Track
Part and ChapterLength
01
Introduction
12:19
02
Part I. Chapter I. BEING THE INDEX TO OR CONTENTS OF THE WORK.5:08
03
Part I. Chapter II. ON THE ACQUISITION OF DHARMA ARTHA AND KAMA.10:58
04
Part 1 Chapter III. ON THE ARTS AND SCIENCES TO BE STUDIED.11:35
05
Part I. Chapter IV. THE LIFE OF A CITIZEN.15:21
06
Part I. Chapter V. ABOUT THE KINDS OF WOMEN RESORTED TO BY THE CITIZENS AND OF FRIENDS AND MESSENGERS.10:18
07
Part II. OF SEXUAL UNION. Chapter I. KINDS OF SEXUAL UNION ACCORDING TO (a) DIMENSIONS. (b) FORCE OF DESIRE OR PASSION. (c) TIME.14:30
08
Part II. Chapter II. OF THE EMBRACE.7:38
09
Part II. Chapter III. ON KISSING.7:06
10
Part II. Chapter IV. ON PRESSING OR MARKING OR SCRATCHING WITH THE NAILS.6:36
11Part II. Chapter V. ON BITING AND THE MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED WITH REGARD TO WOMEN OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.7:34
12Part II. Chapter VI. OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF LYING DOWN AND VARIOUS KINDS OF CONGRESS.7:48
13Part II. Chapter VII. OF THE VARIOUS MODES OF STRIKING AND OF THE SOUNDS APPROPRIATE TO THEM.7:00
14Part II. Chapter VIII. ABOUT WOMEN ACTING THE PART OF A MAN; AND OF THE WORK OF A MAN.6:51
15Part II. Chapter IX. OF THE AUPARISHTAKA OR MOUTH CONGRESS.9:16
16Part II. Chapter X. OF THE WAY HOW TO BEGIN AND HOW TO END THE CONGRESS. DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONGRESS AND LOVE QUARRELS.8:29
17Part III. ABOUT THE ACQUISITION OF A WIFE. Chapter I. ON MARRIAGE.7:43
18Part III. Chapter II. OF CREATING CONFIDENCE IN THE GIRL.8:31
19Part III. Chapter III. ON COURTSHIP AND THE MANIFESTATION OF THE FEELINGS BY OUTWARD SIGNS AND DEEDS.8:30
20Part III. Chapter IV. ABOUT 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.9:19
21Part III. Chapter V. ON CERTAIN FORMS OF MARRIAGE.8:01
22Part IV. ABOUT A WIFE. Chapter I. ON THE MANNER OF LIVING OF A VIRTUOUS WOMAN AND OF HER BEHAVIOUR DURING THE ABSENCE OF HER HUSBAND.10:11
23Part IV. Chapter II. ON THE CONDUCT OF THE ELDER WIFE TOWARDS THE OTHER WIVES OF HER HUSBAND AND ON THAT OF A YOUNGER WIFE TOWARDS THE ELDER ONES. ALSO ON THE CONDUCT OF A VIRGIN WIDOW RE-MARRIED; OF A WIFE DISLIKED BY HER HUSBAND; OF THE WOMEN IN THE KING'S HAREM; AND LASTLY ON THE CONDUCT OF A HUSBAND TOWARDS MANY WIVES.13:52
24Part V. ABOUT THE WIVES OF OTHER MEN. Chapter I. OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MEN AND WOMEN.?THE REASONS WHY WOMEN REJECT THE ADDRESSES OF MEN.?ABOUT MEN WHO HAVE SUCCESS WITH WOMEN AND ABOUT WOMEN WHO ARE EASILY GAINED OVER.12:08
25Part V. Chapter II. ABOUT MAKING ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE WOMAN AND OF THE EFFORTS TO GAIN HER OVER.7:48
26Part V. Chapter III. EXAMINATION OF THE STATE OF A WOMAN'S MIND.5:45
27Part V. Chapter IV. ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF A GO-BETWEEN.15:40
28Part V. Chapter V. ABOUT THE LOVE OF PERSONS IN AUTHORITY FOR THE WIVES OF OTHER MEN.10:07
29Part V. Chapter VI. ABOUT THE WOMEN OF THE ROYAL HAREM; AND OF THE KEEPING OF ONE'S OWN WIFE.10:48
30Part VI. ABOUT COURTESANS. Introductory Remarks.2:34
31Part VI.  Chapter I. OF THE CAUSES OF A COURTESAN RESORTING TO MEN; OF THE MEANS OF ATTACHING TO HERSELF THE MAN DESIRED; AND OF THE KIND OF MAN THAT IT IS DESIRABLE TO BE ACQUAINTED WITH.10:39
32Part VI. Chapter II. OF LIVING LIKE A WIFE.9:21
33Part VI. Chapter III. OF THE MEANS OF GETTING MONEY. OF THE SIGNS OF THE CHANGE OF A LOVER'S FEELINGS AND OF THE WAY TO GET RID OF HIM.9:43
34Part VI. Chapter IV. ABOUT RE-UNION WITH A FORMER LOVER.8:52
35Part VI. Chapter V. OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF GAIN.8:54
36Part VI. Chapter VI. OF GAINS AND LOSSES; ATTENDANT GAINS AND LOSSES; AND DOUBTS; AS ALSO OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF COURTESANS.13:43
37Part VII. ABOUT THE MEANS OF ATTRACTING OTHERS TO YOURSELF. Chapter I. ON PERSONAL ADORNMENT; ON SUBJUGATING THE HEARTS OF OTHERS; AND ON TONIC MEDICINES.13:13
38Part VII.  Chapter II. OF THE WAYS OF EXCITING DESIRE AND MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS AND RECIPES.12:03
39Part VII. Concluding Remarks7:29

Notes
Running Time: 6 hours 13 minutes
Read by: Mark F. Smith
Book Coordinator: Mark F. Smith
Meta Coordinators: Carl Manchester
Proof Listener: Ans Wink

Artwork
Cover: Adaptation of prince and lady on terrace at night, 1790, Rajasthan
Inset: Richard Francis Burton by Rischgitz, 1864

Recordings
These recordings were made using the author’s original published work, which is in the public domain. The readings were recorded by members and volunteers of Librivox.org, which has generously made the recordings available to the public domain. The audio files have been lightly edited and have been engineered using professional audio tools for maximum sonic quality. While Librivox condones the sale and distribution of these recordings, it is not associated with the management or operations of MP3 Audiobook Classics.  




The Kama Sutra is an ancient Hindu text considered by many as the first and perhaps still the best work on human sexual behavior.  Often mistakenly thought to be a guide to tantric sex, the Kama Sutra is not exclusively a sex manual, but rather a guide to living a virtuous and fulfilling life that treats matters of love, family, pleasure and passion in both a frank and insightful manner.  The term “kama” means “desire”, and is one of the four goals of life within the purusharthas, the others being Dharma (virtuous living), Artha (material prosperity), and Moksha (liberation). A “sutra” means a line or thread that connects things, and often refers to a collection of rules, formulas, or aphorisms that serve as a guide or manual. The Kama Sutra was written in Sanskrit by Vatsyayana in the Second Century AD, and represents an abridged assemblage of longer works by seven predecessors composed between 400 BC and 200 AD.  The book is written in prose with generous sprinklings of verse, and is structured in seven parts, 36 chapters and 1,250 verses.

The best known English translation first appeared in 1883 and is usually attributed to Sir Richard Francis Burton, although the work was done by an Indian Civil Servant and a student assistant. Burton learned of its existence through repeated references to Vatya while at work on another translation. He learned that it was considered a definitive work and that it was impossible to find a complete version.  Pundits obtained versions from libraries in Calcutta, Benares, Bombay, and Jaipur, and assembled a copy of the entire manuscript along with a commentary which Burton published privately.


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Item Info
EAN - DVD case 0683422134203
EAN - CD jacket 0687700170730
Media MP3 CD
Package DVD Box
Author Vatsyayana
Translator Richard Francis Burton
Year Written Second Century Ad, English translation 1883
Recording
Read by Mark F. Smith
Length 6 hours and 13 minutes
Type of Reading Solo

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The Kama Sutra

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Tags: Kama Sutra, Vatsyayana