The Kama Sutra (Annotated)

Présentation de l'éditeur

This unique version of The Kam Sutra also includes the following bonus annotations:
- Biography of the author
- Historical context of the book
- Literary critique
The Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian Hindu text widely considered to be the standard work on human sexual behavior in Sanskrit literature written by Mallanāga Vātsyāyana. A portion of the work consists of practical advice on sexual intercourse. It is largely in prose, with many inserted anustubh poetry verses. "Kāma" means sensual or sexual pleasure, and "sūtra" literally means a thread or line that holds things together, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. The modern English word "suture" is derived from the same root.
The Kama Sutra is the oldest and most notable of a group of texts known generically as Kama Shastra (Sanskrit: Kāma Śāstra).Traditionally, the first transmission of Kama Shastra or "Discipline of Kama" is attributed to Nandi the sacred bull, Shiva's doorkeeper, who was moved to sacred utterance by overhearing the lovemaking of the god and his wife Parvati and later recorded his utterances for the benefit of mankind

Book Description

Composed by Vatsyayana in the fourth century B.C., the Kama Sutra explores sexuality as an integral part of human existence. Arguing that happiness and moral duty (dharma) depend on elaborate social ritual to satisfy the essential needs of life, the Kama Sutra describes the practices, rituals, and lore of the erotic (kama) in human relations, both straight and gay. The only truly authentic, complete translation from the ancient Sanskrit, this definitive and beautifully designed edition places this enduring work in its true historical, cultural, and religious context as a celebration of courtship and love. In addition to its famous catalog of positions, or "embraces," it features Vatsyayana's most edifying revelations on sexuality, women, marriage, pleasure, and more. A complete glossary of Sanskrit terms is included, as well as photographs of the famous 11th-century sculptures from the temple at Khajuraho.