What was Vatsyayana's target reader demographic when he wrote the Kama Sutra? Was it exclusive to the wealthy class of Indian society? Or did it include the lower class too? There is evidence to suggest that the text is biased in favor of the aristocrats, as the practices described require time and money that peasants do not have. The fact that Vatsyayana is likely a member of the elite class, inferred from his sophisticated knowledge of Hinduism and what the times of a nobleman are like, could be another sign that his written work is biased towards the upper class. These facts lead to the question: If the Kama Sutra has a bias for aristocrats, did Vatsyayana retain the rudimentary principles of Hinduism throughout his work so that they could be a valuable guideline for members of the lower classes as well? As much as the Kama Sutra seems to emphasize how extravagant the life of a noble should be, the essence of the book deeply intertwines its ideas with the three fundamental Hindu teachings that would ultimately benefit even the lower class. As part of the Gupta Empire, Vatsyayana lived in a society heavily influenced by Hinduism, and this is demonstrated by his emphasis on the core teachings of Hinduism throughout the Kama Sutra. There is no doubt that he passionately values the ideas of dharma, kama, artha and moksha as shown in his writings, and urges all men to practice them, starting from a young age. Although he never deliberately emphasizes whether the text is exclusively for the noble class or not, his writing shows traces that confirm that it is inclusive of all classes. The teaching of dharma, as represented in the Kama Sutra, also involves the lower castes into consideration. When you respond to an objection about why r...... middle of the paper ...... in its text. Think of Artha as a concept of investing and protecting one's wealth, not necessarily as a matter of greed. It is unclear whether or not Vatsyayana may have been intentionally biased towards the more privileged class in his writings, but he undoubtedly did not rule in preventing peasants from practicing the teachings of the Kama Sutra. Since the fundamental qualities of the Kama Sutra derive from Hinduism, which emphasizes the principles of dharma, kama and artha, it cannot exclude the lower class population. Vatsyayana illustrated that wealth is not necessary for an individual to practice ideas that would help one achieve moksha. Even with signs of disparity towards servants, in the end it still expresses the three main ideas of Hinduism so that the text can be a useful guide for the lower class to practice as well..
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