What is Kama Sutra?

A concise review and explanation of what the Kama Sutra is

Kama Sutra is perhaps most well known by people all around the world as one of the most popular sex guides detailing various thrilling and intense sex positions and how to perform them with your partner. 

However, Kama Sutra itself is, in fact, not just a sex guidebook. Rather, it also contains much other valuable information and guidance on many topics including pleasure, love, and lifestyle. 

Today’s post seeks to delve deeper and look at what exactly is Kama Sutra is and what does it contain.

What is Kama Sutra?

Kama Sutra is a piece of Hindu text written around the 3^rd century in Sanskrit. Its author was simply known as Vatsyayana. As it was dated so far back in time, there was not much information about the background of the author.

The Kama Sutra itself does contain an introduction about various sex positions and it is one of the largest reasons why this book was so popular. Especially in the Western region.

But it also contains much other knowledge about other aspects of life, such as how to live a fulfilling life, how to search for your soulmate and life partner, and even abstract and philosophical topics, where the Kama Sutra attempted to understand the nature of love.

Putting the Kama Sutra in the modern context, it is apparent that most of the teachings are either wildly speculative or wholly inconsistent with current findings. It can be said that the Kama Sutra isn’t exactly the most relevant piece of literature when it comes to topics such as lifestyle, love, and art.

The various sex positions covered in the Kama Sutra are very often still practiced by many couples nowadays.

Contents of Kama Sutra

The Kama Sutra has around 1250 verses, 36 chapters, 64 sections separated into 7 different books. It’s an understatement to say that the Kama Sutra would take a long time to read through, process, and digest.

To save you some time, below is a condensed list of the seven main themes discussed in the Kama Sutra:

General Introduction

The first part of the book introduces concepts, ideas, and a brief outline of what is covered throughout the course.

This part discusses how both men and women can achieve a better lifestyle, quality of life, and help them become happier and more content with their lives.

The author also slightly touches on the suitable age for viewing and reading this book.

Amorous Advances and/or Sexual Union

This part of the book is arguably the most popular part of the entire Kama Sutra and the reason why most people decided to read it. 

It details up to 64 different sexual positions and acts which people can perform in order to elevate their sex lives. The author also advises on how an individual can initiate a conversation with a potential sexual partner.

Acquiring a Wife

The third part of the Kama Sutra is where the author provides detailed information and knowledge of marriage.

It is a common misconception that this part of the book is aimed only at the male; there is ample knowledge for both the male and female to learn about from this chapter.

The beginning of this part starts with how one can find the right person to marry. Then how to persuade them into marrying, and which type of individuals to avoid when seeking a life partner.

Then, the author subsequently provides advice for both men and women when preparing for and getting married. Subjects like how to gain the other party’s trust or turning friendship into marriage are all discussed.

Duties and Privileges of the Wife

This part of the book covers the various duties of the wife. What should be expected of her once marrying the husband.

The author lists out many chores, responsibilities, and duties which any competent wife must be capable of performing.

Other Men’s Wives

The fifth part of the book describes the various non-physical matters that partners in a relationship must look out for in order to ensure a lasting and strong bond.

The author covers a wide range of topics including the innate tendencies of both the men and women, adultery, determining how interested the other party is in maintaining the relationship, and prostitution.

About Courtesans

This part of the book embarks on courtesans and how they can be utilized in order to gain confidence, experience, and necessary skills in order to build a more secure and successful relationship in the future.

Topics like how a person can find, engage and please a courtesan are discussed with great detail and depth. 

Another interesting part of this is that it also advises how one can make an ex- lover fall in love with them again.

Occult Practices

The last part of the Kama Sutra is general guidance on lifestyle and gaining confidence. 

The author advises on how you can appear attractive, and even teach you to be sincere when seeking out partners.

Conclusion

It is undeniable that the Kama Sutra is a piece of literature that contains immeasurable historical value and importance. Anyone who gets the chance to do so should read it.  However, when reading the book, keep in mind that this was written approximately thousands of years ago. Some concepts mentioned in it may simply be irrelevant, outdated, and inapplicable.