Kamashastra Discourse (Life in Ancient India)
by Nidheesh Kannan B. | 2018 | 52,434 words
This page relates ‘Works on Kamashastra (h): Sahridayalila’ of the study on Kamashastra representing the discipline of Kama (i.e., ‘sensual pleasure’). The Kamasutra of Vatsyayana from the 4th century is one of the most authoratitive Sanskrit texts belonging this genre. This study focusses on the vision of life of ancient India reflected in Kamashastra.
2. Works on Kāmaśāstra (h): Sahṛdayalīlā
Rājānaka Ruyyaka, one of the most celebrated authorities of Sanskrit poetics who wrote the magnum opus work Alaṅkārasarvasva is considered the author of Sahṛdayalīlā. As the name indicates, Sahṛdayalīlā deals with the sports of a connoisseur or Nāgaraka. The text does not discuss the conventional subjects of sexuality like the other works in this field.
Sahṛdayalīlā comprises of four chapters or ullekhas. Of them, the first ullekha is about the qualities of the connoisseur (Guṇollekha), the second ullekha is about ornaments (Alaṅkārollekha), then the third ullekha discusses the youth (Jīvitollekha) and the last ullekha deals with the expression of beauty (Parikarollekha).
As a whole, through the composition of Sahṛdayalīlā, the author attaches great importance to the excellence of the body and is a good contribution to the theoretical level of aesthetics and erotics.