Chapter 2 - Kamasutra part 1 (Sadharana-adhikarana)—Critical study

who says- "The fruit of childhood is wilfulness, that of youth is the enjoyment of pleasant love-sports, that of old age is the pacification and the fruit of the whole 14 life is achieving the welfare of others."13 Youth is the
proper time for Kama. Therefore, Śeṣaśrīkṛṣṇa glorifies
the youth as an ornament of human being. Vatsyayana
stresses that to attain salvation, study as well as
practice of Dharma, Artha and Kāma is essential.
36 It might be objected in this connection thus: Kama
or love-sport, is a natural and eternal need of even brute
creatures; and hence, the science of the same need not be
studied.
"Kama, being practised even by the brute creation,
is to be found everywhere, and hence needs no efforts to
know it. #15
Here Vatsyayana not only answers the objection,
but also exhibits the importance of erotic science. He
replies- "Sexual coition being a sport dependent on man
and woman, requires the application of proper means; and
13. स्वाच्छन्द्यफलं बाल्यं तारुण्यं रुचिरसुरतभोगफलम् ।
स्थविरत्वमुपशमफलं परहित-संपादनं च जन्मफलम् ॥ कुट्टनी. [svācchandyaphalaṃ bālyaṃ tāruṇyaṃ rucirasuratabhogaphalam |
sthaviratvamupaśamaphalaṃ parahita-saṃpādanaṃ ca janmaphalam || kuṭṭanī. ] 724.
14. मनुष्यस्य विभूषणं तरुणता तस्याः पुनर्वैभवम् । ।
तस्यानामयमस्य चोन्नतकुचद्वन्द्व ांगना लिंगनम् ॥ पारिजात. [manuṣyasya vibhūṣaṇaṃ taruṇatā tasyāḥ punarvaibhavam | |
tasyānāmayamasya connatakucadvandva ाṃganā liṃganam || pārijāta. ] 2.12.
Ed. Pandit Durgaprasada and K. P. Parab, Niryanasagar Press,
Bombay, 1926.
15. तिर्यग्योनिष्वपि तु स्वयं स्वयं प्रवृत्तत्वात् कामस्य नित्यत्वाच्च
न शास्त्रेण कृत्यमस्तीत्याचार्याः । का. स. [tiryagyoniṣvapi tu svayaṃ svayaṃ pravṛttatvāt kāmasya nityatvācca
na śāstreṇa kṛtyamastītyācāryāḥ | kā. sa. ] 1.2.21.