Getting married in ancient Hindu society was no simple love match. Rather, the right woman had to be found, with not only her family, temperament and looks to be taken into account, but also such minutiae as her age which ‘should be three years or more younger than his own age. The book begins with an introduction and history of the four aims of Hindu life. It includes advice and philosophy on topics such as how to live an honorable life and how to acquire knowledge.

Jorge Ferrer, Transpersonal knowledge, in Transpersonal Knowing: Exploring the Horizon of Consciousness (editors: Hart et al.), ISBN 978-0-7914-4615-7, State University of New York Press, Chapter 10

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Wendy Doniger & Sudhir Kakar 2002, pp.3–27 (Book 1), 28-73 (Book 2), 74–93 (Book 3), 94–103 (Book 4), 104–129 (Book 5), 131-159 (Book 6), 161-172 (Book 7). While the Kama Sutra is way more than just a sexual guidebook, it’s important to note that it was really the first erotic text of its kind. “Kama means desire, and Kama Deva is the god of love and desire. The Kama Sutra is a 4th century Hindu text written in Sanskrit. It is the first erotic treatise in the world,” says Ruth Vanita, PhD, a professor of South and Southeast Asian studies at the University of Montana. “The Kama Sutra is divided into several chapters. It gives advice to people on how to enjoy the pleasures of life, including sex.” Vanita explains that the text also encourages people to engage in 64 different forms of art—like cooking, music, and even flower arrangement—to experience pleasure beyond the bedroom.

The text is told from the point of view of an unnamed ‘man about town’, by which the writer is understood to mean a young man, just having come of age, who is looking to begin making his way in the world.The Kamasutra, states the Indologist and Sanskrit literature scholar Ludo Rocher, discourages adultery but then devotes "not less than fifteen sutras (1.5.6–20) to enumerating the reasons ( karana) for which a man is allowed to seduce a married woman". Vatsyayana mentions different types of nayikas (urban girls) such as unmarried virgins, those married and abandoned by husband, widow seeking remarriage and courtesans, then discusses their kama/sexual education, rights and mores. [83] In childhood, Vātsyāyana says, a person should learn how to make a living; youth is the time for pleasure, and as years pass, one should concentrate on living virtuously and hope to escape the cycle of rebirth. [ citation needed]

Vatsyayana; SC Upadhyaya (transl) (1965). Kama sutra of Vatsyayana Complete translation from the original Sanskrit. DB Taraporevala (Orig publication year: 1961). pp.22–23. OCLC 150688197. a b Michel Foucault (2012). The History of Sexuality: An Introduction. Knopf Doubleday. pp.57–73. ISBN 978-0-307-81928-4. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019 . Retrieved 22 November 2018. Types of women, finding sexual partners, sex, being lovers, being faithful, permissible women, adultery and when to commit it, the forbidden women whom one must avoid, discretion with messengers and helpers, few dos and don't in life T. Chatterjee (2003), Knowledge and Freedom in Indian Philosophy, ISBN 978-0-7391-0692-1, pp 89–102; Quote - "Moksa means freedom"; "Moksa is founded on atmajnana, which is the knowledge of the self."The Kama Sutra opposed Victorian British values and was dismissed as ‘pagan nonsense’ and something to be actively stamped out. Burton, even had he wanted to accurately translate the text as it stands, would have most likely fallen afoul of anti-obscenity laws. As it was, his wildly inaccurate text had to be printed under the imprint of a publishing house that Burton himself set up for the purpose, and was designated ‘for private distribution only’. Same-sex relationships are discussed, and not – as one might superficially assume – in a disapproving way. While some early translations have rendered the practices as being unsavory, the original text does not condone same-sex relationships.

Intercourse, what it is and how, positions, various methods, bringing variety, usual and unusual sex, communicating before and during intercourse (moaning), diverse regional practices and customs, the needs of a man, the needs of a woman, variations and surprises, oral sex for women, oral sex for men, opinions, disagreements, experimenting with each other, the first time, why sexual excitement fades, reviving passion, quarreling, keeping sex exciting, sixty four methods to find happiness in a committed relationship Wendy Doniger (2003). "The "Kamasutra": It Isn't All about Sex". The Kenyon Review. New Series. 25 (1): 18–37. JSTOR 4338414.Rocher, Ludo (1985). "The Kāmasūtra: Vātsyāyana's Attitude toward Dharma and Dharmaśāstra". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 105 (3): 521–523. doi: 10.2307/601526. JSTOR 601526. Figuring out if someone is interested, conversations, prelude and preparation, touching each other, massage, embracing Rubbing is what we might call a full-body embrace, such as when lovers are kissing and press the whole length of their body against their partner.