Episode
The Kamasutra & Ancient Indian Homosexuality (feat. Ruth Vanita)
- Podcast
- Historical Homos
- Published
- Sep 3, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4456
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://share.transistor.fm/s/30d24e3a
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Summary
For early access to episodes and bonus content, join our Patreon . Our community awaits with open arms (and legs) 🤤 www.patreon.com/historicalhomos – Honey, I'm sure you've heard of the Kamasutra. But did you know it's not just a sex manual for hipster white couples who are ready to graduate to doggy? This episode goes past the schoolboy giggles the Kamasutra typically provokes to investigate what this fascinating compendium of erotic philosophy can tell us about ancient Indian queer life (and perhaps our own!). The real Kamasutra was not just a sex manual. It is a Sanskrit treatise on kama ("desire") – which includes sexual desire, yes, but also means desire for friendship, art, music, play. All the things that make life sexy and fun, and have the potential to make you desirable to others. Written by Vatsyayana during the Gupta empire, the text treats desire as one of life's four core aims. Kama , along with dharma (duty/morality) and artha (wealth), was seen as one of the chief aims of a well-lived life. A life that was lived in the hope of eventually achieving moksha (liberation) from the endless cycle of reincarnation. For ancient Indians, there was no concept of "sin" – and therefore relatively little interest in policing hetero, homo, or gender-nonconforming behaviour. Certainly there was no consensus that anything their medieval compatriots in Europe were burning people at the stake for was "unnatural" or contrary to fixed laws of sexual behaviour. This episode is a fascinating dip into what our sexual ancestors knew and did in the sack, but it's also a reminder that homosexuality has not only been around for millennia, it's been theorised over, philosophised, and incorporated into profound systems of thought that are still teaching us how to live. So here's wha…