Did you know that the Kama Sutra was a treatise on 64 arts in the subject of love? It was composed by the Indian philosopher Vātsyāyana with an overall aim at the cultivation of men and women in order to cultivate proper intimacy and love connections. The recommendations are not unlike the subjects of modern finishing schools among the elite studied in various societies of Europe and the Old World as well as today. Only about 20% (Only 1 out of 7 books contain the various positions) of the text is related to the Western (often edited) content we associate it with today.
While the text is not directly related to Tantra (Tantra seeks the transcendence of sexual energy), some Tantric schools recommend the initial exploration and fulfillment of the desire (Kama relates to affection, desire, sensual aspects) so as to have better practical understanding of the spiritual practices.
In the text, it highlights: “A public woman, endowed with a good disposition, beauty and other winning qualities, and also versed in the above arts, obtains the name of a Ganika, or public woman of high quality, and receives a seat of honour in an assemblage of men.... A man who is versed in these arts, who is loquacious and acquainted with the arts of gallantry, gains very soon the hearts of women, even though he is only acquainted with them for a short time.”
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The 64 arts are:
1. gita - art of singing
2. vadya - art of playing on musical instruments
3. nrtya - art of dancing
4. natya - art of theatricals
5. alekhya - art of painting
6. visesakacchedya - art of painting the face and body with colored unguents and cosmetics
7. tandula-kusuma-bali-vikara - art of preparing offerings from rice and flowers
8. puspastarana - art of making a covering of flowers for a bed
9. dasana-vasananga-raga - art of applying preparations for cleansing the teeth, clothes and painting the body
10. mani-bhumika-karma - art of making the groundwork of jewels
11. sayya-racana - art of covering the bed
12. udaka-vadya - art of playing on music in water
13. udaka-ghata - art of splashing with water
14. citra-yoga - art of practically applying an admixture of colors
15. malya-grathana-vikalpa - art of designing a preparation of wreaths
16. sekharapida-yojana - art of practically setting the coronet on the head
17. nepathya-yoga - art of practically dressing in the tiring room
18. karnapatra-bhanga - art of decorating the tragus of the ear
19. sugandha-yukti - art of practical application of aromatics
20. bhusana-yojana - art of applying or setting ornaments
21. aindra-jala - art of jugglery
22. kaucumara - art of kaucumara - a kind of art
23. hasta-lagava - art of sleight of hand
24. citra-sakapupa-bhaksya-vikara-kriya - art of preparing varieties of salad, bread, cake and delicious food
25. panaka-rasa-ragasava-yojana - art of practically preparing palatable drinks and tinging draughts with red color
26. suci-vaya-karma - art of needleworks and weaving
27. sutra-krida - art of playing with thread
28. vina-damuraka-vadya - art of playing on lute and small x-shaped drum
29. prahelika - art of making and solving riddles. 29a. pratimala - art of reciting verse for verse as a trial for memory or skill.
30. durvacaka-yoga - art of practicing language difficult to be answered by others
31. pustaka-vacana - art of reciting books
32. natikakhyayika-darsana - art of enacting short plays and anecdotes
33. kavya-samasya-purana - art of solving enigmatic verses
34. pattika-vetra-bana-vikalpa - art of designing preparation of shield, cane and arrows
35. tarku-karma - art of spinning by spindle
36. taksana - art of carpentry
37. vastu-vidya - art of engineering
38. raupya-ratna-pariksa - art of testing silver and jewels
39. dhatu-vada - art of metallurgy
40. mani-raga-jnana - art of tinging jewels
41. akara-jnana - art of mineralogy
42. vrksayur-veda-yoga - art of practicing medicine or medical treatment, by herbs
43. mes-kukkuta-lavaka-yuddha-vidhi - art of knowing the mode of fighting of lambs, cocks and birds
44. suka-sarika-prapalana - art of maintaining or knowing conversation between male and female cockatoos
45. utsadana - art of healing or cleaning a person with perfumes
46. kesa-marjana-kausala - art of combing hair
47. aksara-mustika-kathana - art of talking with letters and fingers
48. mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpa - art of fabricating barbarous or foreign sophistry
49. desa-bhasa-jnana - art of knowing provincial dialects
50. puspa-sakatika-nirmiti-jnana - art of knowing prediction by heavenly voice or knowing preparation of toy carts by flowers
51. yantra-matrka - art of mechanics
52. dharana-matrka - art of the use of amulets
53. samvacya - art of conversation
54. manasikavya-kriya - art of composing verse mentally
55. kriya-vikalpa - art of designing a literary work or a medical remedy
56. chalitaka-yoga - art of practicing as a builder of shrines named after him
57. abhidhana-kosa-cchando-jnana - art of the use of lexicography and meters
58. vastra-gopana - art of concealment of cloths
59. dyuta-visesa - art of knowing specific gambling
60. akarsa-krida - art of playing with dice or magnets
61. balaka-kridanaka - art of using children's toys
62. vainayikividya - art of enforcing discipline
63. vaijayikividya - art of gaining victory
64. vaitalikividya - art of awakening with music at dawn