This book was written in Sanscrit and provides a fascinating insight into a culture far removed from our own. Revealed is an ancient philosophy on love and how to treat women, both out of and in the bedroom. The book is of course most well known as a manual on how to reach a higher level of pleasure in one's sexual experience. The text was written by Vatsyana, who was and is renowned as the chief authority on Hindu erotic literature - Kama Sutra is literally translated as "Aphorisms on Love." Note - this version of the book is without illustrations.

From aphrodisiacs to special touches, from orgasm-delaying techniques to the endless varieties of kisses, "The Kama Sutra" is a wellspring of erotic knowledge and inspiration. Sir Richard Burton's controversial translation, which caused a stir in the Western world, is provided here, in the complete and unexpurgated edition of this world-famous classic.

The first proper edition of the Kamasutra. It contains a crisp introduction; the original Sanskrit; a new, accurate and readable English translation; fifty full-page illustrations using period clothing, jewelry, and settings; and a thorough index. "The Kamasutra enjoys a prominent place in the pantheon of pleasure. Too often bowdlerized or bastardized, it has been difficult for English speakers to comprehend the work in all its complexity. This new translation is at once accessible and comprehensive, and should serve as the definitive English version." --Leopold Froehlich, Playboy

A gorgeous deluxe edition of the world's most celebrated guide to life, love, relationships and pleasure.

Little is known about Vatsyayana, who is reputed to have composed the "Kama Sutra" "while observing a celibate's life in full meditation." In Sanskrit the word "kama" means desire, especially for sensual pleasure, and its proper pursuit was considered an essential part of a young, urbane gentleman's well-rounded education.

Untold numbers of readers are curious about the "Kama Sutra" but put off by its cliched image as an erotic Oriental curiosity. This elegant edition offers a compelling modern translation of a classic Indian masterpiece-and a wry and entertaining account of human desire and foibles.

The Kamasutra is the oldest extant textbook of erotic love. But it is more than a book about sex. It is about the art of living--about finding a partner, maintaining power in a marriage, committing adultery, living as or with a courtesan, using drugs--and also, of course, about the many and varied positions available to lovers in sexual intercourse and the pleasures to be derived from each.
The Kamasutra was composed in Sanskrit, the literary language of ancient India, sometime in the third century, probably in North India. It combines an encyclopedic coverage of all imaginable aspects of sex with a closely observed sexual psychology and a dramatic, novelistic narrative of seduction, consummation, and disentanglement. Best known in English through the highly mannered, padded, and inaccurate nineteenth-century translation by Sir Richard Burton, the text is newly translated here into clear, vivid, sexually frank English. This edition also includes a section of vivid Indian color illustrations along with three uniquely important commentaries: translated excerpts from the earliest and most famous Sanskrit commentary (thirteenth century) and from a twentieth-century Hindi commentary, and explanatory notes by the two translators.
The lively and entertaining introduction by translator Wendy Doniger, one of the world's foremost Sanskrit scholars, discusses the history of The Kamasutra and its reception in India and Europe, analyses its attitudes toward gender and sexual violence, and sets it in the context of ancient Indian social theory, scientific method, and sexual ethics.
" This] new translation is fascinating, thought-provoking and occasionally even amusing."--Salon.com
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.