The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

read book* *Different edition

The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text

by Mallanaga Vātsyāyana (Author), Alain Daniélou (Translator)

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 1,635 ratings · 165 reviews

This definitive volume is the first modern translation of Vatsyayana's Kama Sutra to include two essential commentaries: the Jayamangala of Yashodhara and the modern Hindi commentary by Devadatta Shastri. Alain Danilou spent four years comparing versions of the Kama Sutra in Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, and English, drawing on his intimate experience of India, to preserve the...more

Hardcover, 576 pages

Published January 1st 1994 by Park Street Press (first published -300)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Complete Kama Sutra by Mallanaga Vātsyāyana

Let's Talk About Sex

1st out of 59 books — 36 voters

The Most Influential Books in History

258th out of 661 books — 1,835 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 05, 2012 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Arguably the hottest non-fiction book I've ever read - the translator has done a fantastic job of not only providing a translation of the original text, but also including translations of the commentaries by ancient Hindu authorities.

The book is less pornographic than you would think - I have seen countless "reproductions" that merely involve couples photographed in the positions. These detract from the content of the original, as does the reputation that proceeds this book.

This actually is more...more

7 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2012 Erik Graff rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Gupta culture fans

Recommended to Erik by: parents

Shelves: political-social-science

Like most children, my brother and I knew where everything was in our house, paying particular attention to the things we weren't supposed to know about. This book was contained in a shoebox in the closet of my parent's bedroom.

The Kama Sutra is commonly mismarketed as a sex guide or as pornography. Although courtesans are mentioned, it is not about the sex trade but includes discussion of marriage, adultery, transvestism, homosexuality etc. Most memorable from the childhood perusal of it is the...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 06, 2009 K.D. Oliveros rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a funny book! Since the book was written in the ancient India, many of the non-sexual instructions like courtship, concubines, courtesan, prostitutes, are just passe and ridiculous!

However, the sexual parts (which is just 1 out of 7 parts of the book)are still thought provoking and could still bewilder one's imaginations! This being an instruction book and an undeniably an indespensable part of classic literature is nothing but a must read piece of work of art.

Thanks again Tata J for le...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2013 Helen Wagner rated it 4 of 5 stars

To be honest I feel a little ridiculous rating a book which belongs to an era and culture so removed from my own. I don't feel that any person born in the west in the twenty first century can truly grasp much of the Kama Sutra beyond its basic meaning, and we certainly cannot fathom its cultural significance in its own day and age.
That being said, the Kama Sutra has probably always been a hard book for any woman to appreciate- it is overtly sexist and makes multiple claims about women being prim...more

like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

before biff and chip, before the alphabet books, this is the first book i ever read. i remember well being read this book as i nodded off to sleep, and the pleasant dreams that would follow. as a
four year old this book meant a lot to me, it completely shaped my views on literature and what a book meant to people. at age 8 i killed a man. that has nothing to do with this book, just thought i'd mention it. anyway, without this book i would never have got that job as a basketball player for the det...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jun 16, 2011 Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've always wondered about this book after I heard about it in my history class in 8th grade. When I was downloading things on ibook I saw this and I felt myself enough of an adult to finally read it without being embarrassed.

It was a historical guide to relations with the opposite sex in all different castes in India. So this included the beggar all the way to royalty. To be honest much of it was tiresome and repetitive, but then every once in awhile you would stumble on something interesting l...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2013 Harry Allagree rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It undoubtedly would've been helpful for me personally had I read this classic work as a younger man, rather than as one now approaching his 80's! Unfortunately, most Americans, hearing the name Kama Sutra, immediately think "sex manual". Here's how the 3rd cent. Indian author, Mallanaga Vatsyayanna, in the Epilogue sums it up:

"...One who understands [the Kama Sutra's] essence
will look to virtue, wealth and pleasure,
his own faith, the world around him,
and not act just out of passion...

Learned a...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2012 Johanna Varnander rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

The Kama Sutra handles subjects of marriage, hetero- and homosexuality, monogami and polygami alike, how to steal a woman from another man – as well as the life of courtesans, and last mot not least, how to attract a woman by extra ”medicines”.

It handles things quite ”scientifically” and is in no way erotic. In fact, only one out of seven parts discusses ”Sexual Union” while the rest focuses on more cultural issues and etiquette. Most of which are clearly outdated, but hence I have a great gener...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 28, 2008 Cory Gimmestad rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read the complete original text and I found it interesting in the fact that the content wasn't what I thought it would be. Most of the reading is outdated in the sense that it was written for the culture of that time. For example, I skipped the chapters about how to acquire a wife and what should be included in a dowry. I learned more about Chinese history and culture than anything else.

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 14, 2008 Scarlett rated it 4 of 5 stars

admittedly i did not read cover to cover, but i read enough to get a good sense. i was surprised to discover that much of it read like emily post's book of etiquette but for subjects such as kissing, scratching and biting (as in love play), how to behave toward the first wife if you are the second wife, personal adornment, and lying with courtesans.

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 03, 2010 Allen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Coming from a strong background in philosophy and the Classics, I found this book to be an invigorating read.

In general, nobody has any idea what Kama Sutra means, what the books is or what the author intended it to be. Simply put, dispel yourself of any preconceived notions before you read even the first paragraph of this opus or my review.

I was consistently intrigued by the exotic perspective and expansive scope of the Kama Sutra. In a sentence, the book is an exposition of the author's perso...more Coming from a strong background in philosophy and the Classics, I found this book to be an invigorating read.

In general, nobody has any idea what Kama Sutra means, what the books is or what the author intended it to be. Simply put, dispel yourself of any preconceived notions before you read even the first paragraph of this opus or my review.

I was consistently intrigued by the exotic perspective and expansive scope of the Kama Sutra. In a sentence, the book is an exposition of the author's personal experience of and his well-read study of carnal enjoyment. I found this perspective to be particularly interesting because you must set the narrative within the context of a highly stratified caste society with little to no social/economic/spiritual/political mobility. This book forced me to recognize that this society elevated, at least theoretically, carnal pleasure to a spiritual and cultural (pseudo)-science whereby these stratifications may be bent, re-interpreted and, to use a word in its literal sense, humanized. Do not underestimate the empirical and scientific level at which the author has applied his mind. I am certain that Aristotle or Aquinas would have been enraptured. Surprisingly to me, the scope of the Kama Sutra did not extend to other aspects of carnal pleasure to include among other things the culinary sciences. Perhaps, this is because the arts of cooking and the enjoyment of taste were not within the purview of the audience of the Kama Sutra.

Speaking of Aristotle and the Greeks, the Kama Sutra contains an interesting comparative comment on the nature of prostitutes and their differing capacities in the Indian and Greek worlds. In the method of pre-Industrial revolution works, the author enjoys "scientific" proofs of his arguments by natural analogy. For example, the author supports his conclusions on that natural behaviors of mankind by analogies to his empirical observations of nature and animal life. This method, of course, will be immediately recognizable to any student of philosophy.

The books follows a logical plan, which comprises of small treatises regarding specific aspects of the topic including the opinions of previous scholars and the author's agreement or disagreement with them. The work starts with an exhortation to the study of Kama, its benefits and its general nature. The book also includes treatises on the nature of man and woman, the nature of desire, the nature of union both carnal and spiritual, the nature of a wife and, the most unusual part in my opinion, the nature of the prostitute. Unfortunately, a collection of only a handful of the thousand of verses of this work has received notice and attention by the modern world - namely the verses, which describe the 64 arts of Kama ranging from cooing and biting to sexual positions and the appropriate setting for such sexual union. I do not understand why people believe that they will discover some sexual awakening from a book, whose focus is spiritual and philosophical in nature; if you are looking for this, there are obviously more available sources of this information.

I conclude my review with a longing that the many works and authors, which are cited in this book, are unavailable and lost as far as I can tell. The book is a good foothold in Hindu culture and philosophy and has encouraged me to download the Rig Veda to my iPad/iPhone.

The Kama Sutra deserves a read by any curious mind and has earned a solid 5-star rating.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 14, 2012 Cody rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just wanted to see what this was about, basically. I'd never had a solid grasp of what the Kama Sutra was. This text was really one of the more academic ones, no pictures and all the references, while straightforward, are couched in the metaphorical language of the translation. Still, this had a lot of interesting things to offer.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 13, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finishedreviewcopy

Everyone 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 t...more Everyone 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. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 16, 2011 Abhishek rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read many negative reviews for this book. I think if one starts reading a book with presumptions then he or she may not enjoy the literature as intended by the author. The best way to read and enjoy a book is to begin with an empty expectation and build the expectations as the pages are gradually turned.

For me this book was good. I enjoyed reading it for the most part. It gives a very good vivid picture of the contemporary Indian society (without any pornographic picture if one is looking...more

like · see review

Jun 25, 2011 jillian Woods rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is definitely a manual on human courtship. Don't expect a story or epic tale of sorts -- there aren't any characters, no plot, etc... it seriously reads like a text book, as I think that's how it was intended. What's interesting about the book is how a lot of human behavior, with respect to sensuality and gender roles, has remained constant over time. You'll probably come across of a lot of, "Hmmm I've done that before" moments, hopefully you'll learn something, as well ;) It was interestin...more

like · see review

Mar 17, 2013 Christopher Sawi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Paperback, handy, and light weight. The price was cheap. The translation was very good, yet some parts were not clear to me. It’s worth reading the book, and read it again - for further understanding. The book is not the one translated by Sir Richard Francis Burton, but of Wendy Doniger and Sudhir Kakar. What made me bought this book is that, it allows me to read the contents of this Hindu text with no pictures - yes, no illustrations, only the treatise and commentaries, as this is my primary re...more

like · see review

Jun 20, 2012 Talyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, guide-reference, beautiful-illustrations, classics, sexual-themes, self-help-book, nonfiction, how-to-guide

I didn't know what I was getting into reading this. Very, very... er, well thought out and .. ah, specific. Those Indians really took care to make sure everyone who picked up this guide would pleasure her man or his lady (or his man or her lady) in bed with the skills of a master.

Everything from sexual positions to foreplay to erogenous zones to "match-ups" of the penis and vagina (some are "shallow" and some are "deep", I should say... .__. ) and all this other stuff you need to know.

This book...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 16, 2008 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: history buffs

So, this is the best translation by the experts. It reads like a dry history text and figuring out any useful information is rather wearing. I suspect the Burton translation, while less reverent, is probably more useful.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 19, 2010 Stephan Frank rated it 4 of 5 stars

My (wild?) guess is that probably less than 1% of the people who have heard of the book have actually taken a look at it. And of this already small minority, I do not think that more than again about 1% have read it completely. A shame, because it is an interesting treatise rather on being a well-rounded man in almost all social circumstances, and has much more recommendations than the ones usually highlighted in popularisations of the ancient classic. A bit tedious at parts, hence I cannot give...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 24, 2012 Amanda Spacaj-Gorham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthropology

Great book on society and culture and sex...in that order. Not even 100 pages are explicitly dedicated to intercourse. More of the book is talking about what is acceptable in various cultures at that time.

This ancient survey of customs and relationships that were contemporary at the time the pieces were written (it is a compilation of works from various authors) offers unique insight, going beyond the popular conception of the book. It is interesting on many levels. If someone is just looking f...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 07, 2012 Audra (Unabridged Chick) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: how-to, sex-sex-and-more-sex

No need to feel mortified reading this book! Blessedly free of awkward 60s-ish drawn illustrations, Cosmo-esque cartoon figures, or really disquieting photographs of therapist/lovers modeling the poses, this edition of Kama Sutra offers the original, notorious, and famed work in a clean, straight-forward translation.

I'll be honest: until now, I was actually unfamiliar with the Kama Sutra, other than the usual teenaged interest in checking out the naughty pics. So I was thrilled to see Penguin's...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 23, 2011 Bonnie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

That's right, Bonnie read a dirty book. Snicker, snicker. What can I say? It came up in a fanfic story of mine and I was curious about this well-known "sex manual". It was ... unusual, a pretty mixed bag. The illustrations are indeed explicit but rather crude to the point of amusement and offered far fewer "positions" than I guess I thought were in the book. The instructions were at times somewhat romantic, at times bland, at times convoluted, and at times just worthy of a disbelieving headshake...more

like · see review

Jul 21, 2011 Elle rated it 3 of 5 stars

So I was kind of puzzled when I went of Project Gutenberg and the top books were, in order, 'Kama Sutra, Sherlock Holmes, Pride & Prejudice'. Um. I decided to give it a go and read it in a good hour.

All I can say is that I now know how to enlarge a 'lingam' by rubbing ants or some bug on it. Great. Mmm, what a hot, juicy read. Sure, it's a good book on morals and enjoying sexual activity and such but a lot of it just seems like common sense. Of course, excluding the extremely racist and sexi...more

like · see review

May 11, 2013 dely rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 0-india, z-indian-readers-challenge-2013

Finalmente sono riuscita a trovare l'edizione "seria" del Kamasutra, quella senza l'aggiunta di foto e immagini, ma l'edizione che parla appunto dei precetti (sutra) per realizzarsi nell'amore, nei piaceri carnali e nella vita matrimoniale.
Nella filosofia induista, per raggiungere la felicità (e in seguito anche la liberazione, moksha), l'uomo ha tre scopi (Purusharta): Dharma, Artha e Kama; ovvero, deve vivere secondo giustizia seguendo leggi morali, etiche e religiose, deve realizzarsi nel lav...more

like · see review

May 19, 2012 Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Kama Sutra is a very interesting book, and gives a very interesting view on ancient Indian Culture. However, I can not see it as this "Ultimate sex guide" people seem to give it credit for. the Majority of the book is about how to interact with people in ancient Hindu society, and of course it's Sexual advice is truly dated. Read it if you want to read a truly classic piece of literature and gain a higher understanding of how Ancient Hindu and Indian Culture works. However, if you are going...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 06, 2011 Robyn Blaber rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Comedians, Deepak Chopra, other idiots

Shelves: non-fiction, indian-literature

Curiosity finally brought me to read the Kama Sutra. The only other old Indian text that I've read has been the Bhagavad Gita. Sadly, I found the whole thing to range from silly to worse. Often ancient books of philosophy and science have their eye-rolling moments, but the Kama Sutra almost seemed to have a comedic intent with it's absurdity. Consider these gems:

"If a man, after anointing his lingam (penis) with a mixture of the powders of the white thorn apple, the long pepper, and the black p...more

like · see review

Oct 26, 2011 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, non-fiction, in-translation, own, sf11, does-my-book-look-big-in-this

"Get a bigger flute!" "Increase ur Size! 6" "Don’t walk with tail between your legs." "V|agr.a, C|a.li5, and Phen.term.|ne CHeep!!"

Was the Kama Sutra the original idea for spam email?

"Take pomegranate and cucumber seeds, extract the juice of elabāluka (eluva, Gisekia pharmaceoides) and bhatakataiyā (Solanum indicum, eggplant). Cook in oil over a low heat. Use it to massage the penis. It will remain swollen for six months."
...It didn't sound so bad until I got to the last line...

"Ram's or he-goat...more

11 likes · like · see review

Feb 19, 2011 PTS Books Club rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The 1964 publication of Sir Richard F. Burton’s translation marked the first wide appearance in English of the Kama Sutra and was celebrated as a literary event of highest importance. As vital to an understanding of ancient Indian civilization as the works of Plato and Aristotle are to the West, the Kama Sutra has endured for 1,700 years as an indisputable classic of world literature.

Written with unassuming candour, the Kama Sutra remains one of the most readable and enjoyable of all the classi...more The 1964 publication of Sir Richard F. Burton’s translation marked the first wide appearance in English of the Kama Sutra and was celebrated as a literary event of highest importance. As vital to an understanding of ancient Indian civilization as the works of Plato and Aristotle are to the West, the Kama Sutra has endured for 1,700 years as an indisputable classic of world literature.

Written with unassuming candour, the Kama Sutra remains one of the most readable and enjoyable of all the classics of antiquity. A work of philosophy, psychology, sociology, Hindu dogma, scientific inquiry, and sexology, the Kama Sutra's importance is so great that it has, at the same time, both affected Indian civilization and remained an indispensable key to understanding it.

[Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS (19 March 1821 – 20 October 1890) was a British explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia and Africa as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. According to one count, he spoke 29 European, Asian, and African languages.

He was a captain in the army of the East India Company serving in India (and later, briefly, in the Crimean War). Following this he was engaged by the Royal Geographical Society to explore the east coast of Africa and led an expedition guided by the locals and was the first European to see Lake Tanganyika. In later life he served as British consul in Fernando Po, Santos, Damascus and, finally, Trieste. He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and was awarded a knighthood (KCMG) in 1886.

He was a prolific and erudite author and wrote numerous books and scholarly articles about subjects including human behaviour, travel, fencing, sexual practices, and ethnography. A unique feature of his books is the copious footnotes and appendices containing remarkable observations and unexpurgated information.

Burton had long had an interest in sexuality and erotic literature. However, the Obscene Publications Act of 1857 had resulted in many jail sentences for publishers, with prosecutions being brought by the Society for the Suppression of Vice. Burton referred to the society and those who shared its views as Mrs Grundy. A way around this was the private circulation of books amongst the members of a society. For this reason Burton, together with Forster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot, created the Kama Shastra Society to print and circulate books that would be illegal to publish in public.

One of the most celebrated of all his books is his translation of "The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night" (more commonly known in English as The Arabian Nights because of Andrew Lang's abridged collection) in ten volumes, (1885) with six further volumes being added later. The volumes were printed by the Kama Shastra Society in a subscribers-only edition of one thousand with a guarantee that there would never be a larger printing of the books in this form. The stories collected were often sexual in content and were considered pornography at the time of publication. In particular, the Terminal Essay in volume 10 of the Nights contained an 14,000 word essay entitled "Pederasty" (Volume 10, section IV, D). Burton postulated that male homosexuality was prevalent in an area of the southern latitudes named by him the "Sotadic zone".

Perhaps Burton's best-known book is his translation of The Kama Sutra. In fact, it is untrue that he was the translator since the original manuscript was in ancient Sanskrit which he could not read. However, he collaborated with Forster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot on the work and provided translations from other manuscripts of later translations. The Kama Shastra Society first printed the book in 1883 and numerous editions of the Burton translation are in print to this day.

His English translation from a French edition of the Arabic erotic guide "The Perfumed Garden" was printed as "The Perfumed Garden of the Cheikh Nefzaoui: A Manual of Arabian Erotology" (1886).

Burton's writings are unusually open and frank about his interest in sex and sexuality. His travel writing is often full of details about the sexual lives of the inhabitants of areas he travelled through. Burton's interest in sexuality led him to make measurements of the lengths of the sexual organs of male inhabitants of various regions which he includes in his travel books. He also describes sexual techniques common in the regions he visited, often hinting that he had participated[citation needed], hence breaking both sexual and racial taboos of his day. Many people at the time considered the Kama Shastra Society and the books it published scandalous.

(less)

like · see review

Mar 10, 2011 Ola rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You won’t find any picture there ;) Book describes social norms, custom behaviors related to sexual life, relationships between men and women. For us, living in Europe, in modern times, it’s rather a source of knowledge of different culture, or a comic book, not guidebook telling us how to live. I’m not a big fan of kidnapping women that don’t want to have a sexual relationship with a man or of a thought that my spouse will have few other wives and even more courtesans. In a very detailed way au...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 19, 2012 Felicia Latoya Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: personal-library

I chose to read this because there have been so many misconceptions about this book. I'm definitely glad I read it for myself. Though the first part (the Kama Sutra) was an interesting read, that definitely had more about relationships than what is normally thought concerning this book, I found the second part Ananga Ranga (Kama Shastra) highly intriguing. I'm actually surprised that it is not as well known as the first part, but then again a lot of Americans who look at this book are just tryin...more I chose to read this because there have been so many misconceptions about this book. I'm definitely glad I read it for myself. Though the first part (the Kama Sutra) was an interesting read, that definitely had more about relationships than what is normally thought concerning this book, I found the second part Ananga Ranga (Kama Shastra) highly intriguing. I'm actually surprised that it is not as well known as the first part, but then again a lot of Americans who look at this book are just trying to find out about "positions" to try. These two books are so much more. The interpretation is rough and unclear in some spots, and the author states some things could probably only be explained by pictures while others were so hard to translate correctly that they were omitted. This translation of two works over 2000 years old was done by Sir Burton in the last 1800s, and I must say he handled it quite well.

I love how the Ananga Ranga is summed up at the end of the book before the Appendices: "...it is good to know that if husband and wife live together in close agreement, as one soul in a single body, they shall be happy in this world, and in that to come. Their good and charitable actions will be an example to mankind, and their peace and harmony will effect their salvation. No one yet has written a book to prevent the separation of the married pair and to show them how they may pass through life in union. Seeing this, I felt compassion, and composed the treatise...[after mentioning the vices that follow when a person in the marriage gets bored he states]...Fully understanding the way in which such quarrels arise, I have in this book shown how the husband, by varying the enjoyment of his wife, may live with her as with thirty-two different women, ever varying the enjoyment of her, and rendering satiety impossible. I have also taught all manner of useful arts and mysteries, by which she may render herself pure, beautiful and pleasing in his eyes." Fascinating that the whole focus (even through the moments that seem odd) is to make sure a marriage works. At least that's the focus of the Ananga Ranga, as it teaches one to know oneself and know the other person before physicality becomes involved...and to understand the scared nature of relationships, especially that between a husband and wife.

This book is not for everyone. There are huge cultural differences that are captured in the writing, such as caste systems and physical looks of different people in Indian regions. Plus, as prevalent as sex is in the American culture, few want to read about it in this manner...scientifically and spiritually detailed with conviction and understanding on a level that is not for the shallow of mind or heart. So read at your own risk. If you choose to do so, I hope you walk away from it with a deeper sense of yourself and the relationship you can have with your spouse.(less)

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
LOVE, SEX AND MATHEMATICS	1	9	May 30, 2012 08:49am

combine
Other Editions (281)

More editions...

Genres

Classics

42 users

Sexuality

28 users

Adult Fiction > Erotica

24 users

Non Fiction

19 users

Reference

17 users

Religion

17 users

Philosophy

17 users

Cultural > India

12 users

Literature

6 users

Adult

6 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Mallanaga Vātsyāyana

The Love Teachings of Kama Sutra: With Extracts from Koka Shastra, Anaga Ranga and Other Famous Indian Works on Love

The Kama Sutra and Ananga Ranga (Library of Essential Reading)

La Mujer en el Kama Sutra/ The Woman in the Kama Sutra

Kamasutra: Coleccion de Clasicos del Pensamiento Universal "Carrascalejo de La Jara"

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Kama Sutra of...

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

title link	preview: The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text
avg rating	preview: The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text Goodreads rating: 3.57 (1635 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/382901.The_Complete_Kama_Sutra?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1364139459l/382901.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/382901.The_Complete_Kama_Sutra?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text by Mallanaga Vātsyāyana[/url]

The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (281)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Mallanaga Vātsyāyana

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Kama Sutra of...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (281)