The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana

📖 The Scoop

Sir Richard F. Burton's translation of The Kama Sutra remains one of the best English interpretations of this early Indian treatise on politics, social customs, love, and intimacy. Its crisp style set a new standard for Sanskrit translation.

The Kama Sutra stands uniquely as a work of psychology, sociology, Hindu dogma, and sexology. It has been a celebrated classic of Indian literature for 1,700 years and a window for the West into the culture and mysticism of the East.

The oldest known book to focus on erotic love, Vatsyayana's Kama Sutra is more than a book about sex; it is about living, morals, and guiding principles. A great read, it is no surprise that it has survived the test of time.
First published in 1883, this book contains Richard Francis Burton's English translation of the "Kama Sutra". Believed to have been written between 400 BCE and 300 BCE, the "Kama Sutra" is an ancient Indian text originally written in Sanskrit that deals with eroticism, sexuality, and emotional fulfillment. The first English translation of the ancient book, Burton's volume led to it becoming one of the most pirated books in the English language. Contents include: "The Vatsyayana Sutra", "Of Sexual Union", "About the Acquisition of a Wife", "About a Wife", "About the Wives of Other Men", "About Courtesans", and "About the Means of Attracting Others to Yourself". Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS (1821-1890) was a British writer, poet, linguist, explorer, translator, geographer, ethnologist, orientalist, Freemason, diplomat, and cartographer best remembered for extensively travelling in and exploring Africa, Asia, and the Americas. An extraordinary polyglot, he spoke 29 languages and gained extensive knowledge about many different cultures and their practices. His most famous works include English translations of "One Thousand and One Nights" and an incredible account of his incognito trip to Mecca when Europeans were strictly forbidden to do so.

Genre: Literary Collections / Ancient & Classical (fancy, right?)