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

"During the first three periods of his life, a man must realize himself on three interdependent levels, which are virtue [dharma], wealth [artha] and love [kama], harmonizing them in such a way that none of them is prejudicial to the others." - from the Jayamangala commentary, by Yashodhara to the Kama Sutra of Vatsayana. This translation by premier philosopher and Sanskrit scholar Alain Danielou is a long-overdue replacement to the very Victorian and censored version of Sir Richard Burton. It includes the Sutra itself, the aforementioned commentary of Yashodhara and a 19th century commentary in Hindi by Davadatta Shastra. As a translation, it’s limpid, lucid and at times, quite poetic. This is no mean feat, as Sanskrit is notoriously difficult to render into modern languages, something that Westerners have been quietly grumbling about since the days of F. Max Muller. I lead this little review off with the quote from Yashodara because it illuminates a core belief within the myriad flavors of Hinduism. Those who know nothing much of Hinduism are likely to dismiss it as a religion with literally millions of gods and little else. So much for ignorance. If you read the quote carefully, are you not struck by its absolute common sense? Said over in English, it tells us to work at being good people [dharma], keeping the money coming in [arthra] and to know wtf you’re doing in bed. Westerners might readily comprehend the first two about being good and making money, if albeit from a perverted Puritan viewpoint, but the last? Alas, said Puritan ethic cannot bear sexual pleasure; and it is only tolerated in monogamous heterosexual marriage - it is never embraced. No culture in the West has anything like the erotic temple-sculptures of Khajurhao, which features couples, threesomes and piles of happy lovers entwined, a la deSade’s engravings for his 120 Days of Sodom; most Western Parents would do their best to keep their kids from deSade, but the temple at Khurajhao is almost a place that a Hindi entrepreneur, seeking to emulate Walt Disney, opens for whole families to come enjoy the precincts. And that, dearly beloved, is a crucial difference between East and West.

This is an outstanding new translation of the Indian classic, dating from the fourth century BC. It is widely misunderstood in the west, largely by people who never read it, but also by people who only read Burton's unfortunate Victorian translation. Well over 500 pages, this may seem intimidating - I promise you, it's worth your effort. This includes Vatsyayana's complete text, not just the extracts that Burton chose. Danielou interleaves it with not one, but two different commentaries, one traditional and one modern. These add insight, not just to the Vatsyayana text itself, but also to how later ages of India view this classic. The Kama Sutra describes the culture in which it arose. At least for the upper classes, it's a remarkable image. Although male-dominated, women had surprising autonomy. Many services - jewelers, perfumers, and the like - create the objects and gifts of a rich society. Even prostitutes have a more or less respectable place in that world - more like geishas, entertainers with wide repertoires, not just vessels for sexual release. This book is surprisingly clinical in its outlook. Vatsyayana describes a range of sexual practices. Some, he notes, are not widely considered proper - but all things have their time and place, if that's what the practitioners want. Describing a practice does not imply approval of it; in that vein, he mentions seductions and even capture of a woman by force. Prostitutes, too, have a code of behavior. Although they may develop feelings for a customer, their work is their business and their livelihood. This justifies, even demands behavior that would not be proper for a partner of another kind. The largest part of the book is more mundane. It sets out a plan for being a happy, healthy member of society: the skills needed, grooming, social behaviors, and lots more. Despite repressive eras that followed (down to our own), the appeal of this document persists. Today's readers, nearly 2500 years later, can still learn from it, about that ancient time but also about our own. //wiredweird

This is a great book! People often assume Kama Sutra is a dirty book that's full of sex positions. It does have a good bit of that. But it treats sex almost like a ritual rather than just a quick fix that means nothing no anyone. It has all these "instructions" that teach you everything from flirting, to foreplay, to the final act itself. Yes, it does talk of various techniques and toys and all. Very boldly. Bits of it made me raise my eyebrow("how to seduce another's wife"/"relationships with concubines") but they amused me more than they offended me. It's the perfect book on sex. You have to understand that according to Hindu scriptures, sex is one of the four main parts of life and thus, must be treated accordingly. We need to admit its importance instead of treating it as taboo. I think people should read Kama Sutra in order to gain a better understanding of the importance of sex. It's necessary to learn to respect physical intimacy and this book gives it the attention it deserves. I don't know about the translation; this is the only translation I've read and it was perfectly adequate. I bought one for a close friend for her birthday and I plan on having my siblings read it when they're older as well.

There are two types of people in this world. There are people who have heard of the Kama Sutra and people who have actually read it. It goes without saying that there are far more of the former in this world than the latter. Finding an electronic edition of such an ancient work that, by all reasonable standards, stands the test of time, easily warrants giving it five stars, especially since the translation quality of the text is of the highest order. Although I can understand why there are those who may not have the highest opinion of this edition because of the quality of the illustrations, I believe that regardless of their quality, because the text is all there, it impels the reader to work to understand what they are reading. Also, because this is an electronic edition, one would not need to worry about whatever physical defects might accompany a paperback or hardcover edition. In short, I highly recommend this book.

For those you who think this is a book about sex and sexual positions, think again. I'll make my explanation as short as possible. This book is centuries old, and draws wisdom from many old, tried and true sources. This explains how to take care of your body in different ways, like grooming, bathing, sleeping habits, and what foods to eat. The sexual parts detail how to prepare your body before sexual activities, sighs, blows, scratches, and many, many positions. It even details on what positions are best for men and women of different "calibers". There are many positions described for optimum pleasure and comfort for both parties. Whether you are straight, bi, or into women, there is even detailed " activities" as well. Even if you use "toys", there are parts for that too! In addition, there are recipes for virility, and to increase " fluids". All that I have described is in this book and more.....

It was a good read, learned a lot, but I think it cuts out a lot from the original

I don't know what some of the reviewers are talking about, but the Kama Sutra is not only about sex. The pictures of sex positions will not help them understand what the actual Kama Sutra is about. The Kama Sutra is a condensed form that came from another bigger condensed form that came from a much bigger book about love called the "Kama Shastra." The Kama Sutra (and the original Kama Sastra) is supposed to be a guide book into true love and tries to turn you away from immoral practices that goes against the teachings of the Vedas, Laws of Manu, and other scriptures. The reason why chapters about prostitutes, making your member bigger, etcetera is to be informative. That aside, it would have stated on the cover "illustrated" if it had pictures for you to...The sexual positions are not important. Even Vatsyana (the author) doesn't give importance to sex. This is mainly on finding one woman or man to settle down with. To me it is guidance and a test within itself if you are Hindu or follow the teachings in another way. So, there is no point in giving bad reviews about this book. When you received this book in the mail and you didn't see any pictures in it, you should have returned it and bought another version. Point blank.

Not illustrated