Pages from KAMASUTRA

[AnnikaDevi]

OF THE CAUSES OF A COURTESAN RESORTING TO MEN; OF THE MEANS OF ATTACHING TO 

HERSELF THE MAN DESIRED; AND OF THE KIND OF MAN THAT IT IS DESIRABLE TO BE 

ACQUAINTED WITH 

 

when a courtesan takes up with a man from love, the action is natural; but when she resorts to him for the 

purpose of getting money, her action is artificial or forced. Even in the latter case, however, she should 

conduct herself as if her love were indeed natural, because men repose their confidence on those women who 

apparently love them. In making known her love to the man, she should show an entire freedom from avarice, 

and for the sake of her future credit she should abstain from acquiring money from him by unlawful means. 

A courtesan, well dressed and wearing her ornaments, should sit or stand at the door of her house, and, 

without exposing herself too much, should look on the public road so as to be seen by the passers by, she 

being like an object on view for sale. She should form friendships with such persons as would enable her to 

separate men from other women, and attach them to herself, to repair her own misfortunes, to acquire wealth, 

and to protect her from being bullied, or set upon by persons with whom she may have dealings of some kind 

or another. 

These persons are: 

The guards of the town, or the police 

The officers of the courts of justice 

Astrologers 

Powerful men, or men with interest 

Learned men 

Teachers of the sixty-four arts 

Pithamardas or confidants 

Vitas or parasites 

Vidushakas or jesters 

Flower sellers 

Perfumers 

Vendors of spirits 

Washermen 

Barbers 

Beggars 

And such other persons as may be found necessary for the particular object to be acquired. 

The following kinds of men may be taken up with, simply for the purpose of getting their money: 

Men of independent income 

Young men 

Men who are free from any ties 

Men who hold places of authority under the king 

Men who have secured their means of livelihood without difficulty 

Men possessed of unfailing sources of income 

Men who consider themselves handsome 

Men who are always praising themselves 

One who is a eunuch, but wishes to be thought a man 

One who hates his equals One who is naturally liberal 

One who has influence with the king or his ministers 

One who is always fortunate 

One who is proud of his wealth 

One who disobeys the orders of his elders 

One upon whom the members of his caste keep an eye 

An only son whose father is wealthy 

An ascetic who is internally troubled with desire 

A brave man 

A physician of the king 

Previous acquaintances 

On the other hand, those who are possessed of excellent qualities are to be resorted to for the sake of love, and 

fame. Such men are as follows: 

Men of high birth, learned, with a good knowledge of the world, and doing the proper things at the proper 

times, poets, good story tellers, eloquent men, energetic men, skilled in various arts, far-seeing into the future, 

possessed of great minds, full of perseverance, of a firm devotion, free from anger, liberal, affectionate to their 

parents, and with a liking for all social gatherings, skilled in completing verses begun by others and in various 

other sports, free from all disease, possessed of a perfect body, strong, and not addicted to drinking, powerful in sexual enjoyment, sociable, showing love towards women and attracting their hearts to himself, but not 

entirely devoted to them, possessed of independent means of livelihood, free from envy, and last of all, free 

from suspicion. 

Such are the good qualifies of a man. 

The woman also should have the following characteristics: 

She should be possessed of beauty, and amiability, with auspicious body marks. She should have a liking for 

good qualifies in other people, as also a liking for wealth. She should take delight in sexual unions, resulting 

from love, and should be of a firm mind, and of the same class as the man with regard to sexual enjoyment. 

She should always be anxious to acquire and obtain experience and knowledge, be free from avarice, and 

always have a liking for social gatherings, and for the arts. 

The following are the ordinary qualities of all women: 

To be possessed of intelligence, good disposition, and good manners; to be straightforward in behaviour, and 

to be grateful; to consider well the future before doing anything; to possess activity, to be of consistent 

behaviour, and to have a knowledge of the proper times and places for doing things; to speak always without 

meanness, loud laughter, malignity, anger, avarice, dullness, or stupidity; to have a knowledge of the Kama 

Sutra, and to be skilled in all the arts connected with it. 

The faults of women are to be known by the absence of any of the above mentioned good qualities. 

The following kinds of men are not fit to be resorted to by courtesans: 

One who is consumptive; one who is sickly; one whose mouth contains worms; one whose breath smells like 

human excrement; one whose wife is dear to him; one who speaks harshly; one who is always suspicious; one 

who is avaricious; one who is pitiless; one who is a thief; one who is self-conceited; one who has a liking for 

sorcery; one who does not care for respect or disrespect; one who can be gained over even by his enemies by 

means of money; and lastly, one who is extremely bashful. 

Ancient authors are of opinion that the causes of a courtesan resorting to men are love, fear, money, pleasure, 

returning some act of enmity, curiosity, sorrow, constant intercourse, Dharma, celebrity, compassion, the 

desire of having a friend, shame, the likeness of the man to some beloved person, the search after good 

fortune, the getting rid of the love of somebody else, the being of the same class as the man with respect to 

sexual union, living in the same place, constancy, and poverty. But Vatsyayana decides that desire of wealth, 

freedom from misfortune, and love are the only causes that affect the union of courtesans with men. 

Now a courtesan should not sacrifice money to her love, because money is the chief thing to be attended to. 

But in cases of fear, etc., she should pay regard to strength and other qualities. Moreover, even though she be 

invited by any man to join him, she should not at once consent to a union, because men are apt to despise 

things which are easily acquired. On such occasions she should first send the shampooers, and the singers, and 

the jesters, who may be in her service, or, in their absence the Pithamardas, or confidants, and others, to find 

out the state of his feelings, and the condition of his mind. By means of these persons she should ascertain 

whether the man is pure or impure, affected, or the reverse, capable of attachment, or indifferent, liberal or 

niggardly; and if she finds him to her liking, she should then employ the Vita and others to attach his mind to 

her. 

Accordingly, the Pithamarda should bring the man to her house, under the pretence of seeing the fights of 

quails, cocks, and rams, of hearing the mania (a kind of starling) talk, or of seeing some other spectacle, or the practice of some art; or he may take the woman to the abode of the man. After this, when the man comes to 

her house the woman should give him something capable of producing curiosity, and love in his heart, such as 

an affectionate present, telling him that it was specially designed for his use. She should also amuse him for a 

long time by telling him such stories, and doing such things as he may take most delight in. When he goes 

away she should frequently send to him a female attendant, skilled in carrying on a jesting conversation, and 

also a small present at the same time. She should also sometimes go to him herself under the pretence of some 

business, and accompanied by the Pithamarda. 

Thus end the means of attaching to herself the man desired. 

There are also some verses on the subject as follows: 

'When a lover comes to her abode, a courtesan should give him a mixture of betel leaves and betel nut, 

garlands of flowers, and perfumed ointments, and, showing her skill in arts, should entertain him with a long 

conversation. She should also give him some loving presents, and make an exchange of her own things with 

his, and at the same time should show him her skill in sexual enjoyment. When a courtesan is thus united with 

her lover she should always delight him by affectionate gifts, by conversation, and by the application of tender 

means of enjoyment.'

[AnnikaDevi]

OF LIVING LIKE A WIFE 

 

When a courtesan is living as a wife with her lover, she should behave like a chaste woman, and do 

everything to his satisfaction. Her duty in this respect, in short, is, that she should give him pleasure, but 

should not become attached to him, though behaving as if she were really attached. 

Now the following is the manner in which she is to conduct herself, so as to accomplish the above mentioned 

purpose. She should have a mother dependent on her, one who should be represented as very harsh, and who 

looked upon money as her chief object in life. In the event of there being no mother, then an old and 

confidential nurse should play the same role. The mother or nurse, on their part, should appear to be 

displeased with the lover, and forcibly take her away from him. The woman herself should always show 

pretended anger, dejection, fear, and shame on this account, but should not disobey the mother or nurse at any 

time. 

She should make out to the mother or nurse that the man is suffering from bad health, and making this a 

pretext for going to see him, she should go on that account. She is, moreover, to do the following things for 

the purpose of gaining the man's favour: 

Sending her female attendant to bring the flowers used by him on the previous day, in order that she may use 

them herself as a mark of affection, also asking for the mixture of betel nut and leaves that have remained 

uneaten by him; expressing wonder at his knowledge of sexual intercourse, and the several means of 

enjoyment used by him; learning from him the sixty-four kinds of pleasure mentioned by Babhravya; 

continually practising the ways of enjoyment as taught by him, and according to his liking; keeping his 

secrets; telling him her own desires and secrets; concealing her anger; never neglecting him on the bed when 

he turns his face towards her; touching any parts of his body according to his wish; kissing and embracing him 

when he is asleep; looking at him with apparent anxiety when he is wrapt in thought, or thinking of some 

other subject than herself; showing neither complete shamelessness, nor excessive bashfulness when he meets 

her, or sees her standing on the terrace of her house from the public road; hating his enemies; loving those 

who are dear to him; showing a liking for that which he likes; being in high or low spirits according to the 

state that he is in himself; expressing a curiosity to see his wives; not continuing her anger for a long time; 

suspecting even the marks and wounds made by herself with. her nails and teeth on his body to have been 

made by some other woman; keeping her love for him unexpressed by words, but showing it by deeds, and 

signs, and hints; remaining silent when he is asleep, intoxicated, or sick; being very attentive when he 

describes his good actions, and reciting them afterwards to his praise and benefit; giving witty replies to him if 

he be sufficiently attached to her; listening to all his stories, except those that relate to her rivals; expressing 

feelings of dejection and sorrow if he sighs, yawns, or falls down; pronouncing the words 'live long' when he 

sneezes; pretending to be ill, or to have the desire of pregnancy, when she feels dejected; abstaining from 

praising the good qualities of anybody else, and from censuring those who possess the same faults as her own 

man; wearing anything that may have been given to her by him; abstaining from putting on her ornaments, 

and from taking food when he is in pain, sick, low-spirited, or suffering from misfortune, and condoling and 

lamenting with him over the same; wishing to accompany him if he happens to leave the country himself or if 

he be banished from it by the king; expressing a desire not to live after him; telling him that the whole object 

and desire of her life was to be united with him; offering previously promised sacrifices to the Deity when he 

acquires wealth, or has some desire fulfilled, or when he has recovered from some illness or disease; putting 

on ornaments every day; not acting too freely with him; reciting his name and the name of his family in her 

songs placing his hand on her loins, bosom and forehead, and falling asleep after feeling the pleasure of his 

touch; sitting on his lap and falling asleep there; wishing to have a child by him; desiring not to live longer 

than he does; abstaining from revealing his secrets to others; dissuading him from vows and fasts by saying 

'let the sin fall upon me'; keeping vows and fasts along with him when it is impossible to change his mind on 

the subject; telling him that vows and fasts are difficult to be observed, even by herself, when she has any going to public assemblies without him, and accompanying him when he desires her to do so; taking delight in 

using things previously used by him, and in eating food that he has left uneaten; venerating his family, his 

disposition, his skill in the arts, his learning, his caste, his complexion, his native country, his friends, his good 

qualifies, his age, and his sweet temper; asking him to sing, and to do other such like things, if able to do 

them; going to him without paying any regard to fear, to cold, to heat, or to rain; saying with regard to the 

next world that he should be her lover even there; adapting her tastes, disposition and actions to his liking; 

abstaining from sorcery; disputing continually with her mother on the subject of going to him, and, when 

forcibly taken by her mother to some other place, expressing her desire to die by taking poison, by starving 

herself to death, by stabbing herself with some weapon, or by hanging herself; and lastly assuring the man of 

her constancy and love by means of her agents, and receiving money herself, but abstaining from any dispute 

with her mother with regard to pecuniary matters. 

When the man sets out on a journey, she should make him swear that he will return quickly, and in his 

absence should put aside her vows of worshipping the Deity, and should wear no ornaments except those that 

are lucky. If the time fixed for his return has passed, she should endeavour to ascertain the real time of his 

return from omens, from the reports of the people, and from the positions of the planets, the moon and the 

stars. On occasions of amusement, and of auspicious dreams, she should say 'Let me be soon united to him.' 

If, moreover, she feels melancholy, or sees any inauspicious omen, she should perform some rite to appease 

the Deity. 

When the man does return home she should worship the God Kama', and offer oblations to other Deities, and 

having caused a pot filled with water to be brought by her friends, she should perform the worship in honour 

of the crow who eats the offerings which we make to the manes of deceased relations. After the first visit is 

over she should ask her lover also to perform certain rites, and this he will do if he is sufficiently attached to 

her. 

Now a man is said to be sufficiently attached to a woman when his love is disinterested; when he has the same 

object in view as his beloved one; when he is quite free from any suspicions on her account; and when he is 

indifferent to money with regard to her. 

Such is the manner of a courtesan living with a man like a wife, and set forth here for the sake of guidance 

from the rules of Dattaka. What is not laid down here should be practised according to the custom of the 

people, and the nature of each individual man. 

There are also two verses on the subject as follows: 

'The extent of the love of women is not known, even to those who are the objects of their affection, on account 

of its subtlety, and on account of the avarice, and natural intelligence of womankind.' 

'Women are hardly ever known in their true light, though they may love men, or become indifferent towards 

them, may give them delight, or abandon them, or may extract from them all the wealth that they may 

possess.'

[AnnikaDevi]

ON THE ARTS AND SCIENCES TO BE STUDIED 

 

MAN should study the Kama Sutra and the arts and sciences subordinate thereto, in addition to the study of 

the arts and sciences contained in Dharma and Artha. Even young maids should study this Kama Sutra along 

with its arts and sciences before marriage, and after it they should continue to do so with the consent of their 

husbands. 

Here some learned men object, and say that females, not being allowed to study any science, should not study 

the Kama Sutra. 

But Vatsyayana is of opinion that this objection does not hold good, for women already know the practice of 

Kama Sutra, and that practice is derived from the Kama Shastra, or the science of Kama itself. Moreover, it is 

not only in this but in many other cases that, though the practice of a science is known to all, only a few 

persons are acquainted with the rules and laws on which the science is based. Thus the Yadnikas or 

sacrificers, though ignorant of grammar, make use of appropriate words when addressing the different Deities, 

and do not know how these words are framed. Again, persons do the duties required of them on auspicious 

days, which are fixed by astrology, though they are not acquainted with the science of astrology. In a like 

manner riders of horses and elephants train these animals without knowing the science of training animals, but 

from practice only. And similarly the people of the most distant provinces obey the laws of the kingdom from 

practice, and because there is a king over them, and without further reason. 1 And from experience we find 

that some women, such as daughters of princes and their ministers, and public women, are actually versed in 

the Kama Shastra. 

A female, therefore, should learn the Kama Shastra, or at least a part of it, by studying its practice from some 

confidential friend. She should study alone in private the sixty-four practices that form a part of the Kama 

Shastra. Her teacher should be one of the following persons: the daughter of a nurse brought up with her and 

already married 2 or a female friend who can be trusted in everything, or the sister of her mother (i.e. her 

aunt), or an old female servant, or a female beggar who may have formerly lived in the family, or her own 

sister who can always be trusted. 

The following are the arts to be studied, together with the Kama Sutra: 

Singing 

Playing on musical instruments 

Dancing 

Union of dancing, singing, and playing instrumental music 

Writing and drawing 

Tattooing 

Arraying and adorning an idol with rice and flowers 

Spreading and arranging beds or couches of flowers, or flowers upon the ground 

Colouring the teeth, garments, hair, nails and bodies, i.e. staining, dyeing, colouring and painting the same 

Fixing stained glass into a floor 

The art of making beds, and spreading out carpets and cushions for reclining 

Playing on musical glasses filled with water 

Storing and accumulating water in aqueducts, cisterns and reservoirs 

Picture making, trimming and decorating 

Stringing of rosaries, necklaces, garlands and wreaths 

Binding of turbans and chaplets, and making crests and top-knots of flowers 

Scenic representations, stage playing Art of making ear ornaments Art of preparing perfumes and odours 

Proper disposition of jewels and decorations, and adornment in dress 

Magic or sorcery 

Quickness of hand or manual skill 

Culinary art, i.e. cooking and cookery 

Making lemonades, sherbets, acidulated drinks, and spirituous extracts with proper flavour and colour 

Tailor's work and sewing 

Making parrots, flowers, tufts, tassels, bunches, bosses, knobs, etc., out of yarn or thread 

Solution of riddles, enigmas, covert speeches, verbal puzzles and enigmatical questions 

A game, which consisted in repeating verses, and as one person finished, another person had to commence at 

once, repeating another verse, beginning with the same letter with which the last speaker's verse ended, 

whoever failed to repeat was considered to have lost, and to be subject to pay a forfeit or stake of some kind 

The art of mimicry or imitation 

Reading, including chanting and intoning 

Study of sentences difficult to pronounce. It is played as a game chiefly by women, and children and consists 

of a difficult sentence being given, and when repeated quickly, the words are often transposed or badly 

pronounced 

Practice with sword, single stick, quarter staff and bow and arrow 

Drawing inferences, reasoning or inferring 

Carpentry, or the work of a carpenter 

Architecture, or the art of building 

Knowledge about gold and silver coins, and jewels and gems 

Chemistry and mineralogy 

Colouring jewels, gems and beads 

Knowledge of mines and quarries 

Gardening; knowledge of treating the diseases of trees and plants, of nourishing them, and determining their 

ages 

Art of cock fighting, quail fighting and ram fighting 

Art of teaching parrots and starlings to speak 

Art of applying perfumed ointments to the body, and of dressing the hair with unguents and perfumes and 

braiding it 

The art of understanding writing in cypher, and the writing of words in a peculiar way 

The art of speaking by changing the forms of words. It is of various kinds. Some speak by changing the 

beginning and end of words, others by adding unnecessary letters between every syllable of a word, and so on 

Knowledge of language and of the vernacular dialects 

Art of making flower carriages 

Art of framing mystical diagrams, of addressing spells and charms, and binding armlets 

Mental exercises, such as completing stanzas or verses on receiving a part of them; or supplying one, two or 

three lines when the remaining lines are given indiscriminately from different verses, so as to make the whole 

an entire verse with regard to its meaning; or arranging the words of a verse written irregularly by separating 

the vowels from the consonants, or leaving them out altogether; or putting into verse or prose sentences 

represented by signs or symbols. There are many other such exercises. 

Composing poems 

Knowledge of dictionaries and vocabularies 

Knowledge of ways of changing and disguising the appearance of persons 

Knowledge of the art of changing the appearance of things, such as making cotton to appear as silk, coarse 

and common things to appear as fine and good 

Various ways of gambling 

Art of obtaining possession of the property of others by means of muntras or incantations 

Skill in youthful sports 

Knowledge of the rules of society, and of how to pay respect and compliments to others 

Knowledge of the art of war, of arms, of armies, etc. 

Knowledge of gymnastics 

Art of knowing the character of a man from his features 

Knowledge of scanning or constructing verses 

Arithmetical recreations 

Making artificial flowers 

Making figures and images in clay 

A public woman, endowed with a good disposition, beauty and other winning qualities, and also versed in the 

above arts, obtains the name of a Ganika, or public woman of high quality, and receives a seat of honour in an 

assemblage of men. She is, moreover, always respected by the king, and praised by learned men, and her 

favour being sought for by all, she becomes an object of universal regard. The daughter of a king too as well 

as the daughter of a minister, being learned in the above arts, can make their husbands favourable to them, 

even though these may have thousands of other wives besides themselves. And in the same manner, if a wife 

becomes separated from her husband, and falls into distress, she can support herself easily, even in a foreign 

country, by means of her knowledge of these arts. Even the bare knowledge of them gives attractiveness to a 

woman, though the practice of them may be only possible or otherwise according to the circumstances of each 

case. A man who is versed in these arts, who is loquacious and acquainted with the arts of gallantry, gains 

very soon the hearts of women, even though he is only acquainted with them for a short time.

[AnnikaDevi]

THE LIFE OF A CITIZEN 

 

HAVING thus acquired learning, a man, with the wealth that he may have gained by gift, conquest, purchase, 

deposit, or inheritance from his ancestors, should become a householder, and pass the life of a citizen. He 

should take a house in a city, or large village, or in the vicinity of good men, or in a place which is the resort 

of many persons. This abode should be situated near some water, and divided into different compartments for 

different purposes. It should be surrounded by a garden, and also contain two rooms, an outer and an inner 

one. The inner room should be occupied by the females, while the outer room, balmy with rich perfumes, 

should contain a bed, soft, agreeable to the sight, covered with a clean white cloth, low in the middle part, 

having garlands and bunches of flowers upon it, and a canopy above it, and two pillows, one at the top, 

another at the bottom. There should be also a sort of couch besides, and at the head of this a sort of stool, on 

which should be placed the fragrant ointments for the night, as well as flowers, pots containing collyrium and 

other fragrant substances, things used for perfuming the mouth, and the bark of the common citron tree. Near 

the couch, on the ground, there should be a pot for spitting, a box containing ornaments, and also a lute 

hanging from a peg made of the tooth of an elephant, a board for drawing, a pot containing perfume, some 

books, and some garlands of the yellow amaranth flowers. Not far from the couch, and on the ground, there 

should be a round seat, a toy cart, and a board for playing with dice; outside the outer room there should be 

cages of birds, and a separate place for spinning, carving and such like diversions. In the garden there should 

be a whirling swing and a common swing, as also a bower of creepers covered with flowers, in which a raised 

parterre should be made for sitting. 

Now the householder, having got up in the morning and performed his necessary duties, should wash his 

teeth, apply a limited quantity of ointments and perfumes to his body, put some ornaments on his person and 

collyrium on his eyelids and below his eyes, colour his lips with alacktaka, and look at himself in the glass. 

Having then eaten betel leaves, with other things that give fragrance to the mouth, he should perform his usual 

business. He should bathe daily, anoint his body with oil every other day, apply a lathering substance 7 to his 

body every three days, get his head (including face) shaved every four days and the other parts of his body 

every five or ten days. All these things should be done without fail, and the sweat of the armpits should also 

be removed. Meals should be taken in the forenoon, in the afternoon, and again at night, according to 

Charayana. After breakfast, parrots and other birds should be taught to speak, and the fighting of cocks, 

quails, and rams should follow. A limited time should be devoted to diversions with Pithamardas, Vitas, and 

Vidushakas, and then should be taken the midday sleep. After this the householder, having put on his 

clothes and ornaments, should, during the afternoon, converse with his friends. In the evening there should be 

singing, and after that the householder, along with his friend, should await in his room, previously decorated 

and perfumed, the arrival of the woman that may be attached to him, or he may send a female messenger for 

her, or go for her himself. After her arrival at his house, he and his friend should welcome her, and entertain 

her with a loving and agreeable conversation. Thus end the duties of the day. 

The following are the things to be done occasionally as diversions or amusements: 

Holding festivals 11 in honour of different Deities 

Social gatherings of both sexes 

Drinking parties 

Picnics 

Other social diversions 

Festivals 

On some particular auspicious day, an assembly of citizens should be convened in the temple of Saraswati. 12 

There the skill of singers, and of others who may have come recently to the town, should be tested, and on the 

following day they should always be given some rewards. After that they may either be retained or dismissed, 

according as their performances are liked or not by the assembly. The members of the assembly should act in 

concert, both in times of distress as well as in times of prosperity, and it is also the duty of these citizens to 

show hospitality to strangers who may have come to the assembly. What is said above should be understood 

to apply to all the other festivals which may be held in honour of the different Deities, according to the present 

rules. 

Social Gatherings 

When men of the same age, disposition and talents, fond of the same diversions and with the same degree of 

education, sit together in company with public women, 13 or in an assembly of citizens, or at the abode of one 

among themselves, and engage in agreeable discourse with each other, such is called a Sitting in company or a 

social gathering. The subjects of discourse are to be the completion of verses half composed by others, and the 

testing the knowledge of one another in the various arts. The women who may be the most beautiful, who may 

like the same things that the men like, and who may have power to attract the minds of others, are here done 

homage to. 

Drinking Parties 

Men and women should drink in one another's houses. And here the men should cause the public women to 

drink, and should then drink themselves, liquors such as the Madhu, Aireya, Sara and Asawa, which are of 

bitter and sour taste; also drinks concocted from the barks of various trees, wild fruits and leaves. 

Going to Gardens or Picnics 

In the forenoon, men having dressed themselves should go to gardens on horseback, accompanied by public 

women and followed by servants. And having done there all the duties of the day, and passed the time in 

various agreeable diversions, such as the fighting of quails, cocks and rams, and other spectacles, they should 

return home in the afternoon in the same manner, bringing with them bunches of flowers, etc. 

The same also applies to bathing in summer in water from which wicked or dangerous animals have 

previously been taken out, and which has been built in on all sides. 

Other Social Diversions 

Spending nights playing with dice. Going out on moonlight nights. Keeping the festive day in honour of 

spring. Plucking the sprouts and fruits of the mango trees. Eating the fibres of lotuses. Eating the tender ears 

of corn. Picnicing in the forests when the trees get their new foliage. The Udakakashvedika or sporting in the 

water. Decorating each other with the flowers of some trees. Pelting each other with the flowers of the 

Kadamba tree, and many other sports which may either be known to the whole country, or may be peculiar to 

particular parts of it. These and similar other amusements should always be carried on by citizens. 

The above amusements should be followed by a person who diverts himself alone in company with a 

courtesan, as well as by a courtesan who can do the same in company with her maid servants or with citizens. 

A Pithamarda is a man without wealth, alone in the world, whose only property consists of his Mallika, 15 

some lathering substance and a red cloth, who comes from a good country, and who is skilled in all the arts; 

and by teaching these arts is received in the company of citizens, and in the abode of public women. 

A Vita is a man who has enjoyed the pleasures of fortune, who is a compatriot of the citizens with whom 

he associates, who is possessed of the qualities of a houseliolder, who has his wife with him, and who is 

honoured in the assembly of citizens and in the abodes of public women, and lives on their means and on 

them. A Vidushaka (also called a Vaihasaka, i.e. one who provokes laughter) is a person only acquainted 

with some of the arts, who is a jester, and who is trusted by all. 

These persons are employed in matters of quarrels and reconciliations between citizens and public women. 

This remark applies also to female beggars, to women with their heads shaved, to adulterous women, and to 

public women skilled in all the various arts. 

Thus a citizen living in his town or village, respected by all, should call on the persons of his own caste who 

may be worth knowing. He should converse in company and gratify his friends by his society, and obliging 

others by his assistance in various matters, he should cause them to assist one another in the same way. 

There are some verses on this subject as follows: 

'A citizen discoursing, not entirely in the Sanscrit language, 18 nor wholly in the dialects of the country, on 

various topics in society, obtains great respect. The wise should not resort to a society disliked by the public, 

governed by no rules, and intent on the destruction of others. But a learned man living in a society which acts 

according to the wishes of the people, and which has pleasure for its only object is highly respected in this 

world.

[AnnikaDevi]

ABOUT THE KINDS OF WOMEN RESORTED TO BY THE CITIZENS, AND OF FRIENDS AND 

MESSENGERS

 

When the Kama is practised by men of the four castes according to the rules of the Holy Writ (i.e. by lawful marriage

) with virgins of their own caste, it then becomes a means of acquiring lawful progeny and good 

fame, and it is not also opposed to the customs of the world. On the contrary the practice of Kama with 

women of the higher castes, and with those previously enjoyed by others, even though they be of the same 

caste, is prohibited. But the practice of Kama with women of the lower castes, with women excommunicated 

from their own caste, with public women, and with women twice married, 1 is neither enjoined nor prohibited. 

The object of practising Kama with such women is pleasure only. 

Nayikas, therefore, are of three kinds, viz. maids, women twice married, and public women. Gonikaputra 

has expressed an opinion that there is a fourth kind of Nayika, viz. a woman who is resorted to on some 

special occasion even though she be previously married to another. These special occasions are when a man 

thinks thus: 

This woman is self-willed, and has been previously enjoyed by many others besides myself. I may, therefore, 

safely resort to her as to a public woman though she belongs to a higher caste than mine, and, in so doing, I 

shall not be violating the ordinances of Dharma. 

Or thus: 

This is a twice-married woman and has been enjoyed by others before me; there is, therefore, no objection to 

my resorting to her. 

Or thus: 

This woman has gained the heart of her great and powerful husband, and exercises a mastery over him, who is 

a friend of my enemy; if, therefore, she becomes united with me she will cause her husband to abandon my 

enemy. 

Or thus: 

This woman will turn the mind of her husband, who is very powerful, in my favour, he being at present 

disaffected towards me, and intent on doing me some harm. 

Or thus: 

By making this woman my friend I shall gain the object of some friend of mine, or shall be able to effect the 

ruin of some enemy, or shall accomplish some other difficult purpose. 

Or thus: 

By being united with this woman, I shall kill her husband, and so obtain his vast riches which I covet. 

Or thus: 

The union of this woman with me is not attended with any danger, and will bring me wealth, of which, on 

account of my poverty and inability to support myself, I am very much in need. I shall therefore obtain her 

vast riches in this way without any difficulty. 

Or thus: 

This woman loves me ardently, and knows all my weak points; if therefore, I am unwilling to be united with 

her, she will make my faults public, and thus tarnish my character and reputation. Or she will bring some 

gross accusation against me, of which it may be hard to clear myself, and I shall be ruined. Or perhaps she 

will detach from me her husband who is powerful, and yet under her control, and will unite him to my enemy, 

or will herself join the latter. 

Or thus: 

The husband of this woman has violated the chastity of my wives, I shall therefore return that injury by 

seducing his wives. 

Or thus: 

By the help of this woman I shall kill an enemy of the king, who has taken shelter with her, and whom I am 

ordered by the king to destroy. 

Or thus: 

The woman whom I love is under the control of this woman. I shall, through the influence of the latter, be able 

to get at the former. 

Or thus: 

This woman will bring to me a maid, who possesses wealth and beauty, but who is hard to get at, and under 

the control of another. 

Or lastly thus: 

My enemy is a friend of this woman's husband, I shall therefore cause her to join him, and will thus create an 

enmity between her husband and him. 

For these and similar other reasons the wives of other men may be resorted to, but it must be distinctly 

understood that is only allowed for special reasons, and not for mere carnal desire. 

Charayana thinks that under these circumstances there is also a fifth kind of Nayika, viz. a woman who is kept 

by a minister, or who repairs to him occasionally; or a widow who accomplishes the purpose of a man with 

the person to whom she resorts. 

Suvarnanabha adds that a woman who passes the life of an ascetic and in the condition of a widow may be 

considered as a sixth kind of Nayika. 

Ghotakamukha says that the daughter of a public woman, and a female servant, who are still virgins, form a 

seventh kind of Nayika. 

Gonardiya puts forth his doctrine that any woman born of good family, after she has come of age, is an eighth 

kind of Nayika. 

But these four latter kinds of Nayikas do not differ much from the first four kinds of them, as there is no 

separate object in resorting to them. Therefore, Vatsyayana is of opinion that there are only four kinds of 

Nayikas, i.e. the maid, the twice-married woman, the public woman, and the woman resorted to for a special purpose. 

The following women are not to be enjoyed: 

A leper 

A lunatic 

A woman turned out of caste 

A woman who reveals secrets 

A woman who publicly expresses desire for sexual intercourse 

A woman who is extremely white 

A woman who is extremely black 

A bad-smelling woman 

A woman who is a near relation 

A woman who is a female friend 

A woman who leads the life of an ascetic 

And, lastly the wife of a relation, of a friend, of a learned Brahman, and of the king 

The followers of Babhravya say that any woman who has been enjoyed by five men is a fit and proper person 

to be enjoyed. But Gonikaputra is of opinion that even when this is the case, the wives of a relation, of a 

learned Brahman and of a king should be excepted. 

The following are of the kind of friends: 

One who has played with you in the dust, i.e. in childhood 

One who is bound by an obligation 

One who is of the same disposition and fond of the same things 

One who is a fellow student 

One who is acquainted with your secrets and faults, and whose faults and secrets are also known to you 

One who is a child of your nurse 

One who is brought up with you one who is an hereditary friend 

Charayana says that citizens form friendship with washermen, barbers, cowherds, florists, druggists, betel-leaf 

sellers, tavern keepers, beggars, Pithamardas, Vitas and Vidushekas, as also with the wives of all these people. 

A messenger should possess the following qualities: 

Skilfulness 

Boldness 

Knowledge of the intention of men by their outward signs 

Absence of confusion, i.e. no shyness 

Knowledge of the exact meaning of what others do or say 

Good manners 

Knowledge of appropriate times and places for doing different things 

Ingenuity in business 

Quick comprehension 

Quick application of remedies, i.e. quick and ready resources 

And this part ends with a verse: 

'The man who is ingenious and wise, who is accompanied by a friend, and who knows the intentions of others, 

as also the proper time and place for doing everything, can gain over, very easily, even a woman who is very 

hard to be obtained.'

[AnnikaDevi]

KINDS OF SEXUAL UNION ACCORDING TO DIMENSIONS, FORCE OF DESIRE OR PASSION, 

TIME

 

 

MAN is divided into three classes, viz. the hare man, the bull man, and the horse man, according to the size of his

lingam. 

A woman also, according to the depth of her yoni, is either a female deer, a mare, or a female elephant. 

There are thus three equal unions between persons of corresponding dimensions, and there are six unequal 

unions, when the dimensions do not correspond, or nine in all, as the following table shows: 

Hare 

+ 

Deer 

Hare 

+ 

Mare 

Bull 

+ 

Mare 

Hare 

+ 

Elephant 

Horse 

+ 

Elephant 

Bull 

+ 

Deer 

 

Bull 

+ 

Elephant 

Horse 

+ 

Deer 

Horse 

+ 

Mare 

In these unequal unions, when the male exceeds the female in point of size, his union with a woman who is 

immediately next to him in size is called high union, and is of two kinds; while his union with the woman 

most remote from his size is called the highest union, and is of one kind only. On the other hand, when the 

female exceeds the male in point of size, her union with a man immediately next to her in size is called low 

union, and is of two kinds; while her union with a man most remote from her in size is called the lowest 

union, and is of one kind only. 

In other words, the horse and mare, the bull and deer, form the high union, while the horse and deer form the 

highest union. On the female side, the elephant and bull, the mare and hare, form low unions, while the 

elephant has and the hare make the lowest unions. There are, then, nine kinds of union according to 

dimensions. Amongst all these, equal unions are the best, those of a superlative degree, i.e. the highest and the 

lowest, are the worst, and the rest are middling, and with them the higher ones are better than the low. 

There are also nine kinds of union according to the force of passion or carnal desire, as follows: 

Small 

+ 

Small 

Small 

+ 

Middling 

+ 

Middling 

Middling 

+ 

Small 

Intense 

+ 

Intense 

Intense 

+ 

Middling 

Small 

+ 

Middling 

Intense 

+ 

Intense 

Small 

+ 

Intense 

 

A man is called a man of small passion whose desire at the time of sexual union is not great, whose semen is 

scanty, and who cannot bear the warm embraces of the female. 

Those who differ from this temperament are called men of middling passion, while those of intense passion 

are full of desire. 

In the same way, women are supposed to have the three degrees of feeling as specified above. 

Lastly, according to time there are three kinds of men and women, the short-timed, the moderate-timed, and 

the long-timed; and of these, as in the previous statements, there are nine kinds of union. 

But on this last head there is a difference of opinion about the female, which should be stated. 

Auddalika says, 'Females do not emit as males do. The males simply remove their desire, while the females, 

from their consciousness of desire, feel a certain kind of pleasure, which gives them satisfaction, but it is 

impossible for them to tell you what kind of pleasure they feel. The fact from which this becomes evident is, 

that males, when engaged in coition, cease of themselves after emission, and are satisfied, but it is not so with 

females.' 

This opinion is however objected to on the grounds that, if a male be a long-timed, the female loves him the 

more, but if he be short-timed, she is dissatisfied with him. And this circumstance, some say, would prove that 

the female emits also. 

But this opinion does not hold good, for if it takes a long time to allay a woman's desire, and during this time 

she is enjoying great pleasure, it is quite natural then that she should wish for its continuation. And on this 

subject there is a verse as follows: 

'By union with men the lust, desire, or passion of women is satisfied, and the pleasure derived from the 

consciousness of it is called their satisfaction.' 

The followers of Babhravya, however, say that the semen of women continues to fall from the beginning of 

the sexual union to its end, and it is right that it should be so, for if they had no semen there would be no 

embryo. 

To this there is an objection. In the beginning of coition the passion of the woman is middling, and she cannot 

bear the vigorous thrusts of her lover, but by degrees her passion increases until she ceases to think about her 

body, and then finally she wishes to stop from further coition. 

This objection, however, does not hold good, for even in ordinary things that revolve with great force, such as 

a potter's wheel, or a top, we find that the motion at first is slow, but by degrees it becomes very rapid. In the 

same way the passion of the woman having gradually increased, she has a desire to discontinue coition, when 

all the semen has fallen away. And there is a verse with regard to this as follows: 

'The fall of the semen of the man takes place only at the end of coition, while the semen of the woman falls 

continually, and after the semen of both has all fallen away then they wish for the discontinuance of coition.' 2 

Lastly, Vatsyayana is of opinion that the semen of the female falls in the same way as that of the male. 

Now some may ask here: If men and women are beings of the same kind, and are engaged in bringing about 

the same results, why should they have different works to do? 

Vatsya says that this is so, because the ways of working as well as the consciousness of pleasure in men and 

women are different. The difference in the ways of working, by which men are the actors, and women are the 

persons acted upon, is owing to the nature of the male and the female, otherwise the actor would be 

sometimes the person acted upon, and vice versa. And from this difference in the ways of working follows the 

difference in the consciousness of pleasure, for a man thinks, 'this woman is united with me', and a woman 

thinks, 'I am united with this man'. 

It may be said that, if the ways of working in men and women are different, why should not there be a 

difference, even in the pleasure they feel, and which is the result of those ways. 

But this objection is groundless, for, the person acting and the person acted upon being of different kinds, 

there is a reason for the difference in their ways of working; but there is no reason for any difference in the 

pleasure they feel, because they both naturally derive pleasure from the act they perform. 

On this again some may say that when different persons are engaged in doing the same work, we find that 

they accomplish the same end or purpose; while, on the contrary, in the case of men and women we find that 

each of them accomplishes his or her own end separately, and this is inconsistent. But this is a mistake, for we 

find that sometimes two things are done at the same time, as for instance in the fighting of rams, both the rams 

receive the shock at the same time on their heads. Again, in throwing one wood apple against another, and 

also in a fight or struggle of wrestlers. If it be said that in these cases the things employed are of the same 

kind, it is answered that even in the case of men and women, the nature of the two persons is the same. And as 

the difference in their ways of working arises from the difference of their conformation only, it follows that 

men experience the same kind of pleasure as women do. 

There is also a verse on this subject as follows: 

'Men and women, being of the same nature, feel the same kind of pleasure, and therefore a man should marry 

such a woman as will love him ever afterwards.' 

The pleasure of men and women being thus proved to be of the same kind, it follows that, in regard to time, 

there are nine kinds of sexual intercourse, in the same way as there are nine kinds, according to the force of 

passion. 

There being thus nine kinds of union with regard to dimensions, force of passion, and time, respectively, by 

making combinations of them, innumerable kinds of union would be produced. Therefore in each particular 

kind of sexual union, men should use such means as they may think suitable for the occasion. 4 

At the first time of sexual union the passion of the male is intense, and his time is short, but in subsequent 

unions on the same day the reverse of this is the case. With the female, however, it is the contrary, for at the 

first time her passion is weak, and then her time long, but on subsequent occasions on the same day, her 

passion is intense and her time short, until her passion is satisfied. 

On the different Kind of Love 

Men learned in the humanities are of opinion that love is of four kinds: 

Love acquired by continual habit 

Love resulting from the imagination 

Love resulting from belief 

Love resulting from the perception of external objects 

Love resulting from the constant and continual performance of some act is called love acquired by constant 

practice and habit, as for instance the love of sexual intercourse, the love of hunting, the love of drinking, the 

love of gambling, etc., etc. 

Love which is felt for things to which we are not habituated, and which proceeds entirely from ideas, is called 

love resulting from imagination, as for instance that love which some men and women and eunuchs feel for 

the Auparishtaka or mouth congress, and that which is felt by all for such things as embracing, kissing, etc., 

etc. 

The love which is mutual on both sides, and proved to be true, when each looks upon the other as his or her 

very own, such is called love resulting from belief by the learned. 

The love resulting from the perception of external objects is quite evident and well known to the world. 

because the pleasure which it affords is superior to the pleasure of the other kinds of love, which exists only 

for its sake. 

What has been said in this chapter upon the subject of sexual union is sufficient for the learned; but for the 

edification of the ignorant, the same will now be treated of at length and in detail.

 

 

The 3 types of women according to the Kamasutra

 

The Kamasutra classified women into three types which gives the names of animals, Female deer(DOE), elephant woman and horsewoman(MARE).

 

The deer would be one woman whose vagina (yoni) is about 6 fingers deep; remember that these are measures of the time. Physically the woman doe has a delicate, childish features, small head, dark eyes, thick curly hair. According to the Kamasutra, a woman has such thick legs, especially thighs and arms rounded. As a personality trait emphasized that women doe is affectionate but jealous.

 

Women mare or horsewoman has a depth of 9 vaginal fingers, the Kamasutra describes her physical appearance has highlighted that wide hips, big breasts and thick arms.

This kind of woman loves food and is very sleepy but be very affectionate with men.

 

The elephant woman has a vagina that measures 12 fingers deep, the Kamasutra is described as a black-haired woman with plump cheeks, thick lips, nose and long ears and thick. This kind of woman would be short arms with hands and feet round or approximate to that form. In this case, it highlights that women elephant would have trouble achieving orgasm.

 

 

 

The three types of Kamasutra men 

 

* Hare Man, in this type of man’s penis the erection would be about 6 fingers (measured at the time) and corresponds to a person of short stature, thighs, knees, feet and hands small but provided with the rest of the body. According to the Kamasutra hare, man would have a rounded face with large eyes and small teeth. The personality would be that of a man who acts calmly and moderately but in the background is very ambitious.

 

* The bull-man, the penis in erection as measured is 9 fingers and the Kama Sutra is a big man, robust wide chest and abdomen flat. The face would stand out a broad forehead and large eyes. Bull man’s personality is characterized by anxiety, irritability and a violent temper.

 

* The horseman, the erect penis would have a measure of 12 fingers, according to Kamasutra physically be tall, athletic, muscular, hands and feet long and big teeth. The man’s personality would be a passionate but lazy horse; women who attract this type are those of large and robust.

[AnnikaDevi]

You know what? You remind me someone... Better use a fax next time.

There is a reason behind it. KAMASUTRA is written by a MALE author, so it feels like a MALE DOMINATED book, and yes it is true. The era when VATSAYANA lived around 2nd century BC, please don't confuse him with Pakṣilasvāmin Vātsyāyana, the author of Nyāya Sutra Bhāshya. It is believed that he must have lived between the 1st and 6th century AD, on the following grounds: He mentions that Satakarni Satavahana, a king of Kuntal, killed Malayevati his wife with an instrument called Katamari by striking her in the passion of love. Vatsyayana quotes this case to warn people of the danger arising from some old customs of striking women when under the influence of sexual passion. This king of Kuntal is believed to have lived and reigned during the 1st century AD, and consequently, Vatsyayana must have lived after him. On the other hand, another author, Varahamihira, in the eighteenth chapter of his "Brihatsanhita", discusses the science of love and appears to have borrowed largely from Vatsyayana on the subject. Varahamihira is believed to have lived during the 6th century, and therefore Vatsyayana must have written his works before the 6th century. People in those days were tribals, they were following old customs related to sex, VATSAYANA tried to change it. He tried to modernise it. 

Women in those days hardly wore clothes and roamed about virtually naked and it was acceptable in those days, there were no laws and regulations in place as were today. They followed the VEDAS as the only book for guidance. So SEX was a wild thing, there were no well chalked for these men & women to guide them how to do SEX. To educate them and make SEX interesting for the people VATSAYANA had to explain it in minute details so that TRIBAL people could grasp what he wanted to say, especially men. Why men? Why not women? The reason is VEDAS give high importance to GODS and all GODS are men so women were not much of an importance, which can be very well seen when you read the above posts. Only prostitutes were given importance because they were loved and admired by MEN, so these girls made it to the pages of Kamasutra. 

 

Some sculptures depicting WOMEN in the 2nd CENTURY INDIA when KAMASUTRA was written