Grihastha Ashrama And The Kamasutra

Abstract

The Kamasutra is an ancient text guiding the sensual and sexual life of men and women in society. The text authored by Mallinga Vatsyayana is a work of art describing the variety of human sexual conduct and its pursuit from the time the person is in the Grihastha ashrama or the householder’s stage of existence. This included men, women and the third gender. The Grihastha stage begins from the time studentship stage of Brahmacharya Ashrama ends and the person enters the stage of a householder where the person begins a professional career, acquires sources of income, gets married and begets children. The main protagonist of the Kamasutra, the “nagaraka” after acquiring education, sets up a lifestyle for himself, follows duties, participates in festivities, attends social gatherings, etc. The nagaraka also has a set of social skills and etiquettes to follow; maintain a wardrobe full of various attires for each function and makes efforts to maintain personal grooming; hosting and entertaining family, friends, lovers, courtesans and acquaintances, conduct business trade and maintain networking in social circles as well as indulge in cultural pursuits. Women had to focus on grooming, acquiring skills, maintaining the household and balancing between various relationships. But nowhere has Vatsyayana focused on mentioning stages of life where one procreates or prepares for Vanaprastha Ashrama or Sanyasa Ashrama or pursuit of Moksha or liberation. These aspects of the life of a commoner need to be explored at greater lengths in the academic arena for a holistic study on the great monumental work of Vatsyayana as Kamasutra is only seen as a work on sexual positions and portrayals. The current study proposes to explore various facets of the Grihastha life spelled out explicitly and implicitly by the author and aspects missed or avoided by him in the greater good of life. As we spend a large part of our life as householders, the views expressed by Vatsyayana hold good and true in these contemporary times as well which needs to be investigated exhaustively.