Printed on dense paper and bound in white vellum with gold rules, the Kama Sutra bore the inscription ‘for private circulation only’. ‘It will make the British public stare,’ Burton told his friend John Payne, the great Arabic scholar, on the eve of publication. Burton and Arbuthnot presented their work to that small selection of the public which took ‘enlightened interest in studying the manners and customs of the olden east’, keeping their motives vague as to how this ancient text was first brought to light. Twice reprinted between 1883 and 1885, it soon came to be regarded as a classic, which immediately altered the West’s approach to Indian culture.
Burton and Arbuthnot’s Kama Shastra Society followed it with a translation of the Ananga Ranga in 1885 (after a failed attempt to print it in the early 1870s) and the Perfumed Garden a year later.
The Modern Kama Sutra
This book draws principally on the ancient teachings of the Kama Sutra, and to a lesser extent on those of its successors. The Modern Kama Sutra also touches on the principles of Tantra and Yoga as well as other Eastern beliefs and practices.
Much can still be learnt from the wisdom of Vatsyayana on the themes of love, seduction and sex for modern lovers: the importance of stimulating all of the senses without becoming blinded by passion; how to be in harmony with the desires and preferences of your partner; how to create the right mood and environment to encourage feelings of intimacy and warmth; the importance of taking time to seduce your lover; and how to introduce variety into your sex life by experimenting with different positions and different styles. Above all, the Kama Sutra shows how best to nurture a loving, fulfilling monogamous relationship for years to come.
The sexual positions included here are drawn from all the main texts and are meant merely as a guide. The positions can be used as a series of sequences, but you do not have to follow these unswervingly; you may only want to use one at a time or try a variety in one session. There are no hard and fast rules but to help you decide there are difficulty ratings from 1–4 (1 being the easiest) and ratings by type: soft, deep, gentle, intense, slow, fast. Whatever your preferences, you can find your own favourites from the great variety of positions illustrated in the book. As Vatsyayana himself states, ‘the various modes of enjoyment are not for all times or for all persons’; the idea is to experiment and create your own unique language of love.
A fully satisfying sex life requires practice and understanding. By casting off your inhibitions and opening your mind to new experiences, by paying attention to the needs and desires of your lover whilst expressing your own, you will undoubtedly reach new ecstatic heights in your sexual encounters.
mood
body senses fore play oral sex
‘In the pleasure-room, decorated with flowers, and fragrant with perfume…the citizen should receive the woman, who will come bathed and dressed, and will invite her to take refreshment and to drink freely. He should then seat her on his left side, and holding her hair, and touching also the end and knot of her garment, he should gently embrace her with his right arm. They should then carry on an amusing conversation on various subjects, and may also talk suggestively of things which would be considered as coarse, or not to be mentioned generally in society. They may then sing, either with or without gesticulations, and play on musical instruments, talk about the arts, and persuade each other to drink…Such is the beginning of sexual union.’
Kama Sutra
Getting in the Mood
‘The lovers may also sit on the terrace of the palace or house and enjoy the moonlight, and carry on an agreeable conversation. At this time, too, while the woman lies in his lap, with her face towards the moon, the citizen should show her the different planets, the morning star, the polar star, and the seven rishis, or Great Bear.’
Kama Sutra
Seduction is the temptation of our sensual desires and is an essential part of lovemaking. Drawing your lover away from the everyday concerns of life into a world of eroticism and sensuality will heighten their desire and arousal, and their experience of sex will be even more intense and pleasurable.
Initially, after a busy day, it is important to focus on your partner and share your thoughts. This will help you unwind and synchronize with each other, whether your seduction is designed to lead to the excitement of quick passionate sex or the slow-burning intensity of gradual lovemaking.
Put on calming music and turn down the lighting. Tell each other how you feel and what you’d like to do. Be explicit or merely suggestive, whatever your fancy.
Surprising each other with gifts can add to your seduction. As well as greeting one another with flowers, perfume, chocolates or wine, you could be more obvious with lingerie or sex aids or greet your partner naked at the door.
Lighting candles and a log fire if you have one will immediately soften the setting, and the scent of essential oils and incense sticks will help to stimulate your senses. Why not scatter rose petals around the bedroom or fill it with vases of flowers to create an erotic love palace. The Kama Sutra suggests that ‘the room, balmy with rich perfumes, should contain a bed, soft, agreeable to the sight, covered with a clean white cloth, having garlands and bunches of flowers upon it’. It is important to get into the right frame of mind, and these ambient touches will help you to harmonize with your surroundings and each other.
Slowly undress one another or change into a loose robe and raunchy underwear or even dress up. Toy with one another’s desires by whispering explicit comments in each other’s ears or denying kisses on purpose. This loveplay and gradual arousal will allow you to attune your mind and body with your lover’s, enjoying a feeling of closeness and the thrill of anticipation. You may want to vary the passion, pulling off your clothes and altering your caresses to more passionate fondling. Once you are naked, it might be hard to resist speeding things up but try to take a moment to admire each other’s bodies, lingering over each part in turn.