Kamashastra Discourse (Life in Ancient India)
by Nidheesh Kannan B. | 2018 | 52,434 words
This page relates ‘Works on Kamashastra (j): Shringararasaprabandhadipika’ 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 (j): Śṛṅgārarasaprabandhadīpikā
Śṛṅgārarasaprabandhadīpikā is a work on erotics by Kumāraharināmāṅka. There exists no information about the author and his date other than the available text. The text followed the style of Kokkoka’s Ratirahasya in its content and at the end of the work, the author directs to refer Ratirahasya for further clarification of doubts in the subject[1]. So, it is clear that the author has lived after Kokkoka.
Śṛṅgārarasaprabandhadīpikā has been designed in four chapters or paricchedas. In the first pariccheda, description of gorgeous women (Kāminī) with her threefold classification as Mugdhā, Madhyā and Pragalbhā, description of paramour (Viṭa), another kind of classification of women as Svakīya and Parakīya, eleven conditions of love etc. are depicted.
Second pariccheda starts with the classification of women according to the size of vagina. Then, types of sexual intercourse, eyesights, places for raising sexual desire in foreplay intercourse, types of heroes etc are depicted here. A long description about different types of sexual postures, uniqueness in the postures, types of intercourse etc. are subjected in the third pariccheda. Some mantras and medicines, attractive and non-attractive women, directions for making sexual desire before intercourse (along with foreplay) etc. are seen in the fourth pariccheda.