Kamasutra 2.1

2.1.1

śaśo vṛṣo 'śva iti liṅgato nāyaka-viśeṣāḥ. nāyikā punar mṛgī baḍavā hastinī ceti.

Man is divided into three classes, viz., the hare-man, the bull-man, and the horse-man, according to the size of his lingam.

Woman also, according to the depth of her yoni, is either a female-deer, a mare, or a female-elephant.

2.1.2

tatra sa:dṛśa-saṃprayoge sama-ratāni trīṇi.

There are thus three unions between persons of corresponding dimensions, and there are six unequal unions, when the dimensions do not correspond, or nine in all, as the following table shows:

EQUAL. · UNEQUAL.
Men. · Women. · Men. · Women.
Hare. · Deer. · Hare. · Mare.
Bull. · Mare. · Hare. · Elephant.
Horse. · Elephant. · Bull. · Deer.
Bull. · Elephant.
Horse. · Deer.
Horse. · Mare.

2.1.3

viparyayeṇa vi:ṣamāṇi ṣaṭ. vi:ṣameṣv api puruṣādhikyaṃ ced an:antara-saṃprayoge dve ucca-rate. vyavahitam ekam ucca-tara-ratam. viparyaye punar dve nīca-rate. vyavahitam ekaṃ nīca-tara-rataṃ ca. teṣu samāni śreṣṭhāni. tara-śabdāṅkite dve kaniṣṭhe. śeṣāṇi madhyamāni.

In these unequal unions, when the male exceeds the female in point of size, his union with a woman who is immediately next to him in size is called high-union, and is of two kinds; while his union with the woman most remote from him in size is called the highest-union, and is of one kind only. On the other hand, when the female exceeds the male in point of size, her union with a man immediately next to her in size is called low-union, and is of two kinds; while her union with a man most remote from her in size is called the lowest-union, and is of one kind only.

In other words, the horse and mare, the bull and deer, form the high-union, while the horse and deer form the highest-union. On the female side, the elephant and bull, the mare and hare, form low-unions, while the elephant and the hare make the lowest-unions.

There are thus three unions between persons of corresponding dimensions, and there are six unequal unions, when the dimensions do not correspond, or nine in all, as the following table shows:

EQUAL. · UNEQUAL.
Men. · Women. · Men. · Women.
Hare. · Deer. · Hare. · Mare.
Bull. · Mare. · Hare. · Elephant.
Horse. · Elephant. · Bull. · Deer.
Bull. · Elephant.
Horse. · Deer.
Horse. · Mare.

There are then, nine kinds of union according to dimensions. Amongest all these, equal-unions are the best, those of a superlative degree, i.e., the highest and lowest, are the worst, and the rest are middling, and with them the high are better than the low.

2.1.4

sāmye 'py uccāṅkaṃ nīcāṅkāj jyāyaḥ. iti pramāṇato nava-ratāni.

There are then, nine kinds of union according to dimensions. Amongest all these, equal-unions are the best, those of a superlative degree, i.e., the highest and lowest, are the worst, and the rest are middling, and with them the high are better than the low.

2.1.5

yasya saṃprayoga-kāle prītir udāsīnā vīryam alpaṃ kṣatāni ca na sahate sa manda-vegaḥ.

A man is called a man of small passion whose desire at the time of sexual union is not great, whose semen is scanty, and who cannot bear the warm embraces of the female.

2.1.6

tad-viparyayau madhyama-caṇḍa-vegau bhavataḥ. tathā nāyikāpi.

Those who differ from this temperament are called men of middling passion, while those of intense passion are full of desire.

In the same way, women are supposed to have the three degrees of feeling as specified above.

2.1.7

tatrāpi pramāṇavad eva nava-ratāni.

In the same way, women are supposed to have the three degrees of feeling as specified above.

2.1.8

tadvat kālato 'pi śīghra-madhya-cira-kālā nāyakāḥ.

Lastly, according to time there are three kinds of men and women, viz., the short-timed, the moderate-timed, and the long-timed, and of these as in the previous statements, there are nine kinds of union.

2.1.9

tatra striyāṃ vivādaḥ.

But on this last head there is a difference of opinion about the female, which should be stated.

2.1.10

na strī puruṣavad eva bhāvam adhigacchati.

Auddalika says, “Females do not emit as males do. The males simply remove their desire, while the females, from their consciousness of desire, feel a certain kind of pleasure, which gives them satisfaction, but it is impossible for them to tell you what kind of pleasure they feel. The fact from which this becomes evident is, that males, when engaged in coition, cease of themselves after emission, and are satisfied, but it is not so with females.”

2.1.11

sātatyāt tv asyāḥ puruṣeṇa kaṇḍūtir apanudyate.

Auddalika says, “Females do not emit as males do. The males simply remove their desire, while the females, from their consciousness of desire, feel a certain kind of pleasure, which gives them satisfaction, but it is impossible for them to tell you what kind of pleasure they feel. The fact from which this becomes evident is, that males, when engaged in coition, cease of themselves after emission, and are satisfied, but it is not so with females.”

2.1.12

sā punar ābhimānikena sukhena saṃsṛṣṭā rasāntaraṃ janayati tasmin sukha-buddhir asyāḥ.

Auddalika says, “Females do not emit as males do. The males simply remove their desire, while the females, from their consciousness of desire, feel a certain kind of pleasure, which gives them satisfaction, but it is impossible for them to tell you what kind of pleasure they feel. The fact from which this becomes evident is, that males, when engaged in coition, cease of themselves after emission, and are satisfied, but it is not so with females.”

2.1.13

puruṣa-pratīteś cān:abhijñatvāt kathaṃ te sukham iti praṣṭum a:śakyatvāt.

Auddalika says, “Females do not emit as males do. The males simply remove their desire, while the females, from their consciousness of desire, feel a certain kind of pleasure, which gives them satisfaction, but it is impossible for them to tell you what kind of pleasure they feel. The fact from which this becomes evident is, that males, when engaged in coition, cease of themselves after emission, and are satisfied, but it is not so with females.”

2.1.14

katham etad upalabhyata iti cet puruṣo hi ratim adhigamya svecchayā viramati na striyam apekṣate na tv evaṃ strīty auddālikaḥ.

Auddalika says, “Females do not emit as males do. The males simply remove their desire, while the females, from their consciousness of desire, feel a certain kind of pleasure, which gives them satisfaction, but it is impossible for them to tell you what kind of pleasure they feel. The fact from which this becomes evident is, that males, when engaged in coition, cease of themselves after emission, and are satisfied, but it is not so with females.”

2.1.15

tatraitat syāt cira-vege nāyake striyo 'nurajyante śīghra-vegasya bhāvam an:āsādyāvasāne 'bhyasūyinyo bhavanti. tat sarvaṃ bhāva-prāpter a:prāpteś ca lakṣaṇam.

This opinion is however objected to on the grounds, that if a male be long-timed, the female loves him the more, but if he be short-timed, she is dissatisfied with him. And this circumstance, some say, would prove that the female emits also.

2.1.16

tac ca na. kaṇḍūti-pratīkāro 'pi hi dīrgha-kālaṃ priya iti. etad upapadyata eva. tasmāt saṃdigdhatvād a:lakṣaṇam iti.

But this opinion does not hold good, for if it takes a long time to allay a woman's desire, and during this time she is enjoying great pleasure, it is quite natural then that she should wish for its continuation. And on this subject there is a verse as follows:—

2.1.17

saṃyoge yoṣitaḥ puṃsā kaṇḍūtir apanudyate. tac cābhimāna-saṃsṛṣṭaṃ sukham ity abhidhīyate..

“By union with men the lust, desire, or passion of women is satisfied, and the pleasure derived from the consciousness of it is called their satisfaction.”

2.1.18

sātatyād yuvatir ārambhāt prabhṛti bhāvam adhigacchati. puruṣaḥ punar anta eva. etad upapannataram. na hy a:satyāṃ bhāva-prāptau garbha-saṃbhava iti bābhravīyāḥ.

The followers of Babhravya, however, say that the semen of women continues to fall from the beginning of the sexual union to its end, and it is right that it should be so, for if they had no semen there would be no embryo.

2.1.19

tatrāpi tāv evāśaṅkā-parihārau bhūyaḥ.

The followers of Babhravya, however, say that the semen of women continues to fall from the beginning of the sexual union to its end, and it is right that it should be so, for if they had no semen there would be no embryo.

2.1.20

tatraitat syāt ṇ sātatyena rasa-prāptāv ārambha-kāle madhyastha-cittatā nāti:sahiṣṇutā ca. tataḥ krameṇādhiko rāga-yogaḥ śarīre nir:apekṣatvam ante ca virāmābhīpsety etad upapannam iti.

To this there is an objection. In the beginning of coition the passion of the woman is middling, and she cannot bear the vigorous thrusts of her lover, but by degrees her passion increases until she ceases to think about her body, and then finally she wishes to stop from further coition.

2.1.21

tac ca na. sāmānye 'pi bhrānti-saṃskāre kulāla-cakrasya bhramarakasya vā bhrāntāv eva vartamānasya prārambhe manda-vegatā tataś ca krameṇa pūraṇaṃ vegasyety upapadyate. dhātu-kṣayāc ca virāmābhīpseti. tasmād an:ākṣepaḥ.

This objection, however, does not hold good, for even in ordinary things that revolve with great force, such as a potter's wheel, or a top, we find that the motion at first is slow, but by degrees it becomes very rapid. In the same way the passion of the woman having gradually increased, she has a desire to discontinue coition, when all the semen has fallen away. And there is a verse with regard to this as follows:—

2.1.22

suratānte sukhaṃ puṃsāṃ strīṇāṃ tu satataṃ sukham. dhātu-kṣaya-nimittā ca virāmecchopajāyate..

“The fall of the semen of the man takes place only at the end of coition, while the semen of the woman falls continually, and after the semen of both has all fallen away they wish for the discontinuance of coition.”

2.1.23

tasmāt puruṣavad eva yoṣito 'pi rasa-vyaktir draṣṭavyā.

Lastly, Vatsyayana is of opinion that the semen of the female, falls in the same way as that of the male.

2.1.24

kathaṃ hi samānāyām evākṛtāv ekārtham abhiprapannayoḥ kārya-vailakṣaṇyaṃ syāt.

Now some one may ask here: If men and women are beings of the same kind, and are engaged in bringing about the same result, why should they have different works to do.

2.1.25

upāya-vailakṣaṇyād abhimāna-vailakṣaṇyāc ca.

Vatsya says that this is so, because the ways of working as well as the consciousness of pleasure in men and women are different. The difference in the ways of working, by which men are the actors, and women are the persons acted upon, is owing to the nature of the male and the female, otherwise the actor would be sometimes the person acted upon, and vice versa. And from this difference in the ways of working follows the difference in the consciousness of pleasure, for a man thinks, “this woman is united with me,” and a woman thinks, “I am united with this man.”

2.1.26

katham upāya-vailakṣaṇyaṃ tu sargāt. kartā hi puruṣo 'dhikaraṇaṃ yuvatiḥ. anyathā hi kartā kriyāṃ pratipadyate 'nyathā cādhāraḥ. tasmāc copāya-vailakṣaṇyāt sargād abhimāna-vailakṣaṇyam api bhavati. abhiyoktāham iti puruṣo 'nurajyate. abhiyuktāham aneneti yuvatir iti vātsyāyanaḥ.

Vatsya says that this is so, because the ways of working as well as the consciousness of pleasure in men and women are different. The difference in the ways of working, by which men are the actors, and women are the persons acted upon, is owing to the nature of the male and the female, otherwise the actor would be sometimes the person acted upon, and vice versa. And from this difference in the ways of working follows the difference in the consciousness of pleasure, for a man thinks, “this woman is united with me,” and a woman thinks, “I am united with this man.”

2.1.27

tatraitat syād upāya-vailakṣaṇyavad eva hi kārya-vailakṣaṇyam api kasmān na syād iti. tac ca na. hetumad upāya-vailakṣaṇyam. tatra kartr-ādhārayor bhinna-lakṣaṇatvād a:hetumat-kārya-vailakṣaṇyam anyāyyaṃ syāt. ākṛter a:bhedād iti.

It may be said that if the ways of working in men and women are different, why should not there be a difference, even in the pleasure they feel, and which is the result of those ways.

But this objection is groundless, for the person acting and the person acted upon being of different kinds, there is a reason for the difference in their ways of working; but there is no reason for any difference in the pleasure they feel, because they both naturally derive pleasure from the act they perform.

2.1.28

tatraitat syāt. saṃhatya kārakair eko 'rtho 'bhinirvartyate. pṛthak pṛthak svārtha-sādhakau punar imau tad a:yuktam iti.

On this again some may say that when different persons are engaged in doing the same work, we find that they accomplish the same end or purpose; while, on the contrary, in the case of men and women we find that each of them accomplishes his or her own end separately, and this is inconsistent. But this is a mistake, for we find that sometimes two things are done at the same time, as for instance in the fighting of rams, both the rams receive the shock at the same time on their heads. Again, in throwing one wood apple against another, and also in a fight or struggle of wrestlers. If it be said that in these cases the things employed are of the same kind, it is answered that even in the case of men and women, the nature of the two persons is the same. And as the difference in their ways of working arises from the difference of their conformation only, it follows that men experience the same kind of pleasure as women do.

2.1.29

tac ca na. yugapad an:ekārtha-siddhir api dṛśyate. yathā meṣayor abhighāte kapitthayor bhede mallayor yuddha iti. na tatra kāraka-bheda iti ced ihāpi na vastu-bheda iti. upāya-vailakṣaṇyaṃ tu sargād iti tad abhihitaṃ purastāt. tenobhayor api sadṛśī sukha-pratipattir iti.

On this again some may say that when different persons are engaged in doing the same work, we find that they accomplish the same end or purpose; while, on the contrary, in the case of men and women we find that each of them accomplishes his or her own end separately, and this is inconsistent. But this is a mistake, for we find that sometimes two things are done at the same time, as for instance in the fighting of rams, both the rams receive the shock at the same time on their heads. Again, in throwing one wood apple against another, and also in a fight or struggle of wrestlers. If it be said that in these cases the things employed are of the same kind, it is answered that even in the case of men and women, the nature of the two persons is the same. And as the difference in their ways of working arises from the difference of their conformation only, it follows that men experience the same kind of pleasure as women do.

2.1.30

jāter a:bhedād daṃpatyoḥ sa:dṛśam sukham iṣyate. tasmāt tathopacaryā strī yathāgre prāpnuyād ratim...2.1.31 sa:dṛśatvasya siddhatvāt kāla-yogīny api bhāvato 'pi kālataḥ pramāṇavad eva nava ratāni.

"Men and women being of the same nature, feel the same kind of pleasure, and therefore a man should marry such a woman as will love him ever afterwards."

2.1.32

raso ratiḥ prītir bhāvo rāgo vegaḥ samāptir iti rati-paryāyāḥ. saṃprayogo rataṃ rahaḥ śayanaṃ mohanaṃ surata-paryāyāḥ.

There being thus nine kinds of union with regard to dimensions, force of passion, and time, respectively, by making combinations of them, innumerable kinds of union would be produced. Therefore in each particular kind of sexual union, men should use such means as they may think suitable for the occasion.

2.1.33

pramāṇa-kāla-bhāva-jānāṃ saṃprayogānām ekaikasya nava-vidhatvāt teṣāṃ vyatikare surata-saṃkhyā na śakyate kartum. ati:bahutvāt.

There being thus nine kinds of union with regard to dimensions, force of passion, and time, respectively, by making combinations of them, innumerable kinds of union would be produced. Therefore in each particular kind of sexual union, men should use such means as they may think suitable for the occasion.

2.1.34

teṣu tarkād upacārān prayojayed iti vātsyāyanaḥ.

There being thus nine kinds of union with regard to dimensions, force of passion, and time, respectively, by making combinations of them, innumerable kinds of union would be produced. Therefore in each particular kind of sexual union, men should use such means as they may think suitable for the occasion.

2.1.35

prathama-rate caṇḍa-vegatā śīghra-kālatā ca puruṣasya tad-viparītam uttareṣu. yoṣitaḥ punar etad eva viparītam. ā dhātu-kṣayāt.

At the first time of sexual union the passion of the male is intense, and his time is short, but in subsequent unions on the same day the reverse of this is the case. With the female however it is the contrary, for at the first time her passion is weak, and then her time long, but on subsequent occassions on the same day, her passion is intense and her time short, until her passion is satisfied.

2.1.36

prāk ca strī-dhātu-kṣayāt puruṣa-dhātu-kṣaya iti prāyovādaḥ.

At the first time of sexual union the passion of the male is intense, and his time is short, but in subsequent unions on the same day the reverse of this is the case. With the female however it is the contrary, for at the first time her passion is weak, and then her time long, but on subsequent occassions on the same day, her passion is intense and her time short, until her passion is satisfied.

2.1.37

mṛdutvād upamṛdyatvān nisargāc caiva yoṣitaḥ. prāpnuvanty āśu tāḥ prītim ity ācāryā vyavasthitāḥ..

At the first time of sexual union the passion of the male is intense, and his time is short, but in subsequent unions on the same day the reverse of this is the case. With the female however it is the contrary, for at the first time her passion is weak, and then her time long, but on subsequent occassions on the same day, her passion is intense and her time short, until her passion is satisfied.

2.1.38

etāvad eva yuktānāṃ vyākhyātaṃ sāmprayogikam. mandānām avabodhārthaṃ vistaro 'taḥ pravakṣyate((7)).

At the first time of sexual union the passion of the male is intense, and his time is short, but in subsequent unions on the same day the reverse of this is the case. With the female however it is the contrary, for at the first time her passion is weak, and then her time long, but on subsequent occassions on the same day, her passion is intense and her time short, until her passion is satisfied.

2.1.38.p1

section (prakaraṇa)7

At the first time of sexual union the passion of the male is intense, and his time is short, but in subsequent unions on the same day the reverse of this is the case. With the female however it is the contrary, for at the first time her passion is weak, and then her time long, but on subsequent occassions on the same day, her passion is intense and her time short, until her passion is satisfied.

2.1.39

abhyāsād abhimānāc ca tathā saṃpratyayād api. viṣayebhyaś ca tantra-jñāḥ prītim āhuś catur-vidhām..

Men learned in the humanities are of opinion that love is of four kinds, viz.:

Love acquired by continual habit.

Love resulting from the imagination.

Love resulting from belief.

Love resulting from the perception of external objects.

2.1.40

śabdādibhyo bahir:bhūtā yā karmābhyāsa-lakṣaṇā. prītiḥ sābhyāsikī jñeyā mṛgayādiṣu karmasu..

(1) Love resulting from the constant and continual performance of some act, is called love acquired by constant practice and habit, as for instance the love of sexual intercourse, the love of hunting, the love of drinking, the love of gambling, etc., etc.

2.1.41

an:abhyasteṣv api purā karmasv a:viṣayātmikā. saṃkalpāj jāyate prītir yā sā syād ābhimānikī..

(2) Love which is felt for things to which we are not habituated, and which proceeds entirely from ideas, is called love resulting from imagination, as for instance, that love which some men and women and eunuchs feel for the Auparishtaka or mouth congress, and that which is felt by all for such things as embracing, kissing, etc., etc.

2.1.42

prakṛter yā tṛtīyasyāḥ striyāś caivopariṣṭake. teṣu teṣu ca vijñeyā cumabanādiṣu karmasu..

(2) Love which is felt for things to which we are not habituated, and which proceeds entirely from ideas, is called love resulting from imagination, as for instance, that love which some men and women and eunuchs feel for the Auparishtaka or mouth congress, and that which is felt by all for such things as embracing, kissing, etc., etc.

2.1.43

nānyo 'yam iti yatra syād anyasmin prīti-kāraṇe. tantra-jñaiḥ kathyate sāpi prītiḥ saṃpratyayātmikā..

(3) The love which is mutual on both sides, and proved to be true, when each looks upon the other as his or her very own, such is called love resulting from belief by the learned.

2.1.44

pratyakṣā lokataḥ siddhā yā prītir viṣayātmikā. pradhāna-phalavattvāt sā tad-arthāś cetarā api..

(4) The love resulting from the perception of external objects is quite evident and well known to the world, because the pleasure which it affords is superior to the pleasure of the other kinds of love, which exist only for its sake.

2.1.45

prītīr etāḥ parāmṛśya śāstrataḥ śāstra-lakṣaṇāḥ. yo yathā vartate bhāvas taṃ tathaiva prayojayet((8))..

(4) The love resulting from the perception of external objects is quite evident and well known to the world, because the pleasure which it affords is superior to the pleasure of the other kinds of love, which exist only for its sake.

2.1_2

iti śrīvātyāyanīye kāmasūtre sāṃprayogike dvitīye 'dhikaraṇe pramāṇa-kāla-bhāvebhyo ratāvasthāpanaṃ prīti-viśeṣā iti prathamo 'dhyāyaḥ. āditaḥ ṣaṣṭhaḥ((9)).

2.1.p1

leçon 2 dvitīyo 'dhyāyaḥ
section (prakaraṇa)8 āliṅgana-vicāra-prakaraṇam