Erotics, Texts on

One of the established genres in Indian
literature was ratishastra, or “treatises
on [sexual] pleasure,” of which the
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Erotics, Texts on
Erotic sculptures decorate the facade of the Kandariya Mahadev Temple in Khajuraho.
best-known is the Kama Sutra. Sexual
pleasure was seen as an established part
of human life, which did not have to be
hidden, and for which no excuses were
necessary. Kama (as both “desire” and
“sexual desire”) was one of the
purusharthas or aims of life. Satisfying
one’s desires was seen as a legitimate
goal and considered a good thing, insofar as the pursuit did not interfere with
other ends. The texts on erotics analyzed
and classified sexuality in terms of aesthetic experience, as well as a vehicle
for physical pleasure. For its sophisticated practitioners, such well-defined
sexuality was intended to provide fulfillment for both partners, and here the literature is unusual for giving women
equal desire and equal pleasure.