Kama Sutra updated as 'classy' new guide to modern life and relationships
A new version of the Kama Sutra, the ancient Indian book long seen as the ultimate sex manual, is to be published as a "lifestyle guide for the modern man and woman".
The Kama Sutra is believed to have been written in the third century (AD) by the Indian sage Vatsyayana, as a guide for the courtly gentleman of the time Photo: REX FEATURES
For years it has been seen as the ultimate sex guide – the first point of reference for young men eager to learn about the art of adventurous lovemaking.
But now, the Kama Sutra is to be updated in a new version, presented as a "lifestyle guide for the modern man and woman".
Gone are the erotic drawings and sexual illustrations that have accompanied various translations of the ancient Hindu text.
Instead, the new edition, to be published by Penguin, will be a text-only pocket-sized handbook, described as a "classy" manual "covering every aspect of love and relationships".
Previous English versions of the Kama Sutra have been widely based on the 19th-century translation by the explorer and orientalist, Sir Richard Francis Burton, often featuring erotic illustrations to enhance Burton's old-fashioned language.
But the new version, written by A. N. D Haksar, an Indian scholar and a leading translator of Sanskrit texts, will include updated chapter headings such as "Making a Pass", "Why Women Get Turned Off", "Girls to Avoid", "Is he Worthwhile?", "Getting rid of him", "Easy Women", "Moves towards sex," and "Some Dos and Don'ts".
Mr Haksar said: "The common perception of the Kama Sutra is that it is only about sex, but any honest reading of the book shows that it is about lifestyle and social relations between human beings.
"My effort with the new translation has been to stay as close as possible to the original text but to present it in a contemporary language which reflects the contemporary issues within the book."
The Kama Sutra is believed to have been written in the third century (AD) by the Indian sage Vatsyayana, as a guide for the courtly gentleman of the time.
"Kama" means "the desire for sensual pleasure," but in contrast to popular theory, only one of the Kama Sutra's seven "books" is dedicated purely to sex.
The second and longest book outlines tips on how to enhance sexual pleasure and provides detailed descriptions of intricate sexual positions.
The six other sections deal with social etiquette and good-living, courtship, marriage, extramarital relations, mistresses and courtesans and advice on how to enhance one's physical attractiveness.
The book also includes relationship advice for women, such as avoiding men who talk too much or who have "breath which smells of crows".
The book also encourages women to seek out either a "fatalist wanting to spend his money fast" or a man "with a steady income" who is "as strong as a bull in sex", "full of life and not addicted to drinking" and "who flirts with them but is not in their control".
Alexis Kirschbaum, the editorial director at Penguin said that the new version of the book, which will be published in February 2011, would be "less pornographic, and more a lifestyle guide for the urbane and modern gentleman and woman".
She said: "This is the most accurate, authentic version to date. Until now, the Kama Sutra has always been presented as a scandalous, 1960s hippie-influenced pornographic sex book.
"But it was originally written as advice to a courtly gentleman on how to live a well-rounded life, not just a passionate life.
"We are therefore stripping away all of those pornographic interpretations people have put on it and presenting the book as a modern and savvy guide for how to live well."
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