Vatsyayana Quotes

Vatsyayana on Freedom

• “A person acquainted with the true principles of this science , who preserves his Dharma ( virtue or religious merit ), his Artha (worldly wealth) and his Kama (pleasure or sensual gratification), and who has regard to the customs of the people, is sure to obtain the mastery over his senses . In short, an intelligent and knowing person attending to Dharma and Artha and also to Kama, without becoming the slave of his passions, will obtain success in everything that he may do.”

  In: The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated from the Sanscrit. In seven parts, with preface, introduction, and concluding remarks , Kama Shastra Society of London and Benares, 1883, p.9

Vatsyayana on Happiness

• “A man practicing Dharma , Artha and Kama enjoys happiness both in this world and in the world to come. The good perform these actions in which there is no fear as to what is to result from them in the next world, and in which there is no danger to their welfare . Any action which conduces to the practice of Dharma, Artha and Kama together, or of any two, or even one of them should be performed. But an action which conduces to the practice of one of them at the expense of the remaining two should not be performed.”

  In: The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated From the Sanscrit in Seven Parts With Preface, Introduction and Concluding Remarks , Library of Alexandria, p. 27

Vatsyayana on Knowledge

• Attributed to Vatsyayana:

  “Right knowledge is the cause of right action; right action is the cause of right release.”

• Attributed to Vatsyayana:

  “There are four valid means of knowledge: perception, inference, comparison, and verbal testimony.”

• Attributed to Vatsyayana:

  “An inference is sound when its mark is invariably accompanied by what it is taken to indicate.”

• Attributed to Vatsyayana:

  “Doubt is the beginning of philosophy, but doubt resolved by argument is its end.”

• Attributed to Vatsyayana:

  “What we cannot establish by argument we cannot defend, and what we cannot defend we should not assert.”

• “In: The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated From the Sanscrit in Seven Parts With Preface, Introduction and Concluding Remarks , Library of Alexandria, p. 27”

  A man practicing Dharma , Artha and Kama enjoys happiness both in this world and in the world to come. The good perform these actions in which there is no fear as to what is to result from them in the next world, and in which there is no danger to their welfare . Any action which conduces to the practice of Dharma, Artha and Kama together, or of any two, or even one of them should be performed. Bu

• “In: The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated from the Sanscrit. In seven parts, with preface, introduction, and concluding remarks , Kama Shastra Society of London and Benares, 1883, p.9”

  A person acquainted with the true principles of this science , who preserves his Dharma ( virtue or religious merit ), his Artha (worldly wealth) and his Kama (pleasure or sensual gratification), and who has regard to the customs of the people, is sure to obtain the mastery over his senses . In short, an intelligent and knowing person attending to Dharma and Artha and also to Kama, without becomin

• “In: The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated from the Sanskrit. In seven parts, with preface, introduction, and concluding remarks , Kama Shastra Society of London and Benares, 1883, P. 17”

  Karma is the enjoyment of appropriate objects by the five senses of hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting and smelling, assisted by the mind together with the soul . The ingredient in this is a peculiar contact between the organ of sense and its object, and the consciousness of pleasure which arises from that contact is called Kama.

• “In: "The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated from the Sanskrit. In seven parts, with preface, introduction, and concluding remarks", p. 18”

  Kama is also learnt from the Kama Sutra ( aphorisms on [[love) and from the practice of citizens .

• “When all three viz., Dharma, Artha, and Kama together, the former is better than the one which follows it, i.e., Dharma is better than Artha , and Artha is better than Kama. But Artha should be always practiced by the king , for the livelihood of men is to be obtained from it only. Again, Kama being the occupation of public women, they should prefer to the other two, and these are exceptions to the general rule.”

  In: "The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated from the Sanskrit. In seven parts, with preface, introduction, and concluding remarks", p. 18

• “In: "The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated from the Sanskrit. In seven parts, with preface, introduction, and concluding remarks", p. 18”

  When all three viz., Dharma, Artha, and Kama together, the former is better than the one which follows it, i.e., Dharma is better than Artha , and Artha is better than Kama. But Artha should be always practiced by the king , for the livelihood of men is to be obtained from it only. Again, Kama being the occupation of public women, they should prefer to the other two, and these are exceptions to th

Read all Vatsyayana quotes on Knowledge

Vatsyayana on Love

• “Kama is also learnt from the Kama Sutra ( aphorisms on [[love) and from the practice of citizens .”

  In: "The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated from the Sanskrit. In seven parts, with preface, introduction, and concluding remarks", p. 18

Vatsyayana on Mind

• “Karma is the enjoyment of appropriate objects by the five senses of hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting and smelling, assisted by the mind together with the soul . The ingredient in this is a peculiar contact between the organ of sense and its object, and the consciousness of pleasure which arises from that contact is called Kama.”

  In: The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated from the Sanskrit. In seven parts, with preface, introduction, and concluding remarks , Kama Shastra Society of London and Benares, 1883, P. 17