KalyANamalla [Kalyāṇamalla]; Sir Richard Francis Burton (tr); F F Arbuthnot (tr); Harry Ezekiel Wedeck (intro);
The Ananga Ranga: The Hindu Art of Love of Kalyana Malla [Form of the Bodiless One]
G.P. Putnam's Sons, c1988 / 1964, 191 pages
ISBN 8495994437
topics: | sex | erotica | india | medieval | marriage | medicine | astrology
This text, dating either from 12th c. Kalinga, or from 15th or 16th
c. Gujarat, is one of the trinity of Indian kAma shAstra (art of love)
texts, which includes the Kamasutra and the Ratirahasya.
In the concluding pages, the author states that his objective in writing the
book is to help ensure that "husband and wife live together in dose
agreement, as one soul in a single body." The reason that this does not
happen often is addressed:
The chief reason for the separation between the married couple and the
cause which drives the husband to the embraces of strange women, and
the wife to the arms of strange men, is the want of varied pleasures
and the monotony which follows possession. There is no doubt about
it. Monotony begets satiety, and satiety distaste for congress,
especially in one or the other; malicious feelings are engendered, the
husband or the wife yield to temptation, and the other follows, being
driven by jealousy. For it seldom happens that the two love each other
equally, and in exact proportion, therefore is the one more easily
seduced by passion than the other. p.178
The title means the play of the formless (cupid) [ananga = without anga, limbs; formless; ranga : sport, dalliance, play]. The name ananga is an alternate name for Kamadeva Madana; it refers to a puraNic myth, mainly in the Shaiva Purana, but with some variants in other puranas. In this story, Shiva, the austere yogi, is in intense meditation when the Gods face a terrible threat from the demon Tarakasur. Taraka also has a boon that he cannot be defeated except by Shiva's son. Eventually Parvati is dispatched to woo Shiva. To create a suitable atmosphere, the god of love, Madana, goes to where Shiva is sitting and creates an ''akaal vasanta'' - untimely spring. He shoots a flower arrow at Shiva and awakens him. Furious on being disturbed thus, a single gaze from shiva immediately incinerates Madana to ashes. The spirit of love which he embodied is now disseminated across the cosmos. Thus is god of love to be come formless, the ananga of the title. In case you are interested in the denouement of this story, yes, Shiva and Parvati do come together, and their son Kartikeya eventually kills Taraka.
The text attributes Kalyana Malla as author, but little else is known of him.
The preface mentions a biography of the poets, the Kavi-Charika:
[Kalyana Mall] was a native of Kalinga, by caste a Brahman, who
flourished during the reign of Anangabhima, alias Ladadiva; and an
inscription in the Sanctuary of Jagannath proves that the Rajah built a
temple in the Shaka, or year of Shallvana, 1094 = A. D. 1172. p.20
On the other hand all MSS. of the Ananga-Ranga have a verse distinctly
stating that the author Kalyana Mall, wrote the book for the amusement of
Lada Khan, son of Ahmed, of the Lodi House. Hence the suggestion that the
patron was Ahmad Chan, Subahdar or Viceroy of Gujarat (Guzerat) whom,
with Eastern flattery and exaggeration, the poet crowns King of the
Realm. This Officer was a servant of the Lodi or Pathan dynasty, who
according to Elphinstone appointed many of their kinsmen to high
office. Three Lodi kings (Bahlul, Sikandar and Abrahim, who ruled between
A. D. 1450 and 1526) immediately preceded the Taymur house in the person
of Baber Shah. The work, which is not written in classical style and
belongs to late Sanskrit literature, is an analysis of and a compilation
from treatises of much earlier date, such as the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana
(for which see Chapt. vi.) the Ratirahasye, the Panchasayaka, the
Smarapradipa, the Ratimanjari and, to quote no other, the Manasolasa or
Abhilashitachintamani—the "Description of the King's Diversion," le _Roi
s'amuse_. p.21
May you be purified by Parvati1 who coloured the nails of her hands which were white like the waters of Ganges, with lac after seeing the fire on the forehead of Shambu; who painted her eyes with collyrium after seeing the dark hues of Shambhu's neck and whose body-hair stood erect (with desire) after seeing in a mirror the ashes on Shambhu's body. I invoke thee, O Kamadeva! thee the sportive; thee, the wanton one, who dwellest in the hearts of all created beings...
[Most of the text deals with the nature of passion in men and women,
variations, exercises, signs of interest, external enjoyment or foreplay, and
it is only in the last chapter that it comes to the analysis of postures,
which are grouped in five main categories, with many subcategories. ]
There are five main Bandha or A'sana -— forms or postures of congress -—
which appear in the following shape,
1. Uttana
2. Tiryak 3. Vyanta
4. Upavishta 4. Utthita
and each of these will require its own description successively, and in due
order.
[in describing these acrobatic variations, the translators remark on the
"exceeding pliability of the Hindu's limbs enables him to assume attitudes
absolutely impossible for the European"]
A. Uttana-bandha (». e., supine posture) is the great division so-called by
men well versed in the art of Love, when a woman lies upon her back, and her
husband sits close to her upon his hams. But is this all that can be said of
it? No! no! there are eleven subdivisions, as shown in the following table:
And now of the several sub-divisions:—
1. Samapada-uttana-bandha, is when the husband places his wife upon her back,
raises both her legs, and placing them upon his shoulders, sits close to
her and enjoys her.
2. Nagara-uttana-bandha, is when the husband places his wife upon her back,
sits between her legs, raises them both, keeping them on the other side of
his waist, and thus enjoys her.
3. Traivikrama-uttana-bandha, is when one of the wife's legs is left lying
upon the bed or carpet, the other being placed upon the head of the
husband, who supports himself upon both hands. This position is very
admirable.
4. Vyomapada-uttana-bandha, is when the wife, lying upon her back, raises
with her hands both legs, drawing them as far back as her hair; the
husband, then sitting close to her, places both hands upon her breasts and
enjoys her.
5. Smarachakrasana, or the position of the Kama's wheel, a mode very much
enjoyed by the voluptuary. In this form, the husband sits between the legs
of his wife, extends his arms on both sides of her as far as he can, and
thus enjoys her.
6. Avidarita is that position when the wife raises both her legs, so that
they may touch the bosom of her husband, who, sitting between her thighs,
embraces and enjoys her.
7. Saumya-bandha is the name given by the old poets to a form of congress
much in vogue amongst the artful students of the Kamashastra. The wife
lies supine, and the husband, as usual, sits;1 he places both hands under
her back, closely embracing her, which she returns by tightly grasping his
neck.
8. Jrimbhita-asana. In order to bend the wife's body in the form of a bow,
the husband places little pillows or pads beneath her hips and head, he
then raises the seat of pleasure and rises to it by kneeling upon a
cushion. This is an admirable form of congress, and is greatly enjoyed by
both.
9. Veshtita-asana, is when the wife lies upon her back cross legged,2 and
raises her feet a little; this position is very well fitted for those
burning with desire.
10. Venuvidarita is that in which the wife, lying upon her back, places one
leg upon her husband's shoulder, and the other on the bed or carpet.
11. Sphutma-uttana-bandha is when the husband, after insertion and
penetration, raises the legs of his wife, who still lies upon her back,
and joins her thighs closely together.
Here end the eleven forms of Uttana-bandha; we now proceed to the:
(B) Tiryak (i. e., aslant, awry posture) whose essence consists of the woman lying upon her side. Of this division, there are three sub-divisions:— 1. Vinaka-tiryak-bandha is when the husband, placing himself alongside of his wife, raises one of his legs over his hip and leaves the other lying upon the bed or carpet. This A'sana (position) is fitted only for practice upon a grown-up woman; in the case of a younger person, the result is by no means satisfactory. 2. Samputa-tiryak-bandha is when both man and woman lie straight upon their sides, without any movement or change in the position of their limbs. 3. Karkata-tiryak-bandha is when both being upon their sides, the husband lies between his wife's thighs, one under him, and the other being thrown over his flank, a little below the breast. Here end the three forms of the Tiryak-bandha; and, we now proceed to the:—
(C) Upavishta (i. e., sitting) posture. Of this division there are ten
sub-divisions shown in the following figure:
1. Padm-asana. The husband in this favourite position sits crossed-legged
upon the bed or carpet, and takes his wife upon his lap, placing his hands
upon her shoulders.
2. Upapad-asana. In this posture, whilst both are sitting, the woman slightly
raises one leg by placing the hand under it, and the husband enjoys her.
3. Vaidhurit-asana. The husband embraces his wife's neck very closely, and
she does the same to him.
4. Phanipash-asana. The husband holds his wife's feet, and the wife those of
her husband.
5. Sanyaman-asana. The husband passes both legs of his wife under his arms at
the elbow, and holds her neck with his hands.
6. Kaurmak-asana (or the tortoise posture). The husband must so sit that his
mouth, arms, and legs, touch the corresponding members of his wife.
7. Parivartit-asana. In addition to the mutual contact of mouth, arms, and
legs, the husband must frequently pass both the legs of his wife under his
arms at the elbow.
8. Yugmapad-asana is a name given by the best poets to that position in which
the husband sits with his legs wide apart, and, after insertion and
penetration, presses the thighs of his wife together.
9. Vinarditasana, a form possible only to a very strong man with a very light
woman, he raises her by passing both her legs over his arms at the elbow,
and moves her about from left to right, but not backwards or forwards,
till the supreme moment arrives.
10. Markatasana, is the same position as No. 9; in this, however, the husband
moves the wife in a straight line away from his face, that is, backwards
and forwards, but not from side to side.
Here end the forms of Upavishta, or sitting- posture. The next is:—
(D) Utthita, or the standing posture, which admits of three sub-divisions:— 1. Janu-kuru-utthitha-bandha (that is, "knee and elbow standing-form,") a posture which also requires great bodily strength in the man. Both stand opposite to each other, and the husband passes his two arms under his wife's knees, supporting her upon the saignee, or inner elbow; he then raises her as high as his waist, and enjoys her, whilst she must clasp his neck with both her hands. 2. Hari-vikrama-utthita-bandha: in this form the husband raises only one leg of his wife, who with the other stands upon the ground. It is a position delightful to young women, who thereby soon find themselves in gloria. 3. Kirti-utthita-bandha: this requires strength in the man, but not so much as is wanted for the first subdivision. The wife, clasping her hands and placing her legs round her husband's waist, hangs, as it were, to him, whilst he supports her by placing his fore-arms under her hips. Here end the forms of Utthita, or standing-posture; and we now come to the...
(E) Vyanta-bandha, which means congress with a woman when she is prone, that is, with the breast and stomach to the bed or carpet. Of this A'sana, there are only two well-known sub-divisions:—. 1. Dhenuka-vyanta-bandha (the cow-posture) : in this position the wife places herself upon all fours, supported on her hands and feet (not her knees), and the husband, approaching from behind, falls upon her waist, and enjoys her as if he were a bull. There is much religious merit in this form. 2. Aybha-vyanta-bandha (or Gajasawa, the elephant posture2). The wife lies down in such a position that her face, breast, stomach, and thighs all touch the bed or carpet, and the husband, extending himself upon her, and bending himself like an elephant, with the small of the back much drawn in, works underneath her, and effects insertion.
"O Rajah," said the arch-poet Kalyana-Malla, "there are many other forms of
congress, such as Harinasana, Sukrasana, Gardhabasana, and so forth; but they
are not known to the people, and being useless as well as very difficult of
performance, nay, sometimes so full of faults as to be excluded or
prohibited, I have, therefore, not related them to you. But if you desire to
hear anything more about postures, be pleased to ask, and your servant will
attempt to satisfy your curiosity."
"Right well!" exclaimed the king. "I much wish to hear you describe the
Purushayitabandha."
"Hear, O Rajah," resumed the poet, "whilst I relate all that requires to be
known concerning that form of congress."
Purushayitabandha1 is the reverse of what men usually practise. In this case
the man lies upon his back, draws his wife upon him and enjoys her. It is
especially useful when he, being exhausted, is no longer capable of muscular
exertion, and when she is ungratified, being still full of the water of
love. The wife must, therefore, place her husband supine upon the bed or
carpet, mount upon his person, and satisfy her desires. Of this form of
congress there are three sub-divisions:—
1. Viparita-bandha, or "contrary postition," is when the wife lies straight
upon the outstretched person of her husband, her breast being applied to
his bosom, presses his waist with her hands, and moving her hips sharply
in various directions, enjoys him.
2. Purushayita-bhramara-bandha ("like the large bee") : in this, the wife,
having placed her husband at full length upon the bed or carpet, sits at
squat upon his thighs, closes her legs firmly after she has effected
insertion; and, moving her waist in a circular form, churning, as it were,
enjoys her husband, and thoroughly satisfies herself.
3. Utthita-uttana-bandha. The wife, whose passion has not been gratified by
previous copulation, should make her husband lie upon his back, and
sitting cross-legged upon his thighs, should seize his Linga, effect
insertion, and move her waist up and down, advancing and retiring; she
will derive great comfort from this process.
Whilst thus reversing the natural order in all these forms of Purushayita,
the wife will draw in her breath after the fashion called Sitkara; she will
smile gently, and she will show a kind of half shame, making her face so
attractive that it cannot well be described. After which she will say to her
husband, "O my dear! O thou rogue; this day thou hast come under my control,
and hast become subjected to me, be:ng totally defeated in the battle of
love!" Her husband manipulates her hair according to art, embraces her and
kisses her lower lip; whereupon all her members will relax, she will close
her eyes and fall into a swoon of joy.
Moreover, at all times of enjoying Purushayita the wife will remember
that without an especial exertion of will on her part, the husband's
pleasure will not be perfect. To this end she must ever strive to close
and constrict the Yoni until it holds the Linga, as, with a finger,1
opening and shutting at her pleasure, and finally, acting as the hand of
the Gopala-girl, who milks the cow. This can be learned only by long
practice, and especially by throwing the will into the part to be
affected, even as men endeavour to sharpen their hearing,2 and their
sense of touch. While so doing, she will mentally repeat" Kama- deva!
Kamadeva," in order that a blessing may rest upon the undertaking. And
she will be pleased to hear that the act once learned, is never lost. Her
husband will then value her above all women, nor would he exchange her
for the most beautiful Pani (queen) in the three worlds. So lovely and
pleasant to man is she who constricts.
Let it now be observed that there are sundry kinds and conditions of women
whom the wise peremptorily exclude from Purushayita, and the principal
exceptions will here be mentioned. First, the Karini-woman. Second, the
Harini. Third, she who is pregnant. Fourth, she who has not long left the
lying-in chamber. Fifth, a woman of thin and lean body, because the exertion
will be too great for her strength. Sixth, a woman suffering from fever or
other weakening complaint. Seventh, a virgin; and, eighth, a girl not yet
arrived at puberty.
from Encyclopedia of Erotic Literature)
Kalyana Malla, according to the Kavi-charika, was a contemporary of the
Oriya king Anangabhima. Going by the date of one of Anangabhima’s
inscriptions, the date of Kalyana Malla and Ananga Ranga would be around
1172 CE. However, all manuscripts of Ananga Ranga examined by Burton and
Arbuthnot contained a verse indicating that it was written for the
amusement of Lad Khan, son of Ahmed Khan, who was a viceroy of the Lodhi
dynasty (1450–1526) in Gujarat, a state in western India. By this
reckoning, the date of Kalyana Malla and Ananga Ranga has to be placed
somewhere between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Kalyana Malla
refers to Kamasutra and Ratirahasya in Ananga Ranga, which indicates that
it was certainly the latest among these three well-known erotic texts.
from list (in german):
ratirahasya or kokashAstra: by Kokkoka, Mysore, prob. 12th c. The
discourse is a response to a young wife who asks her husband to teach
her the ways of love. four categories of women. types of kiss,
embrace, postures, etc.
_panchasayaka (Fünf Pfeile) by Jyotirisvara (also Jyotirisha Kavishekhara)
(11-13th c.) 600 verses in old Kannada.
blog
smarapradipikA (Light on love) by Gunakara
ratimaNjari (bouquets on love) by Jayadeva
rasamanjari (bouquets on art) by Bhanudatta
Introduction by Harry Ezekiel Wedeck 9
Translator's Preface to 1885 edition 19
ANANGA RANGA: The Introduction 29
I. Of the Four Orders of Women 35
II. Of the Various sorts of Passion in Women 45
III. Of the Different kinds of Men and Women 55
IV. Description of the General Qualities, Characteristics,
Temperaments of Women 65
V. Characteristics of Women of various Lands 77
VI. On Useful Medicines 83
VII. Treating of Vishikaran, or the Art of Fascination by
the use of Charms 115
VIII. Of different Signs in Men and Women 127
IX. Treating of External Enjoyments 149
X. Treating of Internal Enjoyments 169
Appendix I: Astrology in connection with marriage 181
Appendix 2: The rasAyana, or preparation of metals for
medical purposes 189