‘Modest, caring for each other, when a couple thus carry on, their mutual love will never fade’

The word ‘kama’ means the desire, especially for sensual pleasure, in Sanskrit. Its proper pursuit was considered an essential part of the well-rounded education of a young patrician. Treating enjoyment as an art, Kama Sutra is a handbook covering every aspect of love, sex, the social life and relationships, from increasing virility to seducing a new partner. It also gives a fascinating insight into the pampered world of the Indian elite nearly two thousand years ago.

This acclaimed new translation takes the Kama Sutra away from its familiar image of an erotic Oriental curiosity, and reveals it as a pithy and wry account of human behaviour. A. N. D. Haksar’s introduction discusses the work’s origins, authorship and influence, and this edition also contains extensive notes and a bibliography.

‘The Kama Sutra may be an ancient Sanskrit text, but this translation still shows that it is still of great value

… the new version uses a clean, intelligent and intelligible updated English’ Jeanette Winterson

‘A fine new translation … arch, comical and amazing’

Hanif Kureishi

Translated and with an introduction by A. N. D. Haksar