Kama Sutra Unravelled

Kama Sutra Unravelled

Katharina Poggendorf–Kakar made a statement last weekend with her art and literary event 'Women, Bodies and Goddesses' at Sunaparanta. "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust. The ink-on-paper artistic portraits celebrated sensuality of form and clearly demarcated the fine line between erotica and pornography.  The delineation of the artistic content on display, through literature readings of Aranyani's book "A Pleasant Kind of Heavy and other Erotic Stories”, further heightened the pleasure of the viewers.  The Kama Sutra philosophy curated subtly but unequivocally. Kudos!

The literary reading by Aranyani from her book moderated by Sudhir Kakar drew comparison from ‘The Sexual Life of Catherine M’, the most controversial book on sexuality since ‘The Story of O’. The common thread being that these are honest works by women to unmask the fallacies binding women to a confined protocol in sexual forays. These writings relentlessly bid to expose the eroticism and sexual desire in women which is a natural extension of their bodies. To indulge, participate and express that which you are endowed with without repression and secrecy. The books celebrate female sexuality with gay abandon, stripped of inhibitions and hypocrisy. Highly articulate art critic Catherine Millet indeed comes out as a potent package with her mix of high intelligence and sexual orgies. I particularly liked the stories ‘A Touch of Sun’ and ‘A Nice, Polite Girl’ in Aranyani’s book. The words are heavy with eroticism and that leisurely sensuousness;  fleshy movements lending a languorous, pleasurable feel to moments in time with seasons, fruits, clay, sheets, food, oil, bodies and souls. Kama sutra reinforced through visual exhibits and words etched in print.

Kama Sutra, the magnum opus, mother of all erotic literature still reigns supreme. Vatsyayana, who was a diligent academician, compiled the Kama sutra (seven volumes) around 150 BC.  He spent years studying religion and then set on the task of consolidating the wisdom of the sages. Vatsyayana culled his text from various sutras and rendered an ultimate love manual between man and woman - a text that lends finesse to a wholesome relationship encompassing the body, mind and soul. Every misconception of the so-called pop culture which imbues it with lesser meaning is laid to rest when you subsume it internally. A treatise on self-realization through the tenets of confidence, patience, sensitivity, compassion, playfulness, equality, unity and ultimately love.

The Sutra begins with the explanation of Dharma, Artha and Kama. Our journey on earth is to harmonize truth in our lives through thought, word and action. The discord we build through selfishness has to run its course and be dissipated in truth and love. The endeavor on the path of dharma leads to salvation and deliverance. Artha is the wealth, fame and comfort we acquire in life in tandem with our talents and creativity, and Kama is the indulgence of the senses to please the body on its sojourn on earth. Though dharma and artha are of prime importance in a mortal’s life, Kama according to Vatsayana serves a great purpose towards self-worth, confidence and empathy, acquired through companionship and love. It prepares the human being to fulfill the prime goals of dharma and artha in life. The sutra, a tribute to kama, achieves its goal through didactic presentation involving sermons and anecdotes to a fulfilling relationship. The text reinforces the concept of not just practicing kama instinctively but but training for a mastery through study and reflection.

Kama Sutra expounds on love and marriage, outlining the role of a husband and wife in a household. It lays great emphasis on the qualities of patience and sensitivity in a man wherein he inspires confidence and trust in his wife and prepares her for the possibilities of a sexual union. Fostering the companionship with friendship, playfulness and understanding, the husband should win over his wife’s favour to a beautiful union based on love and care. The Sutra also indicates that a woman may take on the role of an aggressor, if the man is tired or if she feels inclined to try it out of curiosity or experimentation. They both set on a course to undertake to understand the moods and emotions of each other such that their actions are compatible to their feelings and desires. All acts are thus performed in harmony, with a consensual assent of the partner and should lead to fulfillment on either side.  Ennui in a long time relationship should be kept at bay by reinventing and investing the relationship with a freshness of form, color and mood. Each should pay heed to hygiene, temper and aesthetics for a beautiful relationship. Once a union is equal, a man and woman can begin practicing the Chatus-Shasti, or the 64 forms of sexual union, beginning with the Alinganam, or the embrace in an effort to achieve true fulfillment of pleasure. The visual treat is represented by the sculptures at Khajurao and Ajanta and Ellora temples. The artefacts are a labour in the absolute celebration of Kama sutra.  A union thus fostered, fosters loyalty, great affection and long lasting love and companionship. It imbues each with strength and power to face the world and fulfill their dharma to the best possible extent.
The book expounds on the inherent nature of men and women. Women give their all in their passion to a man and for this reason, they take longer to commit and harbor an innate natural resistance which disallows them to fall prey to lust or attraction easily. A man has to woo a woman for a long time and really prove his love and passion for her before he can ascend the bar to her complete loyalty and love. She shudders from the strength and force of her love and has to be absolutely convinced that the man who demands such feelings from her is worth the prize. The male on the other hand feels dejected when his amorous gestures are thwarted. But the Kama Sutra recommends him to persist in his ardour and this very perseverance in the face of discouragement from the female will help him secure her hand in the end. The sutra encourages both the sexes to observe and pay attention to the needs and behavioral patterns of their paramours and devise ways to seduce and lure each other attentively bringing into play every skill to impress and woo.

Kama Sutra defines four kinds of love in a hierarchical order, the most powerful love of all being the one which strikes you in a moment of time without a purpose and is stripped of expectations and  judgements.  Like cupid striking a lucky couple and blessing them to an eternal union of body and soul. The other kinds of love are: love as a result of mutual liking or understanding between the sexes termed as mutual love and then there is a love which grows out of your thinking and imagination, which may rebound when reality clashes with your fantasy. Lastly is the love which is nurtured out of habit of living and being together- arranged marriages are a best example of this kind of love.

The books celebrate women's sexuality as a healing and liberating force. The role of courtesans in society was respected and it was mandatory that they be part of religious ceremonies in palaces of kings. The Kama Sutra allows for union between the same sexes if the said individuals complement each other physically and spiritually. The book expounds on the use of oils and other natural extracts to maintain the suppleness and texture of the skin and sexual prowess. The added aesthetic value appeals to the senses and lends a pleasant, intoxicating atmosphere to the aura of the body.

Kama Sutra validates kama and impels human beings to groom themselves to learn the amorous art of lovemaking and become adroit lovers, to be comfortable in your own skin and form and to celebrate and delight in it for a successful life. Thank you Katharina and Aranyani for opening a discourse on Kama Sutra; this article is dedicated to your endeavor.

May the trinity - Dharma, Artha and Kama be our crown to victory!