Kama Sutra

The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text

Mallanaga Vatsyayana, Alain Danielou, Alain Danielou

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Sanskrit

Inner Traditions Bear and Company
01 December 1993

Literary essays; Gender studies, gender groups; Sex & sexuality, sex manuals

The world's oldest and most widely read guide to the pleasures and techniques of sex, the Kama Sutra was compiled in the fourth century A.D. by a Brahmin and religious scholar name Vatsyayana, who worked from texts dating back to the fourth century B.C. Until the present, the only English translation of his Hindu love classic was that of the famous English explorer Sir Richard Burton, published in 1883.

Unlike Burton's version, Alain Daniélou's new translation preserves the numbered verse divisions of the original and includes two essential commentaries: the Fayamangala commentary, written in Sanskrit by Yashodhara during the Middle Ages, and a modern Hindi commentary by Devadatta Shastri. Whereas Burton's Victorian reluctance to translate certain terms obscured our understanding of the philosophy and techniques of the Kama Sutra, Daniélou has preserved the full explicitness of the original, dealing with everything from the art of scratching to relations with the wives of others.

Realistic and pragmatic in its approach, the Kama Sutra deals without ambiguity or hypocrisy with all aspects of sexual life--including marriage, adultery, prostitution, group sex, sadomasochism, male and female homosexuality, and transvestism. The text paints a fascinating portrait of an India whose openness to sexuality gave rise to a highly developed expression of the erotic.

By: Mallanaga Vatsyayana
Translated by: Alain Danielou
Volume editor: Alain Danielou
Imprint: Inner Traditions Bear and Company
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: Unabridged
Dimensions: Height: 230mm, Width: 150mm, Spine: 40mm
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9780892815258
ISBN 10: 0892815256
Pages: 576
Publication Date: 01 December 1993
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Editor's Note Introduction by Alain Danielou Part One: General Remarks 1. Contents of the Book 2. The Three Aims of Life 3. The Acquisition of Knowledge 4. The Conduct of the Well-bred Townsman 5. Reflections on Intermediaries Who Assist the Lover in His Enterprises Part Two: Amorous Advances 1. Stimulation of Erotic Desire 2. Embraces 3. Petting and Caresses 4. The Art of Scratching 5. Biting 6. On Copulation and Special Tastes 7. Blows and Sighs 8. Virile Behavior in Women 9. Superior Coition or Fellation 10. Preludes and Conclusions to the Game of Love Part Three: Acquiring a Wife 1. Forms of Marriage 2. How to Relax the Girl 3. Ways of Obtaining the Girl 4. How to Manage Alone 5. Union by Marriage Part Four: Duties and Privileges of the Wife 1. Conduct of the Only Wife 2. Conduct of the Chief Wife and Other Wives Part Five: Other Men's Wives 1. Behavior of Woman and Man 2. Encounters to Get Acquainted 3. Examination of Sentiments 4. The Task of the Go-between 5. The King's Pleasures 6. Behavior in the Gynoecium Part Six: About Courtesans 1. Advice of the Assistants on the Choice of Lovers 2. Looking for a Steady Lover 3. Ways of Making Money 4. Renewing Friendship with a Former Lover 5. Occasional Profits 6. Profits and Losses: Reflections on Doubts Concerning the Advantages and Disadvantages of Relations Part Seven: Occult Practices 1. Success in Love 2. Arousing a Weakened Sexual Power Appendices 1. Texts Quoted 2. Mythical and Historical Characters and Authors Mentioned in the Text 3. Works Consulted 4. Glossary I: Plants, Herbs, Spices, and Sundry Products 5. Glossary II: Special Terms Index About the Translator

Alain Danilou (1907-1994) was without question a Renaissance man. Following his early years as an artist, dancer, and musician in Paris (Cocteau, Diaghilev, and Stravinsky were among his friends), Danilou settled in India, where he spent fifteen years in the study of Sanskrit, philosophy, and music. After numerous university appointments in India, he returned in 1963 to Europe, establishing the Institute of Comparative Music Studies in Berlin for the reevaluation of Asian music. Danilou wrote more than thirty books about the philosophy, religion, history, and arts of India, including Gods of Love and Ecstasy; Myths and Gods of India; Virtue, Success, Pleasure, and Liberation; While the Gods Play; The Phallus; and Music and the Power of Sound.

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

The Sanskrit text of this famous manual on love and sexual technique was written by Vatsyayana 17 centuries ago. 'Kama' is the 'enjoyment of appropriate objects by the five senses, assisted by the mind with the aid of the soul,' and the Kama Sutra, consisting of aphorisms on love, became a classic textbook on eroticism and human pleasure. It describes when, with whom and how we should make love, has a great variety of instructions and suggestions - and an excellent turn of wit. (Kirkus UK)