“The Non Human Carbon” in relationship between Man and Woman: A Study of Vatshyana’s ‘Kama Sutra’ Vātsyāyana is the name of a Hindu philosopher in the Vedic tradition who

is believed to have lived around 3rd century  in India. His name appears

as the author of the Kama Sutra and of Nyāya Sutra Bhāshya, the first

commentary on Gotama's Nyāya Sutras.His name is sometimes confused with

Mallanaga, the prophet of the Asuras, to whom the origin of erotic science

is attributed. This is an error; as Daniélou saysThe attribution of thefirst name Mallanaga to Vatsyayana is due to the confusion of his role as

editor of the Kama Sutra with that of the mythical creator of erotic

science. His interest in human sexual behavior as a medium of attaining

spirituality was recorded in his treatise Kama Sutra.

Many people have heard about the Kama sutra, but generally the ideas

that circulate are rather distorted, vague and confused by ignorance

and prejudice. Such prejudice is mostly due to the cultural

superimposition of layers of prude bigotry and self-righteous moralism

brought by iconoclastic Islamic dominators frist and by Victorian

British Christians later.

Enforced by the abrahamic invaders, the wholesale condemnation of the

intrinsic beauty and joy of the natural form and activities of the

body, effectively destroyed the Vedic expressions of beauty and joy,

or covered them with the thick plaster of shame. And that’s not simply

a manner of speaking: the plaster physically obliterated many artistic

masterpieces of sculpture, as for example those that used to decorate

the temple of Jagannatha at Puri. Millions of Deities and decorative

images were defaced, broken or destroyed, and many thousands of

temples completely razed to the ground.

Especially in north India, even the dismantled masonry was removed and

utilized to build minarets, mosques and other buildings, even

transporting them over long distances.

This is why it is so difficult to find really ancient temples built

and decorated in Vedic style. With time, these alien influences seeped

into Indian culture and created that layered and often contradictory

result that is now presented as Indian culture – with an increasing

emphasis on the non-Vedic concepts.

Unfortunately the general lack of proper understanding and information

has created a negative impression in the minds of Indian people,

including those who consider themselves Hindus, because they can’t be

bothered with actually reading their own original texts and

discovering their inherent value. Many Hindus consider the Kamasutra an

“obscene book”, and some even go as far as denying its respectability

as a Vedic scripture. By reading it attentively we will find out that

the main topic is not sex in itself – which constitutes only a part of

the subject – but rather the quality of life in general, and how to

establish oneself on the level of sattva or goodness in a successful

material and spiritual life.

The comparison between the Hindu/ Vedic values of life and the ancient

heathen world of pre-Christian Europe is actually not a negative one,

because both these cultures were deeply respectful of Mother Nature in

all her manifestations – the beauty of all things in the universe,

including earth, water, intelligence, consciousness, one’s body,

women, children, and the natural and healthy pleasures of life. For

people who have been heavily brainwashed by abrahamic system of

schooling, biased media and deliberate social pressure, it is

extremely difficult to actually understand Nature, because the deeply

ingrained abrahamic prejudices seep into the subconscious mind, become

the general and only existing norm, and are even mistaken for basic

tenets of “the age old native Tradition”. The technical term defining

these prejudiced and ignorant paradigms is laukika sraddha or “popular

belief”, devoid of factual value because it is opposed to shastra

pramana, or authoritative scriptural foundation.

Another problematic factor consists in the distortion of the concept

of “authority”, especially in the religious field. As people are

discouraged from using their God-given intelligence, and blackmailed

into blind acceptance of whatever the “priest”, “imam” or “pope” says,

this alien attitude is also carried into the field of Hinduism, and

anyone who can get a good political position in a religious

organization is automatically accepted by the mass as a religious

authority, even if what he teaches is the exact opposite of what all

the shastras proclaim.

The situation created by this widespread ignorance and degradation has

become so seriously damaging, that its effects are showcased by ill-

motivated propagandists as the worst “social evils created by

Hinduism” – mistreatment of women, child marriage, arranged forced

marriage, casteism, racism, superstition as opposed to verifiable

scientific knowledge, cruelty to animals, corruption, etc.

In a sort of blind knee-jerk reaction, some Hindu activists

unwittingly endorse such destructive ideas, instead of actually

investing time and effort in studying the original texts and

understanding how they can be applied successfully to our contemporary

world to solve practically all the problems we are facing.

It can confidently be said that the common root of all our problems

today is the lack of knowledge, understanding and respect of the basic

nature of our body and mind,  and the faulty approach in the

relationships with other people – human and not human – and with

Nature herself. All this can be easily solved by applying the Vedic

perspective, as it reconciles and harmonizes the material and

spiritual aspects of life, healing the inner conflict inevitably

created by the diseased abrahamic ideologies that condemn matter in

order to venerate spirit. The Kama shastra is a perfect example of this

happy, healthy and natural balance.

The study starts by carefully explaining about the four religious

purposes of life: dharma (ethical behavior, virtue and

duty), artha (acquisition of valuable things), kama (sense

gratification) andmoksha (liberation from material identifications and

attachments). It is said that human life starts with religion –

religion is what distinguishes us from animals. Mere survival is

common to all species of life. Animals, too, engage in the basic and

instinctive activities of eating, sleeping, defending themselves,

mating and raising a family, and having a social life. Then again, we

need to clarify the idea of “religion”, because it has become rather

confused and distorted by the artificial imposition of dogmatic

ideologies, to the point that many Hindus feel offended when someone

says that Hinduism is a religion.

The word religion derives from the Latin religare, “to connect”, indicating

the relationship that connects the individual with the rest of the

universe – in other words, the meaning and purpose of human life.

So we can safely say that human life starts when one asks about its

meaning and purpose, and becomes engaged in the process of evolution.

A human being, and most notably a civilized human being (defined in

Sanskrit as arya) is expected to rise above the merely instinctive

level and acquire material and spiritual knowledge, by which complete

success can be achieved because the meaning and purpose of life is

fully understood and appreciated. This is why the Vedic gurukula system

starts the theoretical and practical education and training of

children with the scientific study of dharma, followed byartha,

kama and moksha, each used as an instrument for the individual

evolution and the progress of society. Without being properly trained

in such knowledge, human beings tend to proceed blindly and

empirically, and often end up creating many unnecessary problems for

themselves and for others.

like instinctively trying to obtain sense gratification through food

and sex, but if they do not know how life works, they will inevitably

face health problems (both physically and mentally) and difficulties

in personal relationships, and the pleasures they attain will be

limited and ineffective.

In complete harmony with all the other Vedic scriptures, the Kama

shastra declare that the purpose of human life consists in pursuing the

four main values (purusha arthas): dharma, artha, kama andmoksha, as

subsequent stages of personal evolution and self-realization that will

ultimately lead to the transcendental level of complete freedom and

unconditioned happiness. In this regard, we need to notice that sense

gratification comes in third position, after the cultivation of a

sattvic character and the attainment of a good material prosperity.

Built on these solid and clean sattvic foundations, sensual pleasure

becomes not only legitimate (and free from guilt) but even divine,

as Bhagavad gita itself declares (7.11): dharmaviruddho bhuteshu kamo ‘smi

bharatarshabha, “In all beings/ states of existence, I am sense

gratification that is not contrary to dharma“.So, in order

to religiously enjoy sense gratification, we must understand how it

can be based ondharma. Due to cultural superimposition, some Hindus

embraced the abrahamic idea that the only way for man to sanctify

sense gratification is to have the minimum sexual intercourse required

to produce a child within the conventional socially and legally

recognized sacrament of marriage. According to the same belief

structure, only the husband is supposed to enjoy the sexual act, as

the man (identified with the male principle) is the enjoyer and the

woman (identified with the female principle) is the enjoyed.

Similarly, the man is supposed to be the dominator, and the woman is

supposed to be the dominated – a sort of breeding sex machine that

should not feel any pleasure in order to be considered socially

acceptable. To understand where Indians got this idea, we just need to

notice the English expression “animal husbandry”. Although the idea of

socially recognized conventional marriage to produce qualified

offspring is indeed a part of the Vedic scenario (as the prajapatya

vivaha), it is certainly not the only form of legitimate sensual

pleasure contemplated by the Vedic system. To better understand this

point, we need to deeply analyze the Gita verse we quoted above,

specifically the concept that divine sense gratification is

characterized by respect towards dharma. This Sanskrit word dharma,

derived from the root dhr, “to sustain”, is often mistranslated as

“religion” in the western/ abrahamic sense, but actually has much

deeper and vaster meanings and refers not to some external imposition

of rules and allegiances and beliefs, but to knowledge of the inherent

fundamental nature of the being and the full development of its

potential. Dharma is the religious duty in the sense that dharmic

choices sustain and foster the evolution and prosperity of the

individual and the society as well. What is this fundamental nature of

the being? What is the duty implied in such nature? Simply the eternal

and universal ethical principles that popular wisdom usually calls

“conscience”, that is naturally present in any human being that has

not been seriously damaged by dogmatic brainwashing.

The fundamental applications of these universal and eternal (sanatana)

principles are truthfulness (or honesty), compassion (or love),

cleanliness (or purity), self control (or balance), courage, tolerance

and patience, application of intelligence, search for knowledge, and

detachment from anger. These are the principles that must not be

violated in the pursuance of sensual gratification. There is no

mention of social conventions, legal certifications, dogmas or fatwas,

hereditary rights or similar rules and regulations. So, as long as sex

is not based on physical or psychological violence, on betrayal or

hypocrisy, on some type of psychological or physical perversion, or on

mere animal lust, it is considered legitimate from the moral point of

view, and when it is supported by the proper consciousness, it is even

desirable as a religious practice or meditation. For a person who has

properly understood the theory and practice of dharma, the second

purpose of human life is artha – meaning acquisition of “what is

valuable”.

Generally this is understood as economic development, but we should

remember that Vedic civilization has a deeper and healthier mentality

than what we see in contemporary globalized societies based on

consumerism. Vedic society does not encourage the unlimited

accumulation of gold and properties that are not utilized properly for

the progress of the individual and society in general. But it

certainly approves wealth as the beautiful and beneficial assets that

enrich one’s life. It gives great value to things that do not

necessarily have a price tag: freedom, good relationships, the

cultivation of knowledge, a clean and beautiful natural environment,

good air, good water, healthy food, leisure time, self-sufficiency in

daily needs, and whatever defines a higher quality of life. The

third purpose of human life – the sattvic and religious enjoyment of

sense pleasures – is possible only when a sufficient degree of success

has been attained in dharma and artha. From the platform of dharma, one

will be able to pursue this acquisition of valuable things in the best

possible way – making each acquisition more permanent and free from

bad consequences. In the same way, it is possible to really enjoy the

pleasures of life when the basic survival needs have been satisfied,

and one has sufficient wealth to afford a high level of quality of

life. Because it’s not just about sexual intercourse – which is

something that any animal is able to avail, the life of a civilized

human being is supposed to be much more accomplished, in so many ways.

So while the first chapter of the Kamasutra deals with the necessary

achievements in dharma and artha in relationship with kama, the second

chapter deals with the study of the 64 arts, that is recommended

especially for girls.  By learning these 64 arts all girls (especially

those born in very good families) would become able to bring

prosperity to their home and even get independent income in case of

widowhood or financial difficulties of the husband or his family – as

the text explicitly states.

Such arts include the study of foreign languages, gastronomy and

culinary arts, medicine, gardening, the preparation of preserves,

drinks, perfumes, oils and medicinal extracts, tailoring, dyeing of

clothes and other materials, fashioning gold and creating jewels, the

ability to evaluate the price of gems and metals, chemistry and

mineralogy, metallurgy and the knowledge of mining processes, the

creation of flower ornaments both for the person and for home

decoration, the creation of turbans and various hair-dressing styles,

tattooing, the art of service to the Deity, the art of

making malas (rosaries) and religious decorations, magical arts, spells

and potions, coded languages and communications, the management of

cisterns for water and storage facilities, singing, dancing,

performance arts, painting, sculpting and all the figurative arts,

poetry and the various literary arts, training and care of pet

animals, the art of toy making, martial arts and military strategy,

architecture, carpentry and ebonistery, house management and

accountings, gambling, psychology (especially marital counseling),

sociology, as well as the various sexual arts.

The original scriptures clearly state that the women who are expert in

these arts and sciences are immensely respected in society even when

they live alone independently; thanks to their personal abilities they

obtain a place of respect in society, they are praised by respectable

people and become competent to overcome any crisis at personal or

family level.Besides these independent professional abilities, married

women could normally participate in a direct way to the professional

activities of their husband. Similarly, the wives

of brahmanas and vaisyas were always welcomed to directly participate to

the professional activities of their families if they so desired. This

obviously implies the required a general education as well as the

training for that specific professional field. Unfortunately, some

members of the so-called conservative and orthodox Hindu society

believe that girls or women, especially from “good families”, should

not receive any cultural or professional education, to ensure that

they will remain more “faithful and obedient” to their husband and in-

laws, because they totally depend on them. This complete loss of

personal power of women has been compounded by the criminal distortion

of the original idea of dowry.

Originally, the dowry was given to the bride by her father as strictly

personal wealth she was supposed to use in emergencies to protect her

independence. The idea that a lady’s dowry could be even touched by

her husband and in-laws was considered extremely sinful and openly

condemned in Vedic scriptures in unequivocal terms. Now

the degradation has become so rampant that the misappropriation of the

previously inviolablestri-dhana (“lady’s wealth”) has become the main

focus of the marriage process, and a girl can hope to find a husband

only if she is able to pay huge sums in cash and kind to the family of

a boy, delivering all her “dowry” to them even before marriage, and

remaining totally powerless and dependent on their good will. Though

spot, considering the moral and ethical degradation of the greatest

part of the population. Thus not only the girl is exploited and

mistreated without any chance of protection, but her entire family

must suffer because of the greedy demands of the in-laws. If the dowry

is not deemed sufficient, the girl is beaten and humiliated

constantly, and in many cases even killed. In 2010, the reported dowry

deaths were 8391, not counting the non-reported cases passed off as

“missing wife” or “suicide” or “kitchen accident”.

This situation obviously leads degraded people to believe that the

birth of a girl child should be considered a disgrace rather than a

happy event as in the case of a male child. In the most extreme cases,

the disapproval of family and society can turn into serious neglect

and discrimination towards the girl all along her childhood, if not

into infanticide or foeticide when the ultrasound tests reveal that

the unborn child is a female. Such ideas do not find any support in

any Vedic texts, either in a theoretical or in a practical form.

Rather, the teachings of the Vedas lead in a completely opposite

direction. Vedic civilization has the deepest respect and veneration

for all women, who are considered incarnations and representatives of

the divine feminine principle, the Mother Goddess.

There are no Vedic texts that endorse, contemplate or even mention the

killing of girl children or the neglect or mistreatment of girls or

women, of any age. On the contrary, according to the Vedic scriptures

a woman or abrahmana must never be subject to physical punishment or

mistreatment of any kind, even when they are factually recognized as

guilty of some serious crime. Such bad influence was actually

introduced by the islamic invaders, as we can still observe in the

countries subjected to the sharia law system. In Saudi Arabia for

example there is no obligation of punishment for a man who tortured

and killed his own wife and children; rape victims are regularly

prosecuted for adultery, girls are used as gifts to settle disputes or

debts, and child marriage and forced marriage are the righteous

religious norm.

As degraded people normally resort to arranged marriages based on

caste prejudice, in a sort of cow market where both bride and groom

are evaluated in terms of financial power and social position, there

is absolutely no space for a real love relationship, so the wife must

be kept totally powerless and oppressed, so that she will not be

“getting ideas” about her own personal value as individual within the

family and society, but she should simply concern herself with

producing a sufficient number of male children.

This idea does not have any foundation in the genuine vedic Tradition,

and results in superficial and sometimes even hostile family

relationships, where the wife is treated as nothing more than a free

house keeper, a maidservant to cruelly tyrannical in-laws, and a

source of dowry income. Sadly, she is often used as a punching ball,

too, as from recent social research studies, over 70% of the

interviewed women considered “normal” being beaten by husband or in-

laws even for trifles such as a kitchen mishap, trying to go out in

public alone, or wearing something else than the traditional sari.

A 2012 report by UNICEF found that 57 percent of boys and 53 percent

of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 think wife-beating is actually

justified (not simply “normal”). It should be no surprise that in

India a husband is seen merely as a symbol of social position and

security, and a provider of wealth – a sort of ATM machine. Even

worse, such bad marital relationships can easily degenerate in

veritable wars, in which frustrated and embittered women channel their

anger and resentment into spoiling the lives of her family members,

even to the point of falsely accusing husband and in-laws of

harassment or other criminal behaviors. Both camps often spice up the

hostilities viciously with all possible means, from bad jokes and

vignettes (usually on women) to petty revenges and blackmailing,

sometimes with the wicked complicity of other family members.

The trend is echoed, confirmed, and reinforced by the awful Indian TV

soap operas (called “serials”) that keep harping on the same

disastrous tones and stories. This presentation of unending cruelty to

innocent women as perfectly normal and inevitable is considered

perfectly acceptable for the prudish TV Indian censorship. On the

other hand, even the mere mention of the word “sex” or a kiss between

husband and wife are cut off from movies, with the pretext of

defending morality. What to speak of proper sex education: like in the

most bigoted abrahamic regions, children will have to learn the “dirty

secrets” from porn or from sexual abuse at school, in the family or in

the street.Such state of affairs seriously damages the entire purpose

of human life, and degrades the entire society. The Kama shastra comes

to our aid in this sad predicament, not only with the valuable

knowledge of the art of love making (described in the second section

of the text), but also with several chapters about the best way to

manage a marital relationship – in the third, fourth and fifth

sections, that form the greatest part of the text.

The Vedic system recognized the validity of several forms of marriage:

 Brahmana, in which the father of the bride sends an invitation to a

properly qualified man and entrusts the girl to him; the purpose of

the marriage is the joint performance of the traditional religious

duties

Daiva, in which the girl is married to a properly

qualified brahmana who was invited to perform a sacred ritual; the

purpose of the marriage is to perpetuate the good results of the

sacrifice and to protect society in general

Arsha (of the Rishis), in which the married couple offer a symbolic

gift of a bull and a cow (sacred animals considered the father and

mother of human society) to the girl’s parents; the purpose of the

marriage is cooperation in the study and practice of spiritual life

Prajapatya, in which the girl chooses a suitable husband directly or

indirectly (for example in thesvayamvara tournaments); the purpose of

the marriage is the birth of a qualified progeny that will continue

the dynasty

 Gandharva, in which the girl and boy declare their love for each other

(this is also the specific ritual for gays and lesbians, according to

the 12th century commentator Jayamangala) and exchange vows and

garlands; the purpose of the marriage is romantic desire and sensual

pleasure – as examplified in the story of Sakuntala and king Dushyanta

Rakshasa, in which the girl is abducted from her home against the will

of her family; this type of marriage is also popular with kshatriyas who

want to overcome the blind opposition of the girl’s family to her

wishes (as in the cases of Krishna’s wife Rukmini and sister Subhadra,

who married Arjuna)

asura, in which a girl and her family receive gifts, boons or wealth

from the prospective husband to convince them of his good intentions;

the most famous example in puranic history is Santanu, who married

Satyavati by pledging exclusive succession rights to Satyavati’s sons

 Pisacha, in which a girl is seduced into a sexual relationship by

flattery, emotional pressure, mental manipulation, intoxication (with

wine etc), or approached while she is sleeping and more vulnerable.

The purpose of the pisacha marriage is mere satisfaction of sensual

pleasure but still the women involved and the children conceived in

such relationship are considered perfectly respectable by society.

In the Vedic concept, there is no discrimination or prejudice towards

“illegitimate” children. A birth as a human being is always considered

a blessing and an opportunity, and pure in itself (as opposed to the

abrahamic concept of original sin). The most evident demonstration is

the great Vyasa, the supreme Rishi who compiled all the Vedic

scriptures at the beginning of this age: his birth resulted from the

casual encounter of Parasara Rishi with Satyavati, a girl from a

community of fishermen. Vyasa’s parents never married (or saw each

other again, apparently), and Satyavati went on to marry king Santanu

without reneging on her relationship with her son Vyasa. And nobody

ever had anything to say against such a situation. And that’s not just

a matter of “Caesar can do no wrong” as many foolish people believe.

The same open minded attitude was applied to everyone, including the

obscure child of an ordinary prostitute, as exemplified by the story

of Satyakama Jabala Rishi.

In the degraded casteist system established in the middle ages after

the islamic invasions and presently peddled as the “age old Hindu

tradition”, Vyasa or Satyakama would not be allowed even to enter a

public temple, what to speak of studying Sanskrit or elaborating

on shastra. Just imagine what the present situation in India could be,

if Ambedkar had been treated according to the genuine Vedic system,

instead of being subjected to the ignorant hatred and persecution of a

bunch of casteist idiots and crooks passing off as “Hindu religious

authorities”.

In order to understand the Vedic concept of marriage, we also need to

remember that the puranas and itihasas offer a wealth of examples of the

huge freedom afforded by all such types of marital relationships.

Contrarily to what happens today, in Vedic society husband and wife

could choose not to live together permanently, and were not bound to

monogamy. Polygamy (one man having more than one wife) was considered

rather normal and even polyandry was considered perfectly legitimate

socially. For example, Draupadi’s having 5 husbands did not jeopardize

her family’s respectability at the highest level of royal dignity. The

only disrespectful comments came from their sworn enemies, the evil

Kauravas – and the Mahabharata openly condemns them as offensive and

degraded, clearly explaining that such offenses were the cause of the

destruction of the entire Kaurava dynasty. Vedic society does not

interfere with a person’s private life, as long as his private

behaviors are not forcefully imposed on someone else: in this case,

the violent behavior is considered an aggression (irrespective of its

motivation) that legitimizes self defense to the extreme consequences

and if necessary demands the intervention of the kshatriyas to protect

the victim of the aggression. A man is advised to accept a wife only

if he is capable of fulfilling her needs, and warned about the damage

caused by a bad marital relationship with a frustrated wife. So

although polygamy is not condemned (and plenty of advice is given for

good relationships between co-wives), monogamy is certainly praised as

a wise and safe choice. Talking about marriage, we may need to note

that in Vedic civilization a woman may choose to simply dedicate

herself to family, children, husband, home, and concern herself about

her own physical appearance without being forced to engage in other

activities, but such occupations do not constitute a limitation, an

obligation or a priority duty. Women earned great respect by choosing

to pursue a career on their own, especially in the religious field,

where they were called brahma vadinis.

The Vedic “housewives” are called sadhya vadhu. They may not be

particularly learned or austere, but they are much respected

nonetheless for the educational role and influence they have for their

children, and for the support and care they provide to all the members

of the family and the clan. Unlike the women who live under the

Islamic segregation regime, ordinary married women in Vedic society

were totally free to move around, and they could go out in public

either alone or escorted, to participate to the various social,

religious or cultural functions, or for shopping or visiting pleasant

or interesting places as described for example in the Kama sutras. In

this regard there are many descriptions from various other scriptures

and historical records.Thanks to the pleasantness and comfort of

traditional Vedic housing structures, endowed with vast orchards and

kitchen gardens, water tanks, storing rooms and laboratories for the

home production of various goods, the “mother of the family” did not

need to leave her house in order to perfectly perform her duties. In

Vedic society merchants, craftspeople and independent service

providers (such as astrologers, palmists, physicians, artists etc)

were usually going from door to door to present their merchandise and

service for the convenience of customers. There are no rules that

prevent women from interacting with merchants (male or female), and

for this reason the women of wealthy families did not need to take the

trouble to go out of their homes to run errands or to enjoy the

pleasures of shopping, entertainment or popular culture.

In India the practice of purdah, or imposition of veil and segregation

of women only started after the islamic invasions. Just like the

practice of child marriage and forced marriage, legal and social

inequality between men and women, and even rape and sexual harassment

of women. There are few ancient temples and Deities that remain still

standing from previous times, and by comparing the images of those

temples with the more recent ones, we can easily see the difference of

attitude and perspective about women. The merry participation of

married and unmarried women to social functions and occasions was

considered one of the most “auspicious” characteristics of the Vedic

way of life. A dim reflection of those happy times is still found in

the importance of the processions of girls and women carrying each a

pot of water (symbol of their femininity) within the celebration of

religious festivals, and in the depiction of young women (often

scantily dressed) in temples and homes and in decorations in general,

“for good fortune”. So after speaking of the fourpurusharthas (in

chapter 2) and the study of the 64 arts (in chapter 3), chapter 4 of

Vatsyayana’s Kama sutras deals with interior decoration and many ways to

make one’s daily life more pleasurable through social interactions,

entertainment, etc. We can learn much here about home management,

interior decoration of Vedic style, maintenance of gardens and kitchen

gardens, and on the daily life of a city dweller (nagarika) regarding

social engagements and various forms of entertainment and leisure

activities.

The ideal house is surrounded by a beautiful garden and consists of

two parts: a well protected private area where ladies can remain

undisturbed, and a more open area where men and women can interact. In

this regard, we should not let ourselves be fooled by the armored

patriarchal concept that presents the gyneceum as a place where women

are segregated, and from which they cannot get out (like a sort

of harem).On the contrary, this inner apartment was meant to be a space

of total freedom and power, where no man could interfere or enter –

not even the “lord of the house”. It was consecrated to grooming,

letting one’s hair down in every sense, sleeping without worries,

dressing or undressing comfortably, and even “girls only” parties, as

we can see from many depictions of ancient times. At any time, any

woman or girl could leave the inner apartments without the permission

of anyone, for free interaction with the male members of the family,

household or society. And yes, even for sex between the lord and the

lady of the house. In the outer section of the house, a spacious

pleasure room is furnished with a large, comfortable and beautiful

bed, covered with a clean white cloth and well decorated with scented

flowers, with a canopy and suitable pillows. Besides the bed, there

should be a couch, a round seat and a low table with flowers,

perfumes, mouth-fresheners and other desirable items. Other

recommended items are a box of ornaments, a stringed musical

instrument hanging from a decorative peg, some books, a board for

drawing, a board for playing dice or chess, a toy cart, and other

similar objects for artistic or otherwise pleasurable activities. Just

outside this room, the garden is equipped with a swing and a cosy

alcove built with flowering creepers and bushes.

After examining all the aspects of home comforts, the text describes

examples of leisure activities that are considered appropriate to a

civilized life, from personal hygiene and shaving, to the proper time

of meals, rest and enjoyment. The day starts with the usual religious

and professional duties that are expected to take the entire morning.

Lunch is followed by amusement with animals, then by a mid day nap,

and a refreshing bath as still exemplified in the temple routine in

Deity worship. The afternoon is spent in the company of friends and

conversations, and in the evening there should be singing, dancing and

similar artistic performances. On special occasions, civilized people

attend various religious festivals, picnics, swimming parties, dancing

parties, poetry competitions, quiz competitions, and even drinking

parties where pleasant beverages are served according to specified

recipes. Chapter 5 of the Kama sutra defines the categories of

friendship and social relationships that one should cultivate, and

also those that are to be avoided. It clearly explains which women one

can legitimately try to approach for a relationship with sexual

implications, and the civilized way to make friends with them and to

manifest one’s desires, especially through the agency of messengers.

One should never indulge in an intimate relationship with a woman who

is unclean, immodest, unable to keep a secret, or is in a dangerous

position in society or family. Especially, one should never target

a tapasvini or female ascetic, or a female friend that is bound by some

type of obligation, or a childhood friend, a fellow student, and so

on. The text clearly states that one should not try to seduce the

wives of others, especially the wife of a friend, a relative,

a brahmana or a king – who can be especially dangerous if irritated.

When other ordinary married women appear interested in romance, a

respectable man should not get involved merely out of lust, unless of

course it is the lady herself that clearly expresses such desire. The

pursuit of extra-marital affairs is particularly justified and

advisable when there is some solid good reason to please the lady, as

she is in a position to give great help in society either directly or

indirectly. Only the second section of the text (Samprayogika) deals

with the sexual union proper, starting with physical compatibility and

elegant and refined preliminaries, kissing, embracing, body language,

various sounds, information about natural tendencies, extreme

passionate expressions such as love bites and nail marks, and finally

concluding the encounter in a proper way. In this section, the 64

social arts described in the first section are mirrored by the 64

sexual arts, considered equally valuable and respectable. Undoubtedly

Vatsyayana Rishi does not feel embarrassed in describing the various

factors in an intimate sexual relationship, but then again, those who

have seen the “erotic” sculptures in very ancient temples should be able

to understand that there is nothing to be scandalized about. The

prudish moralism of abrahamic societies inevitably creates a sinful

and guilty attitude of sexual perversion and pornography that

certainly exists and thrives, albeit more or less hidden from the

public eye.On the contrary the healthy, natural and joyful approach of

Vedic society favors a greater cleanliness and purity of mind towards

the beauty and pleasure inherently provided by the body. This serenity

and refinement, conducive to ultimate sublimation and detachment, are

expressed in the Rishi’s elaborations about the sexual intercourse

exactly in the same artistic manner we find in the

classicalmaithuna temple depictions.

Sexual experimentation and enjoyment is openly seen and described as a

legitimate and laudable engagement for civilized men and women – in

other words, it can be described as “religiously enjoying life”. The

third section of the Kama sutras (called Kanya samprayuktaka) specifically

explains how one should find a wife or husband, the process of

courtship, and how to establish a sense of confidence and attraction.

It’s a sort of crash course at a charms school – something so valuable

for today’s young generations not only in India, who struggle trying

to find clues on how to get themselves a date. The text clearly speaks

about the different psychological tendencies of boys and girls,

suggesting how a boy can properly woo a girl, and how a girl can win

herself the boy she likes. It also discusses the subtleties of

engagement and the various types of marriage we mentioned earlier. The

fourth section of the text (Bharya dhikarika) constitutes a sort of

marriage manual for a good married life even in polygamous situations.

The fifth section of the text (Pari darika) speaks about the wives of

other people, and particularly of how to understand which women are

willing to have extra-marital relationships, and which women are not.

Here again, the role and professional description of the messenger is

given in very good details: practically it is the equivalent of

contemporary dating agencies. As a balancing counterpart, we also find

elaborate advice on how to keep one’s wife happy and protected, so

that she will not be attracted to seek other relationships. The sixth

section (Vaishika) is meant for the various categories of women who are

normally willing to have promiscuous sexual relationships, listed in

more or less respected categories. The ganikas(“society women”) were

educated and refined, and valued for their knowledge and skill in the

64 arts. They had a place of honor in the city assembly and at the

religious functions where their presence was considered auspicious.

They maintained close friendly relationships – both socially and

personally – even with kings, royalty members and religious

authorities at the highest level.

Their company did not necessarily entail sexual contacts, but it was

rather about an atmosphere of very civilized sophistication and

beauty. The ganikas were highly appreciated as teachers for boys and

girls from good families (including princes and princesses) in the

subjects of good manners, elegance, attitude, refinement and fine

arts, because their behavior and their life style were considered the

highest example of quality of life. Often they were requested to

manage and administer public or private properties, or to perform

diplomatic missions to other kingdoms and regions, and their home was

often visited by those who wished to improve their social status and

to meet important and influential people. A ganika could also be in a

marriage relationship with one man, more or less permanently, but she

would always retain the complete control of her own life, her

household and her activities.

The “independent women” (svairini) that were not capable of getting a

livelihood from activities at such a high level, could engage in the

occupations of nati(dancer), silpa karika (crafts woman), kumbhadasi(water

carrier), dasi (housemaid in a large mansion),kliba (masseuse or

beautician) or paricharika (house help).In the course of their

professional activities such women had the opportunity to accept

lovers in a more or less casual way, and this enabled them to receive

gifts in cash or valuable objects as a token of appreciation for their

beauty and sexual skills. Such gifts were always offered and accepted

in a civilized and respectful way, and the personal relationship was

always based on friendship, something that is generally very difficult

to understand for those who are used to the present concept of

“prostitution”. This life style was also very popular with gays,

transsexuals and transvestites, that in Vedic society were a normally

respected albeit small community calledhejira.

In Vedic culture there is no homophobia: whatever negative feelings

towards homosexuals we can observe in today’s Indians is certainly

inherited more or less consciously from abrahamic ideologies. Those

who make a livelihood exclusively by sexual services (because they had

no other skills) were defined, in decreasing order of social position

and level of personal culture, as veshtya, rupajiva, kulati, prakashavinasta, or

pumschali. Such services were reduced to the simple intercourse as a

favor of friendship, to be reciprocated by suitably valuable gifts,

offered in friendship and respect. There was no degradation,

humiliation, spite or violence of any kind; there were no pimps or red

lights districts, no segregation or social stigma, and no exploitation

from corrupt officers or groups.

It is important to understand that Vedic culture does not consider

sexual acts (as long as they are based on mutual consent) as illegal

or immoral, even when they are performed with the intent of gaining

some monetary profit. In the section called Vaishika we find a candid

elaboration on the advantages of using sexual relationships to obtain

personal advantages – which include money, favors or even revenge. It

also illustrates how to balance romantic and friendly sentiments with

profit, and even how to choose a suitable husband among the worthiest

habitual contacts. This section also contains instructions

specifically destined to prostitutes – for stylish dressing and

ornaments, beauty and personal hygiene, interior decoration and

ornamentation of the house, witty and refined conversation, the

exchange of small gifts to develop friendship, the offering of

garlands and perfume oils, refreshments and mouth-fresheners,

psychological attentions and even a good amount of modesty, “because

excessive exposure will give the impression of a lesser value”. The

section of the text entitled Apamshadika also deals with potions of

aphrodisiac and stimulating effects to enhance sensual pleasure.

Vatsayana concludes his own compilation on the ancient science of Kama

by summarizing the four purposes of life and highlighting the

importance of personal evolution that culminates in the highest

success of human existence. Have a good look around our present

societies, and if you are intelligent enough, you will understand the

real value of genuine Vedic civilization and knowledge.