The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana Composed in Sanskrit around the 3rd century CE, the Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian treatise on kama—pleasure, desire, and emotional fulfillment—written by the scholar Vātsyāyana. Far from being only a manual of sexual techniques, it is essentially a guide to living a balanced and cultured life. The text is divided into seven books covering topics such as the aims of life (dharma, artha, and kama), social and marital duties, courtship, selecting a partner, building intimacy, and maintaining harmony in relationships. It also discusses the roles of men and women in society, etiquette, and aesthetics. Sexual positions form only one section within a much larger framework on ethics, refinement, and mutual respect. By blending philosophy with practical guidance, the Kama Sutra presents a vision of love and pleasure as integral parts of human experience rather than purely physical pursuits, influencing art, literature, and ideas about relationships for centuries.
