Salutation to Dharma, Artha and Kama

IN the beginning, the Lord of Beings created men and
women, and in the form of commandments in one
hundred thousand chapters laid down rules for regulating
their existence with regard to Dharma, Artha, and Kama.
Some of these commandments, namely those which
treated of Dharma, were separately written by Swayambhu
Manu; those that related to Artha were compiled by
Brihaspati; and those that referred to Kama were
expounded by Nandi, the follower of Mahadeva, in one
thousand chapters.
Now these ‘Kama Sutra’ (Aphorisms on Love), written
by Nandi in one thousand chapters, were reproduced by
Shvetaketu, the son of Uddvalaka, in an abbreviated form
in five hundred chapters, and this work was again
similarly reproduced in an abridged form, in one hundred
and fifty chapters, by Babhravya, an inheritant of the
Punchala (South of Delhi) country. These one hundred
and fifty chapters were then put together under seven
heads or parts named severally
1. Sadharana (general topics)
2. Samprayogika (embraces, etc.)
3. Kanya Samprayuktaka (union of males and females)
4. Bharyadhikarika (on one’s own wife)
5. Paradika (on the wives of other people)
6. Vaisika (on courtesans)
7. Aupamishadika (on the arts of seduction, tonic
medicines, etc.)
The sixth part of this last work was separately
expounded by Dattaka at the request of the public women
of Pataliputra (Patna), and in the same way Charayana
explained the first part of it. The remaining parts, viz. the
second, third, fourth, fifth, and seventh, were each
separately expounded by
Suvarnanabha (second part)
Ghotakamukha (third part)
Gonardiya (fourth part)
Gonikaputra (fifth part)
Kuchumara (seventh part), respectively.
Thus the work being written in parts by different
authors was almost unobtainable and, as the parts which
were expounded by Dattaka and the others treated only of
the particular branches of the subject to which each part
related, and moreover as the original work of Babhravya
was difficult to be mastered on account of its length,
Vatsyayana, therefore, composed his work in a small
volume as an abstract of the whole of the works of the
above named authors.
PART I: INTRODUCTORY
1. Preface
2. Observations on the three worldly attainments of
Virtue, Wealth, and Love
3. On the study of the Sixty-four Arts
4. On the Arrangements of a House, and Household
Furniture; and about the Daily Life of a Citizen, his
Companions, Amusements, etc.
5. About classes of Women fit and unfit for Congress
with the Citizen, and of Friends, and Messengers
PART II: ON SEXUAL UNION
1. Kinds of Union according to Dimensions, Force of
Desire, and Time; and on the different kinds of Love
2. Of the Embrace
3. On Kissing
4. On Pressing or Marking with the Nails
5. On Biting, and the ways of Love to be employed with
regard to Women of different countries
6. On the various ways of Lying down, and the different
kinds of Congress
7. On the various ways of Striking, and of the Sounds
appropriate to them
8. About females acting the part of Males
9. On holding the Lingam in the Mouth
10. How to begin and how to end the Congress.
Different kinds of Congress, and Love Quarrels
PART III: ABOUT THE ACQUISITION OF A WIFE
1. Observations on Betrothal and Marriage
2. About creating Confidence in the Girl
3. Courtship, and the manifestation of the feelings by
outward signs and deeds
4. On things to be done only by the Man, and the
acquisition of the Girl thereby. Also what is to be done by
a Girl to gain over a Man and subject him to her
5. On the different Forms of Marriage
PART IV: ABOUT A WIFE
1. On the manner of living of a virtuous Woman, and of
her behaviour during the absence of her Husband
2. On the conduct of the eldest Wife towards the other
Wives of her Husband, and of the younger Wife towards
the elder ones. Also on the conduct of a Virgin Widow
remarried; of a Wife disliked by her Husband; of the
Women in the King’s Harem; and of a Husband who has
more than one Wife
PART V: ABOUT THE WIVES OF OTHER PEOPLE
1. On the Characteristics of Men and Women, and the
reason why Women reject the Addresses of Men. About
Men who have Success with Women, and about Women
who are easily gained over
2. About making Acquaintance with the Woman, and of
the efforts to gain her over
3. Examination of the State of a Woman’s mind
4. The Business of a Go-Between
5. On the Love of Persons in authority with the Wives
of other People
6. About the Women of the Royal Harem, and of the
keeping of one’s own Wife
PART VI: ABOUT COURTESANS
1. Of the Causes of a Courtesan resorting to Men; of the
means of Attaching to herself the Man desired, and the
kind of Man that it is desirable to be acquainted with
2. Of a Courtesan living with a Man as his Wife
3. Of the Means of getting Money; of the Signs of a
Lover who is beginning to be Weary, and of the way to
get rid of him
4. About a Reunion with a former Lover
5. Of different kinds of Gain
6. Of Gains and Losses, attendant Gains and Losses,
and Doubts; and lastly, the different kinds of Courtesans
PART VII: ON THE MEANS OF ATTRACTING
OTHERS TO ONE’S SELF
1. On Personal Adornment, subjugating the hearts of
others, and of tonic medicines
2. Of the means of exciting Desire, and of the ways of
enlarging the Lingam. Miscellaneous Experiments andReceipts