Book description
The word 'kama' means the desire for sensual pleasure in Sanskrit,
and was considered an essential part of the well-rounded education of
a young, urbane gentleman. Treating pleasure as an art, Kama
Sutra is a handbook covering every aspect of love and
relationships. Its seven sections are devoted to the social life,
courtship and marriage, extra-marital relations, the conduct of
courtesans and prescriptions for enhancing attractiveness, as well as
systematic, detailed instruction on sex.
This new edition of Kama Sutra casts it in a new light,
taking it away from the well-worn image of an erotic, Oriental
curiosity. This clear, accurate translation conveys all the original
flavour and feel of this elegant, intimate and hugely enjoyable work;
a masterpiece of pithy description and a wry account of human desires
and foibles.
Aditya Narayan Dhairyasheel Haksar was born in central India and
educated at the universities of Allahabad and Oxford. A well-known
translator of Sanskrit classics, he has also had a distinguished
career as a diplomat, serving as Indian high commissioner to Kenya and
the Seychelles, minister to the United States and ambassador to
Portugal and Yugoslavia. His translations from the Sanskrit include
The Shattered Thigh and Other Plays, Hitopadesa,
Tales of the Ten Princes, Simhasana Dvatrimsika and
Subhashitavali, all published as Penguin Classics. He has also
compiled A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry.
Hanif Kureishi is the author of novels (including Something to
Tell You, The Buddha of Suburbia, The Black Album
and Intimacy), story collections, plays, screenplays, essays
and a memoir, My Ear at his Heart.
