Karma Sutra Pictures for Understanding the Kama Sutra Principles

The Karma Sutra has become a standard text for love and sex since it was first introduced by Mallanaga Vatsyayana, an Indian sage. This piece of Sanskrit literature does not only discuss and show a total of 64 types of sexual acts, but also provides insights on the relationship of woman and man and how pleasure can be a unifying force. The Karma Sutra is not only about sex and a variety of sexual positions. It is a common belief that it is filled with illustrations and guidelines to proper lovemaking. In fact, only one out of its seven sections contain the details on different lovemaking postures.

The second part of the Karma Sutra is the only section which gives detailed explanation of couples in various states of sharing sexual pleasure. It has a total of 10 chapters, which do not only include ways of having sex but remarks on biting, scratching, and stimulating your partner as well. When Vatsyayana first introduced the Karma Sutra way back in the 17th century B.C.E., it was only meant for the affluent males in society.

It does not only include ways of pleasuring a woman, but also insights on money-making, marriage and how they should conduct themselves in the society, some are still applicable today. According to Karma Sutra, man and woman should share equal amount of pleasure when lovemaking. This prevents the objectification of women, contrary to popular belief.

The Karma Sutra guide is best understood and learned through the pictures. It has been translated several times that some of the meaning were lost in translation. The Karma Sutra is made of verses of the text that are easy to memorize and communicate. But more than anything, its drawings which were later added by translators would tell everything that a person should know when it comes to lovemaking.

The Kama Sutra pictures identify the different sexual positions; from sitting, rear entry, standing, and role reversal. Looking at the pictures is much better than reading the text in Sanskrit. People without Hindu background cannot interpret Vatsyayana's original text. Some of the original texts and passages were so complicated that without Richard Burton, a famed English translator of the Karma Sutra, people would have lost interest.

Most of the pictures or illustrations that are featured in most of the translated texts of the Karma Sutra were sourced out from paintings and artworks in India. Publishers need to translate the text in a language understood by many, and what better way to make it easier and more attractive to the readers than to add pictures. Authors have to travel to India and source out paintings and sculptures in museums and temples, as well as other artworks that depict the teachings in the Karma Sutra. Readers find it easier to relate to these pictures which in turn foster better understanding of the ancient manual of love and sex.