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Ayurveda-Hautnah Magazine Articles and Editorials in English
Dr Vinod Verma
Sanctity and Importance of Kama: A Vedic View
Written for the publication of the European Ayurveda Association
July 27th 2009
Kama was born first, Neither gods nor ancestors, nor humans can equal him. Oh Kama! You are immense as you reside in all living beings. I bow to you…. You are a higher deity than the sun, moon, wind and fire… You are assimilated in all and therefore you are forever great. I bow to you. Atharva Veda, IX, 2, 19, 24
Kama can be translated as sensuality in the broader sense. That means the feelings and sensation from the five senses. In sexual interaction, all the five senses are used and their intensity is experienced. Senses reach the peak of their intensity during sexual experience. After they reach their threshold, they cannot take any more and they are subsided. When all the five senses reach their zenith, they give up and there is a moment of complete non-action followed by a very brief experience of void or nothingness, which is generally termed as ‘sexual climax’. It is a holy experience, as it is equivalent to a high level meditative state. It is the moment of beatitude and bliss.
Ayurveda is regarded as an upveda of Rig Veda and Atharva Veda. Out of the eight major disciplines of Ayurveda, two are devoted to rejuvenation (Rasayana) and Balancing Sexual Energy (vajikarana). In the citation from Atharva Veda, Kama is said to be the highest because through it we can experience the senses to the utmost level, attain a momentary state of beatitude and it is the cause of procreation. Thus, Kama is the cause of cosmic continuity. The fundamental attraction between a man and a woman gives rise to fondness, love and pleasure and they lead to a blissful state. It is said that a profound experience of the bliss that one attains at the peak of sexual experience is a spiritual experience. It is a moment when there is nothing in the mind and the realisation of how this moment was, comes only after the moment of beatitude is over. The word ‘Kama’ is meant to be a combination of fondness, lust and sexuality.
Nature has chosen this beautiful mode for procreation for the continuity of life on this earth. Therefore, Kama acquires an utmost place amongst the deities. Kama is also said to be present in all living beings. This is more in the sense of procreation. The presence of Kama in all beings gives it a status of omnipresence. The cause of life is the Cosmic Energy, which puts life into the Cosmic Substance and the phenomenal world begins. Thus, the Cosmic Energy is present everywhere in the dynamic cosmos. Kama is said to be omnipresent and, therefore, indirectly it is compared to the Cosmic Energy, which is the cause of being.
Sanctity of Kama The profound idea to give a very high status to Kama in Atharva Veda is also to recognise its sanctity and holiness. We should realise that this idea comes from antiquity and from a land that has always known the freedom of thought. Besides, there is no religion involved, it was dharma that represents the cosmic order. All cosmic energies are gods but there is no single creator God who laid down the rules for human beings. Thus, these views on Kama are in tune with the rhythm of nature and are beyond time and space. The sages were very wise to give Kama a high status, as it is a very mysterious and powerful force. It has also consequences that call for responsibility. It is the base of our social system and organisation.
Later in human history, many religions developed and Kama was given directly or indirectly a dubious position that was contrary to dharma or the system of nature. Kama became a mixture of awe and shame, and restrictions surrounded it. It was regarded a kind of forbidden pleasure and the devil of guilt cast its dark shadow over it. We know that humanity pays a heavy price for all these impositions that go against the fundamental nature of our being. By lowering the status and sanctity of Kama, human beings suffered from numerous physical and mental ailments.
I strongly feel that we should revive the holiness of Kama all over the world and recognise it as a part of the holy nature. It should be seen within the framework of dharma. Everything has its dharma in nature, otherwise the cosmos will not be a well organised whole. The sun rises every morning and sets every evening. That is the dharma of the sun. Rivers flow towards their destination. Moon with its variations makes each night of the month different from the other. We should learn to respect Kama energy as a part of our being and should use it to enliven ourselves.
Kama and Ayurveda Charaka has described that Chikitsa (therapeutics) are of two kinds: 1) The one that promotes strength in the healthy; 2) The one that alleviates disorders.
The first category has further two groups: Rasayana (strength promoting treatment) and Vajikarana (that which treats, promotes and enhances various aspects of sexual energy).
Rasayana (Strength Promoting) A rasayana is a substance or a combination of substances that has several rasas in concentration. Rasas are the diverse tastes present in natural substances and their effect on the body. The intake of rasayana helps create the equilibrium in the body. It invigorates both body and mind by supplying vital dietary elements. The rasayanas also enhance digestion and assimilation. The intake of rasayanas rejuvenates the body by increasing ojas (immunity and vitality). If one has imbalance in the body or diminished energy or one is suffering from fatigue or exhaustion, evidently one has lack of lust or diminished sexual vigour. Thus, intake of rasayana brings back the equilibrium and enhances energy. This results in the increase in sexual desire and vigour. Due to this reason, most rasayanas also act as aphrodisiacs and aphrodisiacs have also a rejuvenating effect. However, the aphrodisiacs are more specific and they may be taken for a particular cause. For example, someone may need an aphrodisiac to enhance the sexual vigour whereas another person may wish to prolong the sexual duration. Most rasayanas enhance ojas (immunity and vitality) and obviously the intensity of sexual desire and its expression depends upon the state of health and energy.
Vajikarana (Promoter of Sexual Energy) Vajikarana is generally translated as aphrodisiac and is often misunderstood and misused. Some people think that aphrodisiacs are supposed to increase wildly your sexual potentials. Some companies and individuals make big business out of selling aphrodisiacs without any specificity. From the Ayurvedic point of view, vajikarana substances or combinations of substances or vajikarana promoting factors function at different levels and aspects of sexuality. These enhance one or more of the following: 1. Sexual impulse 2. Duration of sexual act (retention) 3. Sexual vigour 4. Sexual excretion 5. Fertility 6. Sexual attraction
Vajikaranas are not only drugs or substances but also include different therapeutic treatments and specific actions. Here is a citation from Charaka to illustrate that:
“One also gets stimulated like a bull with massage, anointing, bath, perfumes, garlands, adorations, comfortable house, bed and chairs, attractive clothes, chirping of birds, tinkling of ornaments of women, gentle pressing of the body by favourite woman or others”. (Charaka Samhita, Chikitsasthanam II, 24-25)
Removal of Anti-Aphrodisiac factors Aphrodisiacs are those substances, actions or factors which enhance one or more of the following: sexual vigour, fertility, sexual impulse, retention, sexual excretion and sexual attraction. All those substances, actions or factors, which diminish one or more of these attributes, may be termed as anaphrodisiacs (a coined word). Thus, the removal of anaphrodisiac is essential before the intake of the aphrodisiac. In fact, in some cases the removal of anaphrodisiacs suffices to bring back normal sexual energy. Some examples of anaphrodisiac factors are constipation, vata imbalance, over-active life style and excessive use of once senses (like talking too much, be in a loud and noisy atmosphere or walking excessively and over-tiring oneself, etc.). Impurity of any kind in the body act as anaphrodisiac and thus, in certain cases external and internal purification of the body act as aphrodisiac in terms of enhancing and harmonising the sexual energy.
Women and Kama An interesting part of the Vedic tradition is that the sages considered women as the embodiment of kama. Charaka wrote the following: “The foremost and storehouse of aphrodisiacs is an exhilarating woman. The individual parts of her body are exceedingly pleasant, what is to be said of her entire body, where they are collectively present. …Woman who is beautiful, youthful, endowed with auspicious features, educated and trained is regarded as the best aphrodisiac”. Charaka Samhita, Chikitsasthanam, II, 4-5, 7
Keeping with this tradition, the later sages wrote the following: “Women have eight times more sexual energy than men.”
Chankya, Vatsyayana and many others That is the reason that the sages did not mention aphrodisiacs for women or some other sexual problems related to their sexuality. I discussed that with many Ayurvedic Acharyas and other learned scholars of Indology. The collective opinion is that the sages thought that woman, who herself is the epitome of sexuality or she herself is the origin of all sexuality cannot need aphrodisiacs.
Many of the women’s problems related to sexuality are not described in the scriptures. Nevertheless, this wisdom existed in the oral tradition of India amongst women folks. I have compiled feminine sexuality-related and other specific health problems in my book, The Kamasutra for Women (1994). Here is my own citation from this book, representing the feminine point of view for the attention of our Vedic sages:
“There is no greater aphrodisiac for a woman than a clean, well-groomed, tender hearted and attentive man with a loving and melodious voice.”
Vedic literature is rich with the eternal wisdom on sensuality and it is time that we bring back the golden era in our world by considering Kama holy, by imparting proper holistic sexual education to our children and by respecting the fundamental values and sexual enrichment of companionship. All this will lead to stronger bonds in humanity and will help form a peaceful society. |
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