Thus ends the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana, which might otherwise be called a treatise on men and women, their mutual relationship, and connection with each other. It is a work that should be studied by all; both old and young; the former will find in it real truths, gathered by experience, and already tested by themselves, while the latter will derive the great advantage of learning things, which some perhaps may otherwise never learn at all, or which they may only learn when it is too late to profit by the learning.

It can also be fairly commended to the student of social science and of humanity, and above all to the student of those early ideas, which have gradually filtered down through the sands…

When a woman has to choose between two lovers, one of whom was formerly united with her, while the other is a stranger, the Acharyas (sages) are of the view that the first one is preferable, because his disposition and character being already known by previous careful observation, he can be easily pleased and satisfied; but Vatsyayana thinks that a former lover, having already spent a great deal of his wealth, is not able or willing to give much money again, and is not therefore to be relied upon so much as a stranger. Particular cases may however arise, differing from this general rule on account of the different natures of men.

There are also verses on the subject…

A woman should always know the state of the mind, of the feelings, and of the disposition of her lover towards her, from the changes of his temper, his manner, and the color of his face.

The behavior of a waning lover is as follows: he gives the woman either less than is wanted, or something else than that which is asked for; he keeps her in hopes by promises; he pretends to do one thing, and does something else; he does not fulfill her desires; he forgets his promises, or does something else than that which he has promised; he speaks in private with the attendants of a woman with whom he was formerly acquainted.

Now when…

Money is got out of a lover in two ways visibly natural or lawful means, and by artifices. Old authors are of the view that when a courtesan can get as much money as she wants from her lover, she should not make use of artifice. But Vatsyayana lays down that though she may get some money from him by natural means, yet when she makes use of artifice he gives her doubly more, and therefore artifice should be resorted to for the purpose of extorting money from him at all events.

Now the artifices to be used for getting money from her lover are as follows: taking money from him on different occasions, for the purpose of purchasing various…

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 looks 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…

By having intercourse with men courtesans obtain sexual pleasure, as well as their own maintenance. Now 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 later case, however, she should conduct herself as if her love were indeed natural, because men repose their confidence in 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…

A poor man possessed of good qualities, a man born of a low family possessed of mediocre qualities, a neighbor possessed of wealth, and one under the control of his father, mother or brothers, should not marry without endeavoring to gain over the girl from her childhood, to love and esteem them. Thus a boy separated from his parents, and living in the house of his uncle, should try to gain over the daughter of his uncle, or some other girl, even though she be previously betrothed to another. And this way of gaining over a girl, says Ghotakamukha, is unexpectional, because Dharma can be accomplished by means of it, as well as any other way…

The causes of re-marrying during the lifetime of the wife are as follows: the folly or ill temper of the wife; her husband’s dislike of her; the want of offspring; the continual birth of daughters; the incontinence of the husband.

From the very beginning, a wife should endeavor to attract the heart of her husband by showing to him continually her devotion, her good temper, and her wisdom. If however, she bears him no children, she should herself tell her husband to marry another woman. And when the second wife is married, and brought to the house, the wife should give her a position superior to her own, and look upon her as a sister.

In the morning, the elder wife should forcibly make the younger…

A virtuous woman, who has affection for her husband, should act in conformity with his wishes as if he were a divine being, and with his consent should take upon herself the whole care of his family. She should keep the whole house well cleaned, and arrange flowers of various kinds in different parts of it, and make the floor smooth and polished so as to give the whole a neat and becoming appearance.
She should surround the house with a garden, and place ready in it all the materials required for the morning, noon and evening sacrifices. Moreover, she hold gods, for says Gonardiya, ‘Nothing so much attracts the heart of a householder to his wife as a careful observance of the things mentioned above.’

Towards…

For the first three days after marriage, the girl and her husband should sleep on the floor, abstain from sexual pleasures, and at their food without seasoning it either with alkali or salt. For the next seven days they should bathe amidst the sounds of auspicious musical instruments, should decorate themselves, dine together and pay attention to their relations as well as to those who may have come to witness their marriage. This is applicable to persons of all castes. On the night of the tenth day, the man should begin in a lonely place with soft words, and thus create confidence in the girl.

Some authors say that for the purpose of winning her over, he should not speak to her for three days, but…

When a girl of the same caste and a virgin is married in accordance with the precepts of the Holy Writ, the results of such a union are: the acquisition of Dharma and Artha, offspring, affinity, increase of friends, and untarnished love. For this reason a man should fix his affection upon a girl who is of good family, whose parents are alive, and who is three years or more young than himself.

She should be born of a highly respectable family, possessed of wealth, well connected, and with many relations and friends. She should also be beautiful, of a good disposition, with lucky marks on her body, and with good hair, nails, teeth, ears, eyes, and breasts neither more nor less than they ought to be, and no on of them entirely wanting,…

The women of the royal harem cannot see or meet any men on account of their being strictly guarded, neither do they have their desires satisfied, because their only husband is common to many wives. For this reason, among themselves, they give pleasure to each other in various ways as now described. Having dressed the daughters of their nurses, or their female friends, or their female attendants, like men, they accomplish their object by means of bulbs, roots, and fruits having the form of the lingam, or they lie down upon the statue of a male figure, in which the lingam is visible and erect.

Some kings, who are compassionate, take or apply certain medicines, to enable them…

When a girl cannot meet her lover frequently in private, she should send the daughter of her nurse to him, it being understood that she has confidence in her, and had previously gained her over to her interests.  On seeing the man, the daughter of the nurse should, in the course of conversation, describe to him the noble birth, the good disposition, the beauty, talent, skill, knowledge of human nature and affection of the girl in such a way as not to let him suppose that she had been sent by the girl, and should thus create affection for the girl in the heart of the man.

To the girl also, she should speak about the excellent qualities of the man, especially of those qualities that she knows…

If a girl begins to show her love by outward signs and motions, the lover should try to gain her over entirely by various ways and means, such as the following: When engaged with her in any game or sport, he should intentionally hold her hand.  He should practice upon her the various kinds of embraces, such as the touching embrace, and others already described in a preceding chapter.  He should show her a pair of human beings cut out of the leaf of a tree, and such like things, at intervals.  When engaged in water sports, he should dive at a distance from her, and come up close to her.

He should show an increased liking for the new foliage of trees and such like things. …

Ancient authors are of the opinion that girls are not so easily seduced by employing female messengers as by the efforts of the man himself, but that the wives of others are more easily got at by the aid of female messengers than by the personal efforts of the man.  But Vatsyayana lays it down that whenever it is possible, a man should always act himself in these matters, and it is only when such is impracticable, or impossible, that female messengers should be employed.

As for the saying that women who act and talk boldly and freely are to be won by the personal efforts of the man, and that women who do not possess those qualities are to be got at by female messengers,…

When a man is trying to gain over a woman, he should examine the state of her mind, and act as follows.  If she listens to him, but does not manifest to him in any way her own intentions, he should then try to gain her over by means of a go-between.  If she meets him once, and again comes to meet him better dressed than before, or comes to him in some lonely place, he should be certain that she is capable of being enjoyed by the use of a little force.

A woman who lets a man make up to her, but does not give herself up, even after a long time, should be considered as a trifler in love, but owing…

This part of the Kama Shastra, which treats of sexual union, is called ‘Sixty-four’, Chatushshashti. Some old authors say that it is called so, because it contains sixty-four chapters. Others are of opinion that the author of this part being a person named Panchala, and the person who recited the part of the Rig Veda called Dashatapa, which contains sixty-four verses, being also called Panchala, the name ‘sixty-four’ has been given to the part of the work in honour of the Rig Vedas.

The followers of Babhravya say on the other hand that this part contains eight subjects, viz. The embrace, kissing, scratching with the nails or fingers, biting, lying down, making various sounds, playing the part of the man, and the Auparishtaka or mouth congress.

Each…

When Kama is practiced 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, is neither enjoined nor prohibited.  The object of practicing Kama with such women is…

A man may resort to the wife of another, for the purpose of saving his own life, when he perceives that his love for her proceeds from one degree of intensity to another.  These degrees are ten in number, and are distinguished by the following marks: love of the eye; attachment of the mind; constant reflection, destruction of sleep; emaciation of the body; turning away from objects of enjoyment; removal of shame; madness; fainting; death.

Ancient authors say that a man should know the disposition, truthfulness, purity and will of a young woman, as also the intensity or weakness of her passions, from the form of her body, and from her characteristic marks and sighs.  But Vatsyayana is of the view that the forms of…

If a man is unable to satisfy a Hastini, or elephant woman, he should have recourse to various means to excite her passion. At the commencement he should rub her yoni with his hand or fingers, and not begin to have intercourse with her until she becomes excited or experiences pleasure. This is one way of exciting a woman. Or, he may make use of certain Apadravyas, or things that are put on or around the lingam to supplement its length or its thickness, so as to fit it to the yoni.

In the opinion of Babhravya, these Apadravyas should be made of gold, silver, copper, iron, ivory, buffalo’s horn, various kinds of woods, tin or lead, and should be soft, cool, provocative of sexual vigour, and well fitted to…