The Hindu Erotic Exploring Hinduism and Sexuality

by Smith, David

• ISBN13: 9781845113629
• ISBN10: 1845113624
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-08-27
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris

Summary

Perhaps more than any other religion Hinduism is associated in the modern mind with the erotic. " The Kama Sutra" and the sexual activity portrayed in stone at the great medieval Indian temple complex of Khajuraho are renowned the world over. The classical Hindu exploration of eroticism is manifestly one of the supreme expressions of the human spirit. Hindu sculpture, defined as uniquely able to express inner states of being, is no less able to portray the beauty of eroticism. At the same time, many Hindus see their religion rising above the world of the senses and deprecate western enthusiasm for a perceived erotic India. In this important book David Smith explores the true significance of Hindu eroticism. He shows that while withdrawal from the senses is a major component of Hinduism, it is precisely because the Hindu appreciation of the power of the senses is so very refined that asceticism developed in India as a counter-reaction. He argues that so varied, extensive and diffused is the Hindu idea of the erotic that it is central to understanding the inner heart of Hinduism. Profound and stimulating in equal measure, and illustrated throughout by some of the greatest examples of Hindu erotic art, " The Hindu Erotic" will be essential reading for anyone interested in Indian religion, sexuality, and South Asian culture.

Author Biography

David Smith is Reader in Indian Religions at Lancaster University, UK and the author of several books on Hindu religion, society and culture. These include The Dance of Shiva (1996) and Hinduism and Modernity (2003).

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Eroticism East and West
2. A History of the Western Reception of the Hindu Erotic 
PART I: REPRESENTATIONS
3. Real: An anthropology of South Asian Sexuality
4. Imaginary: South Asian Painting, Sculpture, Literature and Art 
PART II: EROTICISM IN THE HIERARCHY OF BEING
5. Siva and Parvati, Parents of the Universe 
6. Krishna and the Gopis
7. Sex and the Other Gods
8. Kama, the Indian Cupid
9. Erotic Supernatural Personnel: Apsarases, Gandharvas, Vidyadharas 
10. Yoginis 
11. Courtesans and Prostitutes in Art and Literature: Kuttinimata and Other Texts 
PART III: FORMS AND PRACTICES IN CLASSICAL HINDU LITERATURE AND ART
12. Falling in Love; Lust
13. Kissing 
14. Scratching, Biting 
15. Fucking 
16. Descriptions of Bliss 
Conclusion: The Eroticism of Modern India, Bollywood, and Future Trends