Kamashastra, Kāmaśāstra, Kama-shastra: 14 definitions
Introduction:
Kamashastra means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
The Sanskrit term Kāmaśāstra can be transliterated into English as Kamasastra or Kamashastra, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationKāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र) refers to the “science of erotics”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.34 (“The Story of Anaraṇya”).—Accordingly, as Vasiṣṭha said to Himavat (Himācala): “[...] In the meantime the sage Pippalāda eagerly hastening back to his hermitage saw a certain Gandharva in an isolated place in the penance-grove. The Gandharva was an expert in the science of erotics (kāmaśāstra-viśārada). He was in the company of a woman. He was therefore completely submerged in the ocean of pleasure, sexual dalliance and was lusty. On seeing him the great sage became very lustful. He lost interest in penance and began to think of acquiring a wife. [...]”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexKāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र).—In Sairandhri's house there were pictures drawn according to prescriptions of kāmaśāstra1 a treatise by Bābhravya, a Pāñcāla.2
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Source: Knowledge Traditions & Practices of India: Education: Systems & PracticesKāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र) refers to the “science of erotics” and represents one of the nine divisions of the Paurūṣeya classification of Śāstra knowledge; all part of the ancient Indian education system, which aimed at both the inner and the outer dimension of a person.
Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.
Sports, Arts and Entertainment (wordly enjoyments)
Source: archive.org: Syainika Sastra of Rudradeva with English Translation (art)Kāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र) refers to the “science of Erotics”, according to the Śyainika-śāstra: a Sanskrit treatise dealing with the divisions and benefits of Hunting and Hawking, written by Rājā Rudradeva (or Candradeva) in possibly the 13th century.—Accordingly, “Is not love experienced by those who are ignorant of, the science of Erotics (kāmaśāstra)? Still the sages have written on the science for its thorough realization. In the same manner, though the delights of hunting are well known even to men of no intelligence, still hunting affords peculiar delight to the mind of one who knows the science of hawking. [...]”.
This section covers the skills and profiencies of the Kalas (“performing arts”) and Shastras (“sciences”) involving ancient Indian traditions of sports, games, arts, entertainment, love-making and other means of wordly enjoyments. Traditionally these topics were dealt with in Sanskrit treatises explaing the philosophy and the justification of enjoying the pleasures of the senses.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarykāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र).—n (S) A treatise on the art of love; describing the various excellences of the sexes et modos diversos coëundi.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishkāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र).—n A treatise on the art of love.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryKāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र).—the science of love, erotic science.
Derivable forms: kāmaśāstram (कामशास्त्रम्).
Kāmaśāstra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms kāma and śāstra (शास्त्र).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryKāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र).—[neuter] manual of pleasure or of love.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum1) Kāmaśastra (कामशस्त्र) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—kāvya, by Silhapāṭa. Rādh. 20.
2) Kāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र):—See Kāmasūtra.
3) Kāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र):—a part of the Āyurvedaprakāśa by Vāmana. Np. Vii, 44.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Kāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र):—[=kāma-śāstra] [from kāma] n. a treatise on pleasure or sexual love, [Mahābhārata]
2) [v.s. ...] = -sūtra Name of several erotic works.
[Sanskrit to German]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusKāmaśāstra (ಕಾಮಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ):—[noun] = ಕಾಮಸೂತ್ರ [kamasutra].
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English DictionaryKāmaśāstra (कामशास्त्र):—n. a treatise on sexual love; erotic-science;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Shastra, Kama.
Starts with: Kamashastranirupanadhyaya.
Full-text (+45): Subalaka, Samprayogikadhikarana, Vitaputra, Rajaputra, Babhravya, Padmashri, Anangavidya, Shastra, Bhagashastra, Rasaviveka, Ratisamgrahavyakhya, Kalavadatantra, Kaamshaastra, Kucumarasamhita, Ratisara, Veshyanganakalpa, Veshyanganavritti, Kucumara, Kshemindra, Gonarda.
Relevant text
Search found 32 books and stories containing Kamashastra, Kāma-śāstra, Kama-sastra, Kama-shastra, Kama-shastras, Kāmaśāstra, Kamasastra, Kāmaśastra; (plurals include: Kamashastras, śāstras, sastras, shastras, shastrases, Kāmaśāstras, Kamasastras, Kāmaśastras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Kamashastra Discourse (Life in Ancient India) (by Nidheesh Kannan B.)
2. Works on Kāmaśāstra (i): Bābhravyakārikā < [Chapter 2 - An Appraisal of Kāmaśāstra Works in Sanskrit]
6.7. Importance of Sex Education in Ancient India < [Chapter 5 - Looking for Alternatives: Possibilities in Kāmaśāstra]
1. Tradition of Kāmaśāstra < [Chapter 2 - An Appraisal of Kāmaśāstra Works in Sanskrit]
Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)
Text 6.5 < [Chapter 6 - Third-rate Poetry and Super-excellent Poetry]
Text 7.95 < [Chapter 7 - Literary Faults]
Text 4.99 < [Chapter 4 - First-rate Poetry]
The backdrop of the Srikanthacarita and the Mankhakosa (by Dhrubajit Sarma)
Part 7 - Literary genius of Maṅkhaka < [Chapter II - The Śrīkaṇṭhacarita]
Vishnu Smriti (Study) (by Minu Bhattacharjee)
6. Subject Matter of Dharmasastra < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Brihatkatha-kosha (cultural study) (by Himanshu Shekhar Acharya)
8. What is a Katha? < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
Related products
