Audiobook2 hours
The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana
Written by Vatsyayana
Narrated by Tanya Franks
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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About this audiobook
The Kama Sutra is an ancient Sanskrit text written some fifteen hundred years ago that has gained the reputation of being a raunchy sex manual. Which to some degree it is. But the chapter "On sexual union" is only one of seven which deal with many other aspects of love and life. When viewed in context, it's a fascinating, practical guide not just to relationships between the sexes, but to living an accomplished and fulfilled existence. And we can learn a lot from it, even now.
Originally written (or perhaps more properly assembled) by the philosopher Vatsyayana, the Kama Sutra came to the attention of the English-speaking world following the publication of Sir Richard Burton's translation in 1883, which is the version we've adapted for this audio.
An irascible and what one might call a "colourful" type, Burton took a keen interest in the sexual mores of the countries he explored in Africa and the Middle and Far East, and he wasn't squeamish about trying some of them out. "Sir," he was once reported as telling a priest, "I have committed every sin in the Decalogue." And he probably had. On his death, he was engaged in translating another well-known erotic work "The Perfumed Garden".
Of course, the Society for the Suppression of Vice was quickly onto him (this was after all the Victorian era when a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking), but Burton got round the strict laws governing pornography by having the Kama Sutra privately published for the Kama Shastra Society, which he formed especially for the purpose. And so the text has come down to us.
Being originally written in a male-dominated society, the female partner is regarded as very much the second-class citizen - but not quite as much as one might expect. Vatsyayana, and the civilization of which he was part, realized that it takes two to tango, and there are many areas of the text in which the intellectual cultivation of women is strongly encouraged. In addition, the female is not exclusively the shrinking violet who exits solely to do the man's bidding: indeed, she initiates a good deal of the proceedings.
Listen for yourself and find out the truth behind one of the most notorious works in literary history.
Originally written (or perhaps more properly assembled) by the philosopher Vatsyayana, the Kama Sutra came to the attention of the English-speaking world following the publication of Sir Richard Burton's translation in 1883, which is the version we've adapted for this audio.
An irascible and what one might call a "colourful" type, Burton took a keen interest in the sexual mores of the countries he explored in Africa and the Middle and Far East, and he wasn't squeamish about trying some of them out. "Sir," he was once reported as telling a priest, "I have committed every sin in the Decalogue." And he probably had. On his death, he was engaged in translating another well-known erotic work "The Perfumed Garden".
Of course, the Society for the Suppression of Vice was quickly onto him (this was after all the Victorian era when a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking), but Burton got round the strict laws governing pornography by having the Kama Sutra privately published for the Kama Shastra Society, which he formed especially for the purpose. And so the text has come down to us.
Being originally written in a male-dominated society, the female partner is regarded as very much the second-class citizen - but not quite as much as one might expect. Vatsyayana, and the civilization of which he was part, realized that it takes two to tango, and there are many areas of the text in which the intellectual cultivation of women is strongly encouraged. In addition, the female is not exclusively the shrinking violet who exits solely to do the man's bidding: indeed, she initiates a good deal of the proceedings.
Listen for yourself and find out the truth behind one of the most notorious works in literary history.
Author
Vatsyayana
Vatsyayana was a Hindu philosopher believed to have lived sometime between the first and sixth centuries AD. He is credited with authoring the Kama Sutra, one of the world’s best-known guides to eroticism and human sexual behavior, which has formed the basis for modern erotic literature.
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Reviews for The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana
Rating: 3.875 out of 5 stars
4/5
8 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Everyone knows what The Kama Sutra is about. Right? Well, for those of you laughing at me or looking at me askance, maybe you don't know quite so much as you think you do. Yes, it is about sex, but, more than that, it is a study of pleasure, of courtship. Only one chapter focuses on sexual positions, although the other chapters do include other sexual acts.
This new edition of The Kama Sutra does not have any pictures of how to accomplish the sexual positions. Disappointed? Well, there's always the cover and the inside flaps. Reading this, I'm a bit curious how the work became known as a book full of pictures of sexual positions. Certainly, Vatsyayana does describe a fair number, but probably not as many as are in the books that have been published. My own theory is that people came up with a bunch more positions while trying to figure out the ones Vatsyayana described, with limited detail.
From a historian's viewpoint, this was a really neat book to read. One thing I read for particularly was the treatment of women. Now, considering that it's from roughly the third century CE, women are obviously property. Their role is to be subservient. Still, I was somewhat impressed with two things. 1) Vatsyayana also wrote this with women in mind, and included discussions of how a woman can come to have power over her lover or husband. 2) Vatsyayana openly says that women can have strong sexual drives. This is something that is often denied still today.
On the other hand, some of the advice is spot on, and modern males could still learn from it. For example, Vatsyayana says that "One needs to study a woman's behaviour when making a pass at her." Very true. Women are generally going to give off some hints, some signals telling you whether or not they are interested. Being able to read these signals is an art. Of course, his next piece of advice, should she for some strange reason, not be interested is that in some cases "she is available, but by force when they are alone." Not so good. Oh, ancient value systems.
Despite having been written by a celibate focused on meditation, The Kama Sutra really strikes me as the guidebook of a 3rd century Barney Stinson. Seriously, think about it. Within there are precise descriptions on how to bed women of every variety, along with consideration of sexual positions and how to be attractive. "A paste of rosebay, ginger and dried plum leaves" was probably the old school Indian method of 'suiting up.' Or not. Haha. But seriously, it is so much more awesome to read while thinking about this.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The book is an ancient text related to sex and personal relationships. It is somewhat interesting but much of it relates to Indian caste systems, harems, and relations of the king. The potions are inevitably useless and much of the advice is useless.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is more of a glimpse into the cultrual attitudes towards sexuality more than a sex manual. Intriguing, if not always intereting.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The collection of Indian "wisdom" regarding kama, sensual pleasure. These days there is the myth of the Kama Sutra as if it is one big book of sex positions; in reality, there are seven parts of the Kama Sutra, and only the first two provide any such information. The rest of the book discusses the means by which one might obtain a wife, perhaps multiple wives, to carry on affairs, the lives of courtesans and wisdom for them, and so on. It is interesting to note how highly favored the Kama Sutra is in our modern society despite its rampant chauvinism. Of value to modern Westerners might be the description of the different types of women and the "sixty-four arts" of a well-rounded romantic person, but that's about it. Much can be gained from the book about the history and culture of India. Odds are, it's not what you're expecting it to be.Kindle version: can't complain much in view of the price; some formatting issues, but at least the notes point to their proper places.