A Walk through Kamasutra text - A work in progress.

Treatise of Kamasutra is used as an authority whenever there is a discussion of erotica and homosexuality in Indian subcontinent. It has been manipulated by various authorities. I am yet to find people who have actually read this text. I have heard people referring to it as science of sex, a porn material, methods to enhance sexual life, but very few have read it. Very few have even seen the text.

I started reading Kamasutra as one of the erotic literature in Indian material. I never thought of this book as something with academic references. Maybe it was my academic background, that did not let me believe in mythology. It always sought for sources and authorities. Somehow I never thought of Kamasutra as a well researched material.

My entry point to Kamasutra was through lens of female sexual desire and different authorities that have discussed female sexual desire in detail in reference to Kamasutra. I was looking for a description that sought for female 'sexual desire' within the pleasure context.

Of what use is the practise of virtue, when its results are so uncertain?

Kamasutra 1.2.21

I was looking for treatises that discussed female desire from a woman's perspective. Things that she loved and things that she may please to do. Kamasutra has its own limitation as it perceives desire from a male perspective and sees the enhancement of female desire as a serious concern in relation to male desire. However Kamasutra still  provides us with a different understanding in comparisons to other colonial archive on sexuality that is available to us. It is one of the first texts which discussed the motivations of courtesans which were not influenced by the money factor.

Kamasutra contains of 7 parts, 36 chapters, 64 paras and 1250 verses. It is believed that goddess Rati herself revealed to Vatsyanna the secret knowledge entrusted to him by consort Kama, the god of love. Vatsyanna based his work on texts of his predecessors like Babhru ancient work on erotics.

Dattaka's standard work on prostitutes. Vatsyanana's work was considered revolutionary not for the text, but for emphasising the female desire and locating it outside the male desire. Previous to his work, it was considered by all scholars that female desire was similar to male desire. He was one of the first who established a difference in the way these two categories perceived desire.

Kamasutra is divided into 7 parts which are:

a) General Observations

b) Amorous approaches

c)Getting a girl

d) Rights and Duties of a wife

e) Other Men's wives

f) On Courtesans

g) Secret Practises

The text of Kamasutra derives its authenticity from various different texts that have extolled on desire. Vatsyanna presents his work as a compendium of opinions of ancient authorities on the subject.

Shvetakettu Auddalaki composed the first text on erotic love in 500 chapters. This book was believed to be responsible for putting an end to unbridled sexual coupling and a certain profligacy in relation to intercourse with married women – prominent in Mahabharatha(  one of the epics in Hinduism). He was the first person who made the novel suggestion that men should not generally sleep with wives of others. Babhru of Panchala and his sons condensed treatise of Shevakettu into 150 chapters. Some of the other texts were Suvarnanabha who wrote  on erotic advancess, Ghotakamukha  on seduction of girls Gonardiya on duties and rights of a wife, Gonikaputra on sexual relations with other men's wives, Dattaka on courtesans and Kuchumara on occult sexual lore.

This is just a beginning in my search for analyzing  this text itself. Wait for more!