Book Details

Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana (Illustrated Edition)

The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana is undoubtedly the world's best-known classic work of erotic literature. Written by the sage Vatsyayana early in the Gupta period of India (320-540 C.E.), referred to as the "Classical Age of India", it is a scholarly treatise about sexual enjoyment and pleasure. The Kama Sutra reveals many fascinating, surprising and sometimes even humorous insights into the sexual mores and customs of ancient India. Yet, despite its historical and anthropological significance, the teachings of the Kama Sutra remain timeless and universal, and are as useful today for understanding and expressing human sexuality as they were in ancient India.

This edition of the Kama Sutra is based on the outstanding (and heavily annotated) 1883 translation by Sir Richard F. Burton, the famous British explorer, linguist, ethnologist and sexologist. Unlike other Victorian-era translators, who tended to whitewash their translations to conform with accepted "decency", Burton boldly and literally translated his many published works as they were actually written, including his edition of the Kama Sutra. Although our edition has significantly improved upon Burton's edition (such as fixing numerous textual errors and reorganizing several chapters for logical consistency), it is otherwise a complete, faithful, unexpurgated and high-quality reproduction, completely preserving the overall flavor of the Burton edition. Additional prefatory and annotative materials, including a comprehensive mini-biography of Burton, are provided, as well as twelve delightful (and sexually explicit) illustrations of erotic art depicting various Kama Sutra themes, all done in an authentic, traditional Indian art motif. (The illustrations are courtesy of Exotic India Art, the Internet's largest retailer of authentic Indian art.)

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