The Kama Sutra: The Hindu Art of Love, Complete Translation from the Original Sanskrit [Paperback]

Vatsyayana (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2004

This is the only truly authentic translation of Vatsyayana's Kama Sutra from the ancient Sanskrit.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Review in Gujarat in Garavi Gujarat, November 2002. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Watkins Publishing Limited (August 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842930656
• ISBN-13: 978-1842930656
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,585,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism > Sutras

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Real bad, May 31, 2000

By 

Tia Cheong - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kama Sutra (Wordsworth Classic) (Wordsworth Classics of World L) (Paperback)

After reading this book for a week, I came to have an inherent dislike in the concepts taught. I believe that the book is thought out and written by a bunch of male chauvinists.

In the chapter of 'On certain forms of marriage' in the section of 'On the acquisition of a wife', it is stated that a man should obtain a girl by means of disparaging the man the girl was supposed to be married to in the mind of the girl's mother. The man who liked a girl should intoxicate her and after that, take her to a secure place and enjoy her. This is disgusting.

Then it goes on to talk about women resorting to prostitution and the various ways in which a courtesan could gain wealth from men.

Perhaps I was being ignorant about the culture of those days and the society in which they lived in but I believe that it is not much different than it is in this present society.

From the point of a woman, there are a lot of things that I do not agree with morally.

I guess the most enjoyable part of this book is perhaps the description of various possible formats of sexual intercourse.

In conclusion, every individual has their own definition of Kama Sutra. One does not need to consult manuals like this to improve love life. As long as partners understand each other, love each other with all his/her heart and have concern for each other's welfare, then they can enjoy their long voyage satisfying each other's desire.