Kama Kalpa; or, the Hindu Ritual of Love by Paul Thomas

Kama Kalpa; or, the Hindu Ritual of Love 

by Paul Thomas

 

 

FOREWORD BY OLIVIA SALTER

In a world filled with diverse cultures and traditions, the exploration of ancient customs and rituals has always been a captivating endeavor. Amidst this tapestry of knowledge, the Hindu tradition stands as a beacon of wisdom, with their rituals instilling a profound understanding of love and spirituality. It is within this context that I am delighted to introduce Paul Thomas's insightful work, "Kama Kalpa, or the Hindu Ritual of Love."

Thomas's meticulous research and passionate exploration of the Hindu ritual of love reveal a captivating journey into the depths of human emotions. He seamlessly navigates the intricate tapestry that is Kama Kalpa, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of its principles, practices, and significance within the Hindu faith.

Throughout this compelling work, Thomas paints a vibrant picture of devotion, sensuality, and spirituality intertwined within the Hindu ritual of love. From exploring the sacred teachings of the Kama Sutra to understanding the rituals that enrich intimate relationships, this book captures the essence of an ancient tradition that has both captivated and guided generations of individuals seeking love and fulfillment.

What sets "Kama Kalpa, or the Hindu Ritual of Love," apart is Thomas's ability to bridge the gap between scholarly analysis and accessible writing. His words evoke a sense of reverence and admiration for the rituals explored while remaining inclusive and inviting to readers from all walks of life. Through his engaging prose, he invites us to explore the depths of our own relationships and encourages us to embrace a balanced approach to love where physical connection is harmoniously intertwined with emotional and spiritual growth.

As we navigate the complexities of modern relationships, delving into the ancient wisdom of the Hindu ritual of love provides a refreshing perspective. Thomas's book serves as a roadmap, guiding us through the intricacies of the Kama Kalpa and shedding light on practices that have the potential to enlighten and transform our lives.

It is my sincere hope that this book serves as a catalyst for contemplation, self-discovery, and a deeper appreciation for the rich heritage of the Hindu tradition. May readers embark on a profound journey that unravels the layers of love and spirituality and leads them to a more holistic understanding of themselves and their intimate connections.

In closing, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Paul Thomas for the gift of this enlightening work. May "Kama Kalpa, or the Hindu Ritual of Love, inspire readers to embrace the beauty of love, navigate their relationships with grace and mindfulness, and seek a greater understanding of the profound connection between the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of love.

Olivia Salter

06/19/2022

 
A SURVEY OF THE CUSTOMS, FESTIVALS, RITUALS AND BELIEFS CONCERNING MARRIAGE, MORALS, WOMEN, THE ART AND SCIENCE OF LOVE AND SEX SYMBOLISM IN RELIGION IN INDIA FROM REMOTE ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT DAY


Based on Ancient Sanskrit Classics, Kama Sutra, Aiianga Ranga, Rati Rahasya, and modem works.

Part 1. Woman through the ages. The age of mothers. Marriage in Vedic times. Women and marriage in the Epic period. Medieval morality. Women in modern India

Part 2. Woman, her nature and power. The nature of woman. Power of woman

Part 3. Powetry, art and science of love. Love poetry. Literature on love. Love as a fine art. Dangers of seduction. The Courtesan and her wiles: a warning to men

Part 4. Erotic element in religion. Lingam and the family of Shiva -- Saktas --- Love as God -- Temple, art Devadasis and Bacchanalian festivals
 

With coloured frontispiece and 224 line and half-tone reproductions of masterpieces of Indian sculpture and painting.

CONTENTS

PART ONE


WOMAN THROUGH THE AGES

Chapter One THE AGE OF MOTHERS


Page

I


The matriarchal phase of social development — Mother right in ancient India — Uddalaka Swetaketu and Dirghatamas, ancient law-givers — Women of the Land of Five Rivers — Polyandrous practices — Draupadi, common wife of the Pandava brothers — Mother right in modem India — The Nayars — Exalted position of the mother in ancient India.


Chapter Two MARRIAGE IN VEDIC TIMES 8

Women of the Rig Veda — Family life in Vedic India — The marriage ceremony — Coming of the bride to her new home — Variations in ancient marriage customs — Story of Urvasi and Pmruravas — Ushas, the goddess of dawn.

Chapter Three WOMEN AND MARRIAGE IN THE EPIC PERIOD . . . . 15

The MahabJiarata and Ramayana — Grihya Sutras — Swayamvara form of marriage — Swayamvara of Damayanti — Marriage of Draupadi — Marriage of Savitri — Marriage by capture — Marriage by contract — Story of Kunti and the sun-god — Levirate — Gandharva or love-marriage — Contempt for conventional marriage — Marriage by purchase — Widow-burning in epic period — The character of Draupadi — Art of pleasing husbands — Sita, heroine of Ramayana — Rama and Sita — Kaikeyi, child wife of Dasaratha — Morality preached in Ramayana.

Chapter Four MEDIEVAL MORALITY . . . . . . • • 33

Low status of women in medieval India — Aryan pride of race — Medieval law-givers on women — Story of Anasuya — Child-marriage — The eight forms of marriage — Sati — Position of widows.


Chapter Five WOMEN IN MODERN INDIA , . . . . . 40

Position of women during the Muslim period — British influence on Indian social system — Widow-marriage — Female education — The Sarda Act — Modem attitude towards music and dancing — Role of Indian women in the Home Rule Movement — Marriage in Modern India — Co-education and love marriage — Inter-communal and inter-caste marriage — The dowry system — The joint family system.


PART TWO

WOMAN : HER NATURE AND POWER

Chapter Six THE NATURE OF WOMAN 48

Two opposing attitudes towards women — Woman as goddess — The mother — Stories of Parasurama and Jamadagni, Shiratkaru and Gautama — Status of the wife — Wife is the Home ’ — Cehbacy condemned — Ascetic view of woman —  Story of the moon-god and his wives — Man or woman, who is better

viii

Chapter Seven POWER OF WOMAN . . 55

Active principle as feminine in Hindu mysticism — Woman as a fruitful source of strife — Story of Thilottliama and the two demons — The myth of Mohini — Story of Rishyasringa and the temptress — Viswamitra and Menaka - Occult powers obtained through celibacy — Woman and asceticism — Loyalty to husband, the strength of woman — Occult powers obtained through devotion to husband — The position of matron — Devayani and her doting father — Erudition of the lady Sulabha.


PART THREE

POETRY, ART AND SCIENCE OF LOVE

Chapter Eight LOVE POETRY

Love and devotion, the inspiring sources of poetry and love stories from the epics —
Kalidasa's Shakuntala — Bhavabhuti's Malati-Madhava — Bana — Nandin-- Mayura — Description of wild forest scenery.

Chapter Nine LITERATURE ON LOVE

The four objects of life — Kama or pleasure — Love as the greatest of pleasure — The divine origin of literature on love — Datlaka and the courtesans of Pataliputra — Vatsyayana's Kama Sufra — 'I'lie greatness of Vatsyayana — Koka Pandit’s Raii Raliasya — Story of Koka Pandit and the Yakshi — kalyanamalla's  Ananga Raiiga.

Chapter Ten LOVE AS A FINE ART 77

The sixty-four fine arts — The language of signs — The four types of women ; Padmini, Chitrini, Sankhini and Hastini — The four types of men — Chandrakala or erogenous zones in women — How to court a woman — The first night — Love making in certain places prohibited.

Chapter Eleven LOVE AS A FINE ART (Concluded) 83

The six auxiliary pleasures that lead to union — Twelve forms of embraces — the art of kissing — Eight kinds of nail marks — Love-bites — Four kinds of stroking — Erotic articulation — Postures — Unequal sexual combinations — Rejuvenation — Men successful with women — Women who fall an easy prey to men — Varying moods in women — Nayikas — Samudrika-Sastra or the science of auspicious marks — Characteristics of women of different provinces.

Chapter Twelve DANGERS OF SEDUCTION 94

Need for guarding women against seducers' — Duties of a wife — Devotion to domestic duties that preclude chances of temptation — Punishments for adultery and seduction — Charm of women and laws of the pious — Even gods prone to temptation — Vatsyayana on the waj’s of seducers — Love-sick souls — women are not easily seduced — Messengers employed by seducers — Women of different dispositions — Signs of indifference or discontent in women — Ways of royal seducers.


IX


Chapter Thirteen THE COURTESAN AND HER WILES: A WARNING TO MEN .....100

The position of courtesans in ancient and medieval India — courtesan’s morality and duty — The story of Kamamanjari — Bhartrihari on the wiles of courtesans — Some works on the profession' — Vatsy ay ana’s classification of courtesans of his time — Classification in the Mahabharata — Vatsyayana on the ways of the courtesan — The art and craft of winning and holding a lover — The art of getting rid of an unwanted lover — On repairing broken relations — Plight of the aged courtesan.


PART FOUR

EROTIC ELEMENT IN RELIGION

Chapter Fourteen LINGAM AND THE FAMILY OF SHIVA in Erotic element in archaic religions — Sex worship — The dual principle in universe — Shiva as the Lingam — The Lingayats — Marriage of Shiva — The family of Shiva.

Chapter Fifteen SAKTAS... 119

Sakta conception of Godhead as feminine — Sakti as the Divine Mother — Sakti as the deity of destruction — The two divisions of Saktas — The Tantras" — The Panchatatva form of sex worship — Its justification — Tantric ritual and its origin.

Chapter Sixteen LOVE AS GOD.... 127

Vishnu as the God of Love and grace — Ecstasy of Vaishnava saints — Erotic symbolism in Vaishnava worship — Krishna as the mystic lover — Song and dance as expression of religious fervour — Radha, the beloved of Krishna — Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda — Vallabhacharya — The sect of Maharajahs — The exalted position of the Maharajahs — Swaminarayana sect — Radha Vallabhis —
Sakhi Bhavas.

Chapter Seventeen TEMPLE ART, DEVADASIS AND BACCHANALIAN

FESTIVALS 139

Promiscuity in archaic religions — Erotic art in temples — Devadasis — Abbe Dubois on recruiting Devadasis for Venkateswara — The origin of Devadasis — Opposition by enlightened Hindus — Patronage of kings — Prohibition of the institution — Bacchanalian festivals — The Holi in India — The Bharani festival of old Cochin.




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1. KAMA GOD OF LOVE
2. RATI GODDESS OF LOVE 
   
3. A LOVING COUPLE 
   
4. A FOND MOTHER WITH HER CHILD
5. DANCERS
6. COUPLE 
   
7. A NOBLE WOMAN
8. A LADY OF DISTINCTION 
   
9. A MAID SERVANT
10. A FEMALE ATTENDANT 
    
11. A QUEEN 
    
12. A GIRL OF NOBLE BIRTH
13. AN ATTENDANT
14. A PRINCESS
15. A WOMAN OF NO DISTINCTION 
    
16. A MAID SERVANT
17. A NOBLE WOMAN
18. SOUTHERN STYLE
    
19. A ROYAL TYPE
20. A MODEST TYPE
21. HEAD OF PARVATI
22. HEAD OF PARVATI
23. A COMMON TYPE
24. ANOBLEWOIAN
25. A SERVANT GIRL 
    
26. HEAD OF A GODDESS 
    
27. NALA AND DAJIAYANTI LEAVING THEIR KINGDOM
    
28. NALA PERSUADING DAJIAYANTI
29. NALA PLAYING A PRACTICAL JOKE ON DAMAY DAMAYANTI 
30. DAMAYANTI IN A DIFFIDENT MOOD
31. EASTERN STYLE 
32. THE KUSHAN STYLE
33. LATAVESHTITA EMBRACE 
34. EMBRACE
35. AN APSARA OR CELESTIAL COURTESAN
36. TOILET
37. DECCANI LOVERS 
38. HINDUSTANI LOVERS
39. ROYAL LOVERS 
40. A PRINCE AND HIS CONSORT ..
41. OFFER OF A DRINK 
42. OFFER OF A FLOWER 
    
43. THE KISS: CENTRAL INDIAN STYLE
44. LOVERS FROM THE NORTH 
45. A COURTESAN
46. HINDUSTANI LOVERS
47. ROYAL LOVERS A PRINCE AND HIS CONSORT ..
48. OFFER OF A DRINK OFFER OF A FL0VT;R
49. THE KISS CENTR.AL INDIAN STYLE
50. LOITERS FROM THE NORTH 
51. A COURTESAN
52. NAGA FIGURE 
53. EQUESTRIAN LOVERS 
54. FLYING CELESTIAL COUPLE
55. AKUSHANTYPE
56. TOILET
57. THE KISS NORTHERN STYLE
58. ROYAL LOVERS WITH ATTENDANTS
59. SHAKUNTALA WITH HER TWO FRIENDS
60. A DANCING GIRL
61. LOVERS
62. A YOUNG MOTHER FONDLING HER CHILD
63. A PRINCE AND HIS LOVE
64. INDRA AND HIS CONSORT
65. TOILET
66. TOILET
67. RISHIPATNI
68. A SMILING BEAUTY
69. THE LOVE LETTER
70. A DANCE POSE
71. A CELESTIAL DANCER
72. PILLAR WORK
73. A LADY WITH A MIRROR
74. A DANCE POSE
75. BLISS
76. SHIVA AND PARVATI IN AN AMOROUS POSE
77. GANDHARVA
78. DANCERS
79. A KINNARA COUPLE
80. COUPLE
81. 75 LOVERS
82. COUPLE
83. THE MEETING
84. THE APPROACH
85. SHE IS TAKEN ABACK
86. SHE IS STOPPED
87. THE PROPOSAL
88. SHE IS WON OVER OFFER OF A DRINK
89. SHE IS NOW AMOROUS
90. BUT RESENTS LIBERTIES
91. A BIT OF COAXING
92. SHE IS HIS NOW HIS
    
93. THE BLISS
94. So AN APSARA ANOINTING HER FEET
95. MAITHUN FIGURESAN APSARA PAINTING HER EYES ..
96. A DANCER IN A PECULIAR POSE
97. COURTING
98. LOVERS
99. HAJURAHO TEMPLE SCULPTURES
100. THE FAMOUS TEMPLES OF KHAJURAHO
101. DETAILS OF SCULPTURES ON N. FACADE
102. DETAILS OF SCULPTURES S.
103. DETAILS OF SCULPTURES KANDARYA MAHADEO TEMPLE FACADE
104. A MEDALLION DEPICTING A LOVE SCENE
105. A DANCING GIRL
106. A MEDALLION DEPICTING A COUPLE
107. A NAGA AND NAGINI
108. YOUNG LOVERS
109. RAPTURE
110. ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENTS
111. A GROUP OF FEMALE FIGURES
112. DRINKING PARTY
113. ILLUSTRATIONS FROM GITAGOVINDA
114. LOVE SCENES
115. A YANTRA SHOWING LINGAM GUARDED BY NANDI AND A SERPENT
116. A YANTRA SHOWING LINGAM GUARDED BY FOUR SERPENTS
117. DANCE SEQUENCE
118. A WOMAN PLAYING ON A DRUM
119. WRITING A LOVE LETTER
120. THE KISS
121. A DANCER
122. A CELESTIAL BEAUTY IN AN EXQUISITE DANCE POSE
123. CELESTIAL BEAUTY FRESH AFTER BATH
124. A COURTESANA DANCE POSE
125. THE KISS
126. TOILET
127. TRIPURARI
128. DECORATIVE SCULPTURES OF LOVE SCENES
129. MARRIAGE OF SHIVA AND PARVATI
130. LOVE SCENES
131. SHIVA AND PARVATI
132. ANOTHER REPRESENTATION OF SHIVA AND PARVATI
133. A WOMAN OF FREE LOVE
134. SHIVA AND PARVATI IN AN UNUSUAL POSE
135. AN EXQUISITE DANCE POSE
136. A DANCE POSE OF THE AGGRESSIVE TYPE
137. THE BASHFUL BRIDE
138. CHITRINI
139. PADMINI
140. HASTINI
141. SHANKHINI
142. UTKA
143. SY'ADHINA PATIKA UTKA
144. VIPRALABDHA
145. MANINI
146. UTKA WAITS IN A LONELY PLACE
147. ABHISANDHITA KHANDITA
148. A NABODHA CHAND ABHISARIKA
149. ABHISARIKA VASAKA SAYA DUTIKA ..
150. PRUSITA PREYASI ABHISARIKA
151. VASAKA SAYA ABHISARIKA
152. ABHISARIKA .
153. VIBHASA RAGA VARARIRAGINI
154. TODI RAGINI SAMBHOGA RAGINI . .
155. RADHA AND KRISHNA IN THE FIELDS OF BRINDABAN KANADA RAGINI
156. A RAGINI SWEET AS A LOVE SCENE
157. A RAGA REPRESENTED AS A BATHING SCENE SORATH RAGINI
158. THE FINAL LOOK OF SATISFACTION RADHA’S TOILET
159. RAJPUT LOVERS DIPAKA RAGA
160. A PRINCE PLAYING HOLI IN HIS HAREM RADHA AFTER HER BATH
161. A PRINCE AND HIS CONSORT
162. RADHA AND KRISHNA SHELTERING FROM RAIN TODI RAGINI
163. A JEALOUS LADY UPBRAIDING HER LOVER WHO HAD EMBRACED HER
164. THE FOLLY OF GODS THE WARM EMBRACE
165. RECONCILIATION
166. MEETING AFTER SEPARATION THE MADNESS OF PASSION
167. THE INEXPERIENCED BRIDE 
168. THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
169. THE LOVER’S TRICK THE ROUGH KISS
170. BROACHING THE SUBJECT THE SURPRISE SHE IS WILLING
171. SOME SIGNS OF THE HAND DANCE
172. TOILET 
     

And more.......

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