Kamashastra Discourse (Life in Ancient India)
by Nidheesh Kannan B. | 2018 | 52,434 words
This page relates ‘Works on Kamashastra (h): Paururavasamanasijasutra’ 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): Paurūravasamanasijasūtra
Paurūravasamanasijasūtra is a small work containing only 53 sūtras. It has been published with a Sanskrit commentary of Jayakṛṣṇadīkṣita. In the introductory remarks, the editor of the book tries to establish that the work is very earliest and is composed before Vātsyāyana by the mythological personality Purūrava[1]. But, the language of this work appears to be recent and it is clear that the authorship was forcibly attributed to Purūravas and the real author is unknown.
The work Paurūravasamanasijasūtra starts with the sūtra:
“athātaḥ paurūravasaṃ manasijasūtraṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ”.
Here, the methodology of ancient philosophical texts has been followed to make the feeling that the work is much earlier. The work mainly discusses the attainment of ultimate pleasure through sexuality. Four kinds of pleasure are described viz; Brahmānanda, Indrānanda, Avāṅgmānasagocarānanda and Citābhāsānanda. Then there are discussions regarding the places suitable for doing sexual intercourse, wish of men in intercourse, methods for making sexual satisfication in women, importance of lip-kiss, scratching and biting, erection of penis, attainment of topmost happiness etc.
The language and style of this work resembles the vedāntic philosophy and the commentary attached with this text written by jayakṛṣṇadīkṣita also has a stress on Vedānta.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Paurūravasamanasijasūtra, p. XVI-XVII.