Kama Sutra

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Kama Sutra, originally Kamasutram, is a Hindu text written on human sexual behavior written by Vatsyayana. It is thought to have been written sometime during the 4th century AD. It is based on the tradition of Kama Shastra, meaning the science of love.

Kama can easily be translated to mean desire, while Sutra denotes thread, or a discussion on a series of aphorisms. Interestingly enough, it is said that Vatsyayana was supposedly celibate.

The Kama Sutra is composed of 35 chapters and is organized into seven different sections. The introduction takes up four chapters and is about the classifications of a women and love in general. Ten chapters are devoted to discussions on kissing, foreplay, oral sex (fellatio), paraphilia, anal sex, ménage à trois, and a complete list of sexual positions. Many people are under the assumption that the Kama Sutra is only about sexual activities and sexual positions, but only about 20% of the boo it outlining sexual positions. It also details courtship, marriage, and the proper conduct and ways of a wife. There are six chapters that detail seduction and two more on ways of attracting other individuals.

The Kama Sutra provides many unique sexual positions, 64 total. These are known as the 64 Arts. Making love is thought of as an art and is described as a "divine union". Vatsyayana believed that sex wasn’t wrong, but those who did it frivolously were sinning. Today the Kama Sutra is viewed as a guide to sexual enjoyment and can help people have a deeper level of sexual enjoyment.

In 1883, Richard Francis Burton translated the Kama Sutra into English, but there was a lot of content left out. Many of the positions, especially ones where the woman is dominant, were edited due to Victorian morals and values. His translation was still banned even with the editing.