Love, eroticism and female sexuality

Shah, Shalini:
Love, eroticism and female sexuality in classical Sanskrit literature : seventh-thirteenth centuries / Shalini Shah. - New Delhi : Manohar, 2009. - 248 S.
ISBN 978-81-7304-831-9 / 81-7304-831-2
Rs. 625,00 (Manohar)
US$ 26,85 (inkl. Versand) (Biblia Impex)
US$ 30,05 (D.K. Agencies)
US$ 35,00 (inkl. Versand) (Vedams Books)
DDC: 891.2093538082

Beschreibung
The book sets out to discuss what has been described in the ancient Indian tradition as kama or sexual desire. Kama was considered as one of the four goals of human life - dharma, artha, and moksha being the other three. Making an indepth analysis of the kama-related Sanskrit texts: 7th-13th centuries, the author articulates her concern with women in general, and the social relations between men and women in particular. The patriarchal tradition completely subordinated women’s goals in the spiritual and material spheres to the dictates of men. In the kama tradition, however, women have a far more visible role to play – though not always as a subject. Shalini Shah, thus, makes a case for seeing the prostitute sexuality differently from that of a kulavadhu, i.e. a household woman. In rewriting a new women’s history, she analyzes scrupulously the psycho-dynamics of this private sphere.

Inhalt
Acknowledgements. 9
Roman Equivalents of Nāgarī Letters. 10
List of Abbreviations. 11
Introduction. 13
1. The Philosophy of Kāma. 50
2. The Physiology of Kāma. 94
3. In the Business of Kāma. 128
4. Prema and Sṛṅgāra. 163
5. Conclusion. 217
Bibliography. 223
Index. 243

Autorin
Shalini Shah is Reader in History, Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, Delhi.

Quellen: Manohar; Vedams Books; D.K. Agencies; Biblia Impex