I mean the book, the genuine one from India.


(That's what I've been given for my birthday, a really beautiful present)

MarySharon said:

Yeah, i do. English translation, of course.

It's descriptions are sometimes very amusing. One called, "The sucking of the mango fruit".

I wrote it. So any female snakes around that want to learn the art come on over for some hissing and maybe I just might spit

Oh, and there's a fairly lengthy section given over to eunuchs.

You'll love it. It wasn't at all what i was expecting.

TheFrog said:

How poetic!

kobra said:

I rewrote it in half as many words!

I own Palma Sutra, the palm pilot version of the book.

at all the awful puns on this thread!

Natsume said:

I think they're great!

Lucky girl

MarySharon said:

Is there still stuff in this book that isnt widely
known by today since it was written so log ago?

who needs the book

i have an english translation. it's interesting reading, very detailed and quite instructive, with pictures too.

kobra said:

I have a translation and it's not what you think at all.

Firstly, it's an ancient religous text so any version with pictures is just publishers trying to spice it up.

Secondly, it's more about how to behave, social ettiqute for courting/marriage/etc. There's a lot in about how to organise a marrige, the correct way to approach a girl and the correct way to beat her (yes, when I saw it had a chapter on blows, I got the shock of my life when I read it). It has a chapter on sneaking into the kings' harem (useful if you live near a famous sportsman) and, yes, a little bit about sex.

It's only references to fellatio is as something male hairdressers perform on young men. Cunnilingus gets a vague mention but it says "if a couple do this, are they really a couple?".

It's a fascinating insite into an ancient culture but if you're looking for practical sex advice, you're far better off orgnoting Althom.

daned said:

Mine don't got pictures, and it sounds very similar - weighty book filled with cultural rules. But mine has got more shit on sex - scattered across various chapters. It does describe ways in which to please your partner, and is quite ritualistic.

Sort of "when it appears to her that he is tiring, lo she shall conquest him and accede to the upright position. Upon this occurence, he should beat her breast with slender fingers saying, "lo, I was tiring and so you have acceded to the upright position!"".

I mean it doesn't say that verbatim, but along those lines.

daned said:

co sign!

daned said:

oh, althoooom!!!

MarySharon said:

Another fascinating and scandalous book from the past is "At The Court Of The Borgia". It's an account of the reign of Pope Alexander VI written by his Master of Ceremonies, Johann Burchard. Even though it's written by someone close to Alexander, it's still quite an eye opener!

no, let me clarify, my edition has pictures of the centuries-old erotic carvings

from: http://www.ksutra.biz/

Ka·ma·su·tra
A Sanskrit treatise setting forth rules for sensuous and sensual pleasure, love, and marriage in accordance with Hindu law.


The Kama Sutra is the oldest extant Hindu textbook of erotic love. Kama Sutra is about the art of living - about finding a partner, maintaining power in a marriage, committing adultery, living as or with a courtesan, and also about the positions (well known as Kama Sutra Positions) in sexual intercourse. Kama Sutra was composed in Sanskrit, the literary language of ancient India, sometime in the 3rd century of the common era, probably in North India.

The Kama Sutra showcases the marriage of the spiritual and the sensual, which stems from the Indian belief that the body is as sacred as the spirit.

An important meaning of Kama (kaa-ma, from Sanskrit) is sensuous love, or an emotional feeling of attachment. In ancient Indian thought, it is recognized as the stimulus of action and personified as the god of erotic love (Kama-deva). In the Gita, as in Buddhism, it is the source of attachment to the world and the great impediment to spiritual freedom. For lack of a better word in English, it is better to use term "erotica" to represent Kama, although erotica may essentially connote arousal. Sutra (soo-tra, from Sanskrit) stands for 'formula'. So Kama Sutra is actully lessions or formulas of better love making.

Two thousand years ago, sage Vatsayana wrote his landmark manuscript, the Kama Sutra (erotic codes). One thousand years later, the Chandella kings (950-1050 A.D.) built one of the finest groups of temples in India, depicting Kama Sutra's erotic positions, at their capital Khajuraho. About five centuries later, king Kallarasa of Karnataka wrote an important treatise on the subject, "Janavashya" (1450 A.D.) in Kannada language. In today's fast changing world, the values and sanctity attached to erotica and eroticism have also changed. Therefore, it has become necessary to re-evaluate the Erotic Arts of India in their true perspective.

Numerous writers, both Indian and foreign, have published their works on eroticism, mostly to feed the curiosity of westerners.

To appreciate the erotic arts of India, one must understand the role of sex in the scheme of things according to Hinduism. Hinduism is a way of life according to prescribed codes. Every Hindu has to undergo sixteen dignitary rituals (samskara) and four stages of life (ashramas). The final aim of life is salvation, which is the merging of the individual soul (atma) with the supreme soul (param-atma). One can attain salvation (Moksha) through Dharma, Artha and Kama (Religion, wealth and sex). The ancient Indians took a healthy, integrated view of all aspects of life and gave sex its due importance in the overall picture. The pursuit of pleasure (kama) is one of the important aims of life, on the path to deliverance.

Figures of loving couples (mithuna) in various art forms ( Kama Sutra Positions ) can be found in the very early periods of Indian civilization. This Kama Sutra theme has been depicted consistently for thousands of years throughout India. Such sculpture can be found on the shrines of Buddhist, Jain, Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakti, and also other cults, which proves its trans-religious nature. Mithuna (intercourse process) is like any other life process and hence no taboo or inhibitions are attached to it. The worship of genitalia has been prevalent for centuries and it is considered a part and parcel of Hindu worship

Due to their delicate nature of Kama Sutra, only a few paintings survived the onslaught of time and climatic hazards. The Narasimha Swamy temple of Sibi has such rare wall paintings of Kama Sutra. In the last century, the kings of Mysore brought out some books of great importance, which are profusely illustrated with erotic art of Kama Sutra. Ancient books such as "Sougandhikaparinaya" and "Shritatwanidhi" contain illustrations, which are indirect and suggestive, and yet very modest. Indian miniatures such as Basholi, Kangra and Rajasthani styles have produced innumerable erotic paintings to cater to their rich clientele.
The sculptural wealth has remained intact for centuries in spite of vandalism and mutilation by religious fanatics. The erotic sculptures of Kahjuraho (in Madhya Pradesh) and Bhubaneshwar (Orissa) have been widely publicized, while others are almost unknown. In Karnataka State alone, there are a large number of such temples and sculptures, which will be studied individually for Kama Sutra.
[This message was edited Tue Apr 20 10:57:16 2004 by XxAxX]

Yes!!

MrSoundMan said:

I have the Cliff Note edition!

althom said:

That's for premature ejaculators, right?

2the9s said:

Why? Do you need it?

I once gave a rather nice copy to a boyfriend on valentines day. Unfortunately, he wasn't very literate.

PanthaGirl said:

You have it ? cool cool heheh woohooo! ( @ Panthagirl...)