Kama Sutra 101

We navigate the bountiful selection of Kama Sutra books to find the best.

by Sarika Dani

From the “biting of a boar” and the “splitting of a bamboo” to advice on being a good spouse (and citizen), there’s a lot to learn from the Kama Sutra. Loosely translated as “love aphorisms,” this classic manual was written in Sanskrit between the first and sixth centuries A.D. by Indian nobleman and scholar Vatsyayana.

Anyone can publish a translation, so editions abound. But as with any tool, you need to select the right one for the job: Read on to see which version of this ancient text will perform best on your bedside table.

Love Ph.D.
The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text
Translated by Alain Daniélou/Inner Traditions $19.95 (paperback)

This comprehensive and academic translation elegantly preserves the Kama Sutra as literature and closely follows Vatsyayana’s original work. Devoid of pictures, it requires a vivid imagination—and your partner will have to believe that you bought it for the “articles.”

The Bare Essentials
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to The Kama Sutra (2nd Edition)

By Johanina Wikoff, Ph.D. and Deborah S. Romaine/Alpha $18.95 (paperback)

 
 
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  • 1 Anonymous // May 17, 2006 at 6:25 pm

    The Kama Sutra stands up (pun intended) to anything written today on the subject of sex. Not only does it detail what we think it should, sex positions, it provides detailed descriptions of everything from courting techniques to aphrodisiacs, when, why and how to leave a ‘love mark’, the ‘64′ Arts all cultured folks should know, the ‘64′ love-arts all cultured folks should know and a whole lot more.
    The Kama (Pleasure) Sutra (short aphorisms) was meant to be interpreted by an experienced aunt, mom, sister, or confidant for every elegable young woman in the ancient Indian world. If this had been something that continued today our world as ;we know it would be radically different. I still hold out hope!
    And, ther’s a much bigger selection of Kama Sutra books at: www.tantra.com
    Suzie

 
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