The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text

There are two types of people in this world. There are people who have heard of the Kama Sutra and people who have actually read it. It goes without saying that there are far more of the former in this world than the latter. Finding an electronic edition of such an ancient work that, by all reasonable standards, stands the test of time, easily warrants giving it five stars, especially since the translation quality of the text is of the highest order. Although I can understand why there are those who may not have the highest opinion of this edition because of the quality of the illustrations, I believe that regardless of their quality, because the text is all there, it impels the reader to work to understand what they are reading. Also, because this is an electronic edition, one would not need to worry about whatever physical defects might accompany a paperback or hardcover edition. In short, I highly recommend this book.

"During the first three periods of his life, a man must realize himself on three interdependent levels, which are virtue [dharma], wealth [artha] and love [kama], harmonizing them in such a way that none of them is prejudicial to the others."- from the Jayamangala commentary, by Yashodhara to the Kama Sutra of Vatsayana.This translation by premier philosopher and Sanskrit scholar Alain Danielou is a long-overdue replacement to the very Victorian and censored version of Sir Richard Burton. It includes the Sutra itself, the aforementioned commentary of Yashodhara and a 19th century commentary in Hindi by Davadatta Shastra. As a translation, it’s limpid, lucid and at times, quite poetic. This is no mean feat, as Sanskrit is notoriously difficult to render into modern languages, something that Westerners have been quietly grumbling about since the days of F. Max Muller. I lead this little review off with the quote from Yashodara because it illuminates a core belief within the myriad flavors of Hinduism. Those who know nothing much of Hinduism are likely to dismiss it as a religion with literally millions of gods and little else. So much for ignorance. If you read the quote carefully, are you not struck by its absolute common sense? Said over in English, it tells us to work at being good people [dharma], keeping the money coming in [arthra] and to know wtf you’re doing in bed. Westerners might readily comprehend the first two about being good and making money, if albeit from a perverted Puritan viewpoint, but the last? Alas, said Puritan ethic cannot bear sexual pleasure; and it is only tolerated in monogamous heterosexual marriage - it is never embraced. No culture in the West has anything like the erotic temple-sculptures of Khajurhao, which features couples, threesomes and piles of happy lovers entwined, a la deSade’s engravings for his 120 Days of Sodom; most Western Parents would do their best to keep their kids from deSade, but the temple at Khurajhao is almost a place that a Hindi entrepreneur, seeking to emulate Walt Disney, opens for whole families to come enjoy the precincts. And that, dearly beloved, is a crucial difference between East and West.

This is a great book! People often assume Kama Sutra is a dirty book that's full of sex positions. It does have a good bit of that. But it treats sex almost like a ritual rather than just a quick fix that means nothing no anyone. It has all these "instructions" that teach you everything from flirting, to foreplay, to the final act itself. Yes, it does talk of various techniques and toys and all. Very boldly. Bits of it made me raise my eyebrow("how to seduce another's wife"/"relationships with concubines") but they amused me more than they offended me. It's the perfect book on sex.You have to understand that according to Hindu scriptures, sex is one of the four main parts of life and thus, must be treated accordingly. We need to admit its importance instead of treating it as taboo. I think people should read Kama Sutra in order to gain a better understanding of the importance of sex. It's necessary to learn to respect physical intimacy and this book gives it the attention it deserves.I don't know about the translation; this is the only translation I've read and it was perfectly adequate.I bought one for a close friend for her birthday and I plan on having my siblings read it when they're older as well.

This is the real deal. You will find a lot of shocks and surprises in here, especially towards the back of the book (if you know you know.)Really liberating and insightful reading. This version is simply incredible. Read it now!