama Sutra isn't just for men. In fact, it provides women with plenty of advice on how to manipulate men, marry good husbands and how best to punish a hubby who cheats. It also devotes chapters to the art of prostitution, laying out a systematic guide to extracting the most money from unsuspecting punters.

The Kama Sutra was first translated into English by a group of writers headed by Victorian explorer Sir Richard Burton , who risked prosecution for obscenity when he privately printed it in England in 1883. The book quickly became an underground success, but it wasn't until 1963 that the book was legally published. Given its tantalising reputation, its hardly surprising it was an overnight bestseller!