Ever since an elderly Indian sage named Mallinaga Vatsyayana set down a series of sutras or ‘aphorisms’ on love over two thousand years ago, the Kama Sutra has been a source of inspiration in the art of sensual pleasure. Little is known of Vatsyayana, about his origins, his life, or even his own loves, other than that he wrote his work whilst engaged as a religious student in the holy city of Benares. Some historians maintain that he took an oath of celibacy, though he tells us himself that, after reading the texts of ancient authors, he then followed the ways of enjoyment mentioned in them.

      In studying the writings of holy men who preceded him, Vatsyayana learnt of Nandi, the white bull, who stood guard for the gods Shiva and Parvati outside their bedroom in the palace of Mount Kailash, while they made love for 10,000 years. Nandi was sworn never to speak of this, but he broke his vow and the words he uttered fell as flowers and were collected up and strung on sutras, or threads. These were woven into a book of 1,000 chapters. Over time, this was abbreviated to 500 chapters, then abridged to 150 and finally condensed by Vatsyayana himself into seven parts.

      With scientific thoroughness and disciplined brevity, Vatsyayana describes all aspects of love and sexual relationships: from seduction and lovemaking to education, marriage, and conjugal life; from the ideals and accomplishments of young urban men to the life of courtesans and women of the king’s harem. Even sex aids, aphrodisiacs and love potions have their place.

      His text was composed ‘for the benefit of the world’ but he meant it as more than just an instrument to satisfy man’s desires; he maintained that a person who achieved balance and harmony between the main strands of life according to Hindu scripture – virtue or religious merit (Dharma), worldly wealth (Artha) and pleasure or sensual gratification (Kama) – would obtain success in every undertaking and ultimately would achieve spiritual emancipation.

      Though often addressed to men, the Kama Sutra is not only concerned with the male perspective. Vatsyayana recommended that young women should also study the work before marriage and, with the consent of their husbands, should continue to familiarize themselves with its arts thereafter because ‘even the bare knowledge of them gives attractiveness to a woman’.

      Divine Love

      In Hindu thought, sex is not only considered natural and necessary but almost sacred, mimicking in human form the creation of the world. Hindus believe that the union of purusha (substance) and praktiri (energy) is necessary for life and is symbolised by the coming together of the great Hindu god Shiva with the divine force of Shakti, the mother goddess. Temples throughout India contain representations of Shiva in the form of a lingam (penis), whilst Shakti’s symbol is the yoni (vagina).

      This belief that men, like gods, must harness women’s life-giving energy informs the writing of the Kama Sutra. Vatsyayana’s views on the approach to a woman seem enlightened for their time: ‘women, being of a tender nature, want tender beginnings,’ he muses; ‘the man should therefore approach the girl according to her liking, and should make use of those devices by which he may be able to establish himself more and more into her confidence.’ Vatsyayana insists that the art of love is not designed to satisfy the desires of man alone; the woman, too must experience the optimum delights that sensual pleasure affords, and preferably before the man has satisfied himself. Furthermore Vatsyayana maintained that, contrary to the prevailing wisdom of the time, women did indeed experience orgasm!

      Citizens, Kings & Courtesans

      It is thought that the Kama Sutra was written around the 4th century A.D., at a time of economic prosperity, when the great cities of India were flourishing and men and women of the middle and upper classes were highly educated and literate. The Kama Sutra certainly paints a vivid picture of a life of luxury where the nagarika, or city-dweller, had considerable wealth and leisure time to enjoy the pursuits and customs prevalent at the time: picnics and trips to the park to watch cock fights or to bathe, festivals honouring the gods, drinking parties, gambling, dancing, singing, reciting poetry and moonlit walks.

      The wives of the king, confined in their royal harem, would resort to ingenious methods to satisfy their sexual desires if their husbands were occupied elsewhere. It was a time when courtesans were rich and cultivated and enjoyed a powerful position in society, even commanding a certain respect.

      

      Completely lacking in prudishness, members of ancient Indian society worshipped their gods, dutifully performed their daily tasks and maintained the sacredness of the home, but also enjoyed life and all its pleasures to the full, believing that sexual and sensual fulfilment were as vital a part of life as final spiritual emancipation.

      

      The Kama Sutra became widely read in all parts of India. Its influence permeated society, the text taken up by poets and reinterpreted and translated into song and verse. It also began to be depicted by artists and sculptors, whose artistic creations often illustrated many of the poses from the text.

      The Ananga Ranga and the Perfumed Garden

      The Kama Sutra was the first erotic manual of its kind and its importance so great that almost every subsequent sex guide to appear in India (and further afield) over the following centuries was inspired and influenced by its teaching: there was the popular Kokashastra by Kokkoka (containing one of the earliest mentions of the G-spot), the Ratiratnapradipika by Devaraja and, perhaps most prolific, the Ananga Ranga or ‘The Hindu Art of Love’. This treatise is thought to have been composed some time during the 15th or 16th century for the amusement of Ladakhan (the son of a king) by a princely sage and arch-poet named Kalyanamalla. Society had changed since Vatsyayana’s time and attitudes towards sex had become more rigid, creating boundaries between men and women. The approach of the book, therefore, is directed more towards husbands as a guide to sex within marriage, as Kalyanamalla believed that adultery was borne of monotony and the desire for varied pleasures. The Ananga Ranga is also a mystical guide incorporating astrology, palmistry and psychology.

      The knowledge and teachings of the Kama Sutra slowly spread beyond India and some of its threads were gathered up by one Sheikh Nefzawi of Tunis, who set them down in his famous work the Perfumed Garden. The language in this love manual is frank, florid and erotic and laced with humour. For example, here is his description of the vulva:

       ‘Such an organ is plump and outstanding in its full length; the lips are long, the opening large, the edges apart and perfectly symmetrical, and the middle prominent; it is soft, seductive, and perfect in all its details. It is, without fear of contradiction, the most agreeable and best of all. May God grant us the use of such a vulva! Amen! It is warm, narrow and dry to such a degree that one would think fire would dart from it. Its form is graceful, its odour suave; its whiteness throws the carmine centre into relief. In a word, it is perfect.’

      It

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