Sexuality in the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana

The article, "Sexuality in the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana" by O. Somasundaram in April, 1986 issue of IJP was a disappointment. The article is nothing more than a abridged English translation of some portions of the great classic, Kama Sutra. As such, numerous good, bad, expensive, cheap and even illustrated pictorially, works based on Kama Sutra are available in market in any kind of shop in their abridged and unabridged forms. Though the article concludes that "it could very well be used for counselling in sex and marriage therapies in India", however , no where in the article has any attempt been made to correlate the knowledge from Kama Sutra with therapeutic aspects in contemporary times. In fact, some of the references to potions and external splints and devices to increase sexual vigour, increase phallic size or reduce vul-var patency are all contrary to the modern scientific findings and practice. These are the very techniques by which so called self-prophessed 'sex-specialists' (quacks in short) unscruplously treat young male patients in India by giving them all kind of herbal and magic potions. The article also describes in detail various coital techniques but does not mention the relevance or usefulness of these techniques in various sexual disorders seen in modern times or even during times of Vat-syayana. Reply: The article 'Sexuality in the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana' was written with a view to fami-liarise the average but busy practising professionals , many of whom are acquainted with the name of the great Vatsyayana but might not have gone through the text in depth and to point out that many of the ideas and practical measures suggested are not incompatible with the present day practices. Besides, the article aims at a historical perspective in sexuality with reference to this ancient text and needless to say that we should agree with all the panaceas suggested. The suggestions are made to the future sexo-logists to utilise this work in their practice and when such advice emanates from a senior colleague it is not necessary to conclude about the expertise of him in the field. One should not be found fault with, if an author takes some of his colleagues to have 'a peep' into the ancient Indian text.