A History of Sanskrit Literature c32.6

c32.6

The *Kāmasūtra* is divided into seven parts; the first deals with generalities, the purpose of the book, the three ends of man, the sciences, the character of an elegant, and the description of the friends and go-betweens who help him in his intrigues. Part ii discusses the modes of enjoying love; iii relations with maidens, giving hints for courtship which imply a state of society in which child marriages were by no means universal, and marriage ceremonials, supplementing the information of the Gṛhyasūtras; iv discusses relations with married women; v relations with the women of others; vi hetairai; and vii secret potions to secure love. The sociological and medical importance of the treatise is admittedly considerable, it is certain that it was very freely used by the poets to guide them in their descriptions of love scenes.