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The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated From The Sanscrit In Seven Parts With Preface, Introduction and Concluding Remarks Paperback – August 15, 2011

by Vatsyayana (Author)
3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 798 ratings
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In the literature of all countries there will be found a certain number of works treating especially of love. Everywhere the subject is dealt with differently, and from various points of view. In the present publication it is proposed to give a complete translation of what is considered the standard work on love in Sanscrit literature, and which is called the 'Vatsyayana Kama Sutra,' or Aphorisms on Love, by Vatsyayana.
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  1. Print length
    300 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    August 15, 2011
  4. Dimensions
    5 x 0.68 x 8 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1466233796
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1466233799
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Createspace Independent Pub (August 15, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1466233796
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1466233799
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.68 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 798 ratings

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  1. Victo Ngai

    Victo Ngai

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    Victo Ngai is a Los Angeles-based artist raised in Hong Kong. She is a Forbes 30 Under 30 (Art and Style) honoree, the first Chinese Hamilton King Award Winner, five times Society of Illustrators Gold Medalist and Hugo Award nominee.

    Victo's work has often been described as magical realism. Each creation in Victo's world is layered with symbolism and stories that reveal more each time the viewer is engaged. The visual results of her artistic journey take inspiration in part from her Chinese heritage, an art education from the Rhode Island School of Design, a love for classic children's books, and Japanese ukiyo-e.

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  2. Abhijit Misra

    Abhijit Misra

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    My name is Abhijit Kumar Misra. I am a citizen of India and currently working under the state government of Assam. I have done my graduation from Gauhati University, Assam with Honours in Economics.

    I am an avid reader. I love reading books and recently started writing books. I write books mostly on subjects under my thorough knowledge. Apart from writing and reading books, I like to see new places. Thus, traveling is my another hobby.

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  3. Vatsyayana

    Vatsyayana

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  4. Jamie Iaconis

    Jamie Iaconis

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    My name is Jamie Iaconis and I have been working online since 1994. I have been publishing books and e-books for many years and have chosen the best classic books for you to enjoy. Have a fantastic day, Jamie! :-)

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Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
3.7 out of 5
798 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

N. Baldwin
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting and Educational Reading
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is indeed Adult literature but it is also very educational for the young if emotionally mature-say >16 years of age.

It is not porn but has been treated as such by those who don't understand it or are of narrow outlook as to the healthful and emotional benefits of classical sexual techniques.

Most modern literature on sexual techniques and mutual respect of participants, one for the other, the proper state of mind so to speak for getting the most out of the sexual experience, can trace its roots to this one book.

I highly recommend it to all whose interest goes beyond the prurient, those who want to sustain their sexual experience, and to achieve the fullest enjoyment from it.
3 people found this helpful
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Sylvia
3.0 out of 5 stars No pictures, but loads of great advice
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2018
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This book has some interesting positions in it to try. It is much like the Kama sutra original, but not write in book like form that makes it easy to follow. But it's a very good book.
3 people found this helpful
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Courtney McKay
5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of knowledge
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2022
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This book is amazing and it taught me things I never knew existed
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Krystal
1.0 out of 5 stars Not even close....
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2014
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Not at all what I expected. When I ordered it the description said it was fully illustrated. However, it is simply a book with a lot of writing. Paragraphs and paragraphs and paragraphs. Half the book is dedicated to how to find a wife and how to be a wife. It is not at ALL what I wanted. I suppose I should have paid more attention when I ordered, however their product description could at least be more specific. I wouldnt order this book if you are looking for new sexual positions, illustrations, or any way of spicing up the love life. This book will simply lull you and your lover to sleep.
13 people found this helpful
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Travis
4.0 out of 5 stars Peaked my curiousity. Good Read
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2013
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I have been curious about what this was all about for years. It's been one of those things that's been on the back of my mind for a while. I ended up buying this on a whim. I was actually really impressed by the whole thing.

It wasn't all about sexual position and things like that. It had a lot of sound advice for living.

As with a lot of old things, this didn't seem to hold all of its original value. I don't think I understood all of some of the lengthy passage but parts of it were absolutely fascinating.

It was a fun thing to read after all I've heard about this kind of thing. I recommend checking it out.
3 people found this helpful
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Narasingha P. Sil
5.0 out of 5 stars A fitting vindication of the time-honored adage:"the old is gold"!
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2017
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This is a clear and clean reprint of Burton's classic annotated translation. Despite some modern motivated and politicised translations cramming academic marketplace and accusing the Victorian scholar-traveler Sir Richard of mistranslation, his pioneering work still commands gratitude of readers, lay and specialists alike. My only criticism of this awesome work has to with a single instance. I found his calling lovemaking "sexual congress" rather amusing, albeit not wholly inaccurate.
One person found this helpful
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M. DeKalb
2.0 out of 5 stars One Good Line in the Whole Thing.
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2012
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"When the wheel of love is once set in motion there is then no Shastra and no order." - but there are still some sketchy rules and it creates a poor, shallow vision of what `love' really is.

Translated from the Sanskrit work of Vatsyayana this `Aphorisms on Love' is a severely dated and in many instances, hopefully, out of practice ways and means to acquire women, pleasure them / gain pleasure for oneself and have success in all things. Dharma (virtue / religious merit), Artha (worldly wealth) and Kama (pleasure / sensual gratification) are meant to be preserved after they have burgeoned.

Vatsyayana believes the Hindu holy writ should be followed as it regards the three above aspects of life. An understanding, even minutely, assists with comprehension of the material.

There are various parts concerning sexually: types of men, women, when and how women can be used, how courtesans should act, the duration of the act, etc. It's essentially a `how to' guide if you're not reading the philosophy behind it and just practicing the '64 ways'. But if you engage the philosophy, it's one that's quite demeaning to women, especially toward women, the disabled and humanity as a whole.

Types of men:
Pithmarda - a man alone without any wealth.
Vita - a man who is successful both socially and economically.
Vidushaka - something like the village joker, but trusted.

Nayika: a woman resorted to on some `special' occasion. Vatsyayana then offers a series of justifications for the circumstances which these type of women may be used. These include reasons to bolster oneself or harm someone else, to put oneself in position to achieve wealth or to use the woman as a proxy to some affiliation which leads to fame and greatness, etc. There are 8 kinds of Nayika, all to be `enjoyed' unless they exhibit characteristics from a list that advises which ones not to be `enjoyed' (e.g. gossips, an exhibitionist, female friends, a leper, extremely white or black women, near relations, etc.) Many of these things are pretty commonsensical, other's bigoted. Aside from Nayika's and courtesans, no other memorable types of women were mentioned.

Male sex categories (based upon Lingham size): Smallest: Hare, Bull, Largest: Horse.
Female sex categories (based upon Yoni size): Deer, Mare, Elephant.
Matches of Lingham & Yoni sizes are the best , anything else creates a dissatisfaction for one party or the other depending upon the 'union'.

Related to this is intercourse duration and passion levels: short-timed, moderate time, long-timed; Small passion, Middling passion, High passion. Women prefer `long-timed' with high passion.

Types of love: 1. By habit - it's what you're used to. 2. Imagination - thinking of someone else. 3. Through belief - awesome how vague and open ended this one is. 4. Perception of external objects - basically as you see the world and consider it's things lovely, and 5. Belief by the learned - taking heed of what your elders say.

The practice of the Shastra (64 acts) is alluded to multiple times, through these positions and acts a man can prove his prowess in the bedroom. This article here is what most people mean when they even hint that the Kama Sutra is 'awesome'.

Other terms of interest:
United Congress - a threesome.
Lower Congress - anal.
Auparishtaka - oral.

Objectionable or interesting positions / practices, (xxxx) = Kindle `Location': it's okay to pretend your lover is someone else (1022), it's okay to beat your spouse (1033), wives are to be selected before puberty (1074) if later than puberty they are to be used for `special occasions', blackmail is permissible (1132), advocating date rape (1294), and kidnapping (1298) also being charged with false crimes is encouraged to take a woman from another man.

Courtesans are mainly in the business to fulfill two purposes: giving pleasure to her clients, and making money.

Also mentioned are medicinal powders and tinctures used to elongate the Lingham, also advocated is the practice of piercing the Lingham.

All of this and it seems that Vatsyayana has pretty well described even modern women on a broad scale, some accuracies, many inaccuracies. Despite it's datedness the work still bears a little relevance, but not much. I know I'll never recommend it to anyone.
6 people found this helpful
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Ashley
5.0 out of 5 stars Not the kama sutra you think it is!
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
Pretty neat book to read through. I ordered as more of a gag gift for someone but kept it instead. It's not the "dirty" picture kind of book I first thought it was, it's more techniques on 'wooing' and being sincere with your partner.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Matt McDonald
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in Canada on April 16, 2022
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Interesting book
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Ambra P.
5.0 out of 5 stars fas
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 9, 2018
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Good
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V. S
4.0 out of 5 stars The Classic Burton Translation - No pictures
Reviewed in India on February 26, 2014
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This is the Sir Richard Francis Burton 19th century translation for the serious reader. It is not one of the "interesting" versions. The only picture that appears in the books is the one on the cover. So if you are interested in exotic pictures or positions, look else where. This book has the crisp straightforward translation faithful to the Sanskrit original. I received a "Green Edition" version printed in the USA.
27 people found this helpful
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Giovanni
4.0 out of 5 stars Libro interssante
Reviewed in Italy on September 20, 2013
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Molto spartano ma fatto bene, sicuramente poteva essere messo giù meglio, per esempio qualche figura, ecc.
Nonostante sia molto "essenziale" come aspetto è fatto bene relativamente ai contenuti, che poi è la cosa più importante
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Amazon Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Not the product I was hoping for!
Reviewed in Canada on December 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
After reading the other reviews, I felt assured that there would be photos, but there are no illustrations at all. Disappointing.
Positive side: it came very quickly, just not the product I was hoping for.
5 people found this helpful
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