Koka Shastra

The Ratirahasya (translated in English as Secrets of Love), also known as the Koka Shastra, is a medieval Indian sex manual written by Kokkoka, a poet. The exact date of its writing is not known, but it is estimated the text was written in the 11th or 12th century. The manual was written in Sanskrit. Unlike the Kama Sutra, which is an ancient sex manual related to Hindu literature, Koka Shastra deals with medieval Indian society. During the medieval age, India became more conservative compared to ancient India, freedom of women decreased, and premarital and extramarital sex were frowned upon. A sex manual was needed that would be suitable for the medieval cultural climate, and Koka Shastra was written, quite different from the ancient text Kama Sutra. There are fifteen chapters and 800 verses which deal with various topics such as different physiques, lunar calendar, different types of genitals, characteristics of women of various ages, hugs, kisses, sexual intercourse and sex positions, sex with a strange woman, etc. Kokokka describes various stages of love, the fifth stage being weight loss, the ninth is fainting, and the tenth and last stage is death. Koka Shastra makes classifications of women and describes erogenous zones and days that lead to women's easy arousal. It is the first book to describe in detail Indian feminine beauty. The book classified women into four psycho-physical types, according to their appearance and physical features: 1.Padmini (lotus woman) 2.Chitrini (art woman), 3.Shankini (conch woman), and 4.Hastini (elephant woman). On the basis of the size of the genitals, the text classifies sexual intercourse into nine different types. Aphrodisiacs are also described in the book. 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." This translation was done in 1964 by Alex Comfort, the author of "The Joy of Sex".