The Ratirahasya (Sanskrit रतिरहस्य ) (translated in English as Secrets of Love, also known as the Koka Shastra) is an early medieval Kashmir sex manual written by Kokkoka, a poet, who is variously described as Koka or Koka Pandit.
Historical context
Unlike the
Kama Sutra, which is an
Ancient India sex manual related to
Hindu literature,
Ratirahasya deals with
society. A sex manual was needed that would be suitable for the medieval cultural climate, and
Ratirahasya was written, quite different from the ancient text
Kama Sutra.
Structure
There are fifteen
pachivedes (chapters) and 800 verses in
Ratirahasya which deal with various topics such as different physiques,
lunar calendar, different types of
, characteristics of women of various ages,
,
, sexual intercourse and
, sex with a strange woman, etc.
Kokkoka describes various stages of love in
Ratirahasya, the fifth stage being
weight loss, the ninth is
fainting, and the tenth and last stage is death.
makes classifications of women, and describes
and days that lead to women's easy arousal.
Ratirahasya is describes in detail Indian Femininity beauty, similar to that found in Kamasutra.
-
Padmini (lotus woman)
-
Chitrini (art woman)
-
Shankini (conch woman)
-
Hastini (elephant woman)
On the basis of the size of the genitals, the text classifies sexual intercourse into nine different types. are also described in the book.
Analysis
According to W.G. Archer, Kokkoka "is concerned with how to make the most of sex, how to enjoy it and how to keep a woman happy."
In writing this text, Kokkoka depended on a number of other authors including, among others
Nandikeshvara,
Gonikaputra, and
Vatsyayana.
Translations
Arabic,
Persian language and
Turkish language translations of the book are entitled
Lazzat Un Nisa.
, author of
The Joy of Sex, made an English translation of
Ratirahasya in 1964 titled
The Koka Shastra, Being the Ratirahasya of Kokkoka, and Other Medieval Indian Writings on Love (London: George Allen and Unwin). Another English translation was made by S. C. Upadhyaya, entitled
Kokashastra (Rati Rahasya) of Pundit Kokkoka. Some commentaries have been written on this text by Avana Rama Chandra,
Kavi Prabhu, and
Harihara. It is a popular text in India, second only to the
Kama Sutra among sex manuals.
