• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / History / When did Malianaga Vatsyayana write the Kama Sutra and why?

When did Malianaga Vatsyayana write the Kama Sutra and why?

May 25, 2020 by Karen Hill

Kamasutra means “guidebook” (sutra) to “sensual pleasure” (kama), and most historians believe the Kama Sutra was translated into Sanskrit by a fellow named Malianaga Vatsyayana somewhere between the third and fifth centuries A.D.

Vatsyayana broke it down into an easy-to-digest step-by-step guidebook so that the basics could be followed and remembered by readers (it would, after all, ruin the romantic moment if lovers had to keep stopping and referring to a book). But no one knows who penned the original holy scriptures that Vatsyayana rewrote.

Little to nothing is known about the author, Vatsyayana. In the texts of his Kama Sutra, he has this to say about himself and his reason for writing the guidebook:

After reading and considering the works of Babhravya and other ancient authors, and thinking over the meaning of the rules given by them, this treatise was composed according to the precepts of the Holy Writ, for the benefit of the world, by Vatsyayana, while leading the life of a religious student at Benares, and wholly engaged in the contemplation of the Deity.

This work is not to be used merely as an instrument for satisfying our desires. A person acquainted with the true principles of this science, who perseveres his Dharma (virtue or religious merit), his Artha (worldly wealth) and his Kama (pleasure or sensual gratification), and who has regard to the customs of the people, is sure to obtain the mastery over his senses.

In short, an intelligent and knowing person attending to Dharma and Artha and also to Kama, without becoming the slave of his passions, will obtain success in everything that he may do.

Related Facts

  • Where Did the Story of Frankenstein Come From and Why Did Mary Shelley Stay Up To Write the Story?
  • Why did the author of The Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum write an article saying that Indians should all be exterminated?
  • Why did Thomas Aquinas write "Summa Theologica"?
  • Where Did Aesop's Fables Come From and How Many Fables Did Aesop Write?
  • How did the skeptics get the idea that Shakespeare did not write his own plays?
  • What Does Ambidextrous Mean and Why Do Some People Write Left-Handed But Play Sports Right-Handed?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « When did Emanuel Leutze paint the oil painting of Washington crossing the Delaware?
Next Post: What was Charles Dickens’s profession before he was a writer? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy