Wednesday, June 4, 2008
About Kama Sutra and Arts
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:
1) Singing
2) Playing on musical instruments
3)Dancing
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:
1) Singing
2) Playing on musical instruments
3)Dancing
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