Modern readers often want a simple list of the positions the Kama Sutra names. The classical text does not present them as a flat list, but the names can be extracted and grouped in a way that is faithful to the underlying material. What follows is such a list, presented in the same restrained tone that characterises the rest of this site.
Grouping
Vatsyayana groups positions primarily by the physical relationship of the partners: face-to-face, rear-facing, side-lying, seated, standing. Within each group, positions are further distinguished by the placement of the legs, the angle of the body and the pacing intended.
Face-to-face positions
- The Widely Opened. A face-to-face arrangement in which one partner is on their back, the other above.
- The Yawning. A variant of the widely opened, with the legs raised and held apart.
- The Wife of Indra. A more compact version of the same, with the legs drawn upward and near the body, one of the arrangements Vatsyayana explicitly reserves for practised partners.
- The Clasping. Face-to-face, with the legs of the partners entwined; associated in the text with quiet, unhurried encounters.
- The Pressing. A variant of the clasping in which one partner's legs press against the other's.
- The Twining. Another variant of the clasping, with the legs interlaced.
Seated positions
- The Lotus (Padmasana). A cross-legged, face-to-face arrangement inspired by the imagery of the lotus flower.
- The Suspended Congress. A seated arrangement in which one partner supports the other.
Rear-facing positions
- The Congress of the Cow. A rear-entry position named for the natural imagery of the classical Indian countryside.
Side-lying positions
- The Side Position. Both partners lying on their sides, face-to-face.
Standing positions
- The Supported Congress. Both partners standing, one supported against a wall or column.
Positions of the "high" and "low" pairings
Vatsyayana introduces a set of typological categories, the "hare," the "bull," the "horse," and the "deer," "mare" and "elephant" — as a way of thinking about compatibility between partners. Certain positions are recommended for certain typological pairings. Modern readers usually treat this material as a piece of classical Indian thought rather than as literal guidance.
Later expansions
The medieval Sanskrit erotic literature that grew out of the Kama Sutra tradition, especially the Ratirahasya of Kokoka and the Ananga Ranga of Kalyana Malla, expanded the list of named positions significantly. Some of the "sixty-four" numbers cited in popular writing come from these later works rather than from Vatsyayana himself.
A note on tone
The names above are given in the standard English translations used in the Burton and Doniger editions. They are ordinary reference terms in the scholarly literature. On this site we describe each position in general, non-graphic terms; readers who want fuller descriptions should consult a modern annotated translation of the Kama Sutra.
Continue reading
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