And now for the love postures
with which sculptors adorn our temple walls.
When a couple make love standing,
or leaning against a wall or a pillar,
it is called Sthita (Steadied)

When the woman sits in her lover's
cradled hands, her arms around his neck,
thighs gripping his waist,
her feet pushing back and forth
against a wall,
it is Avalambitaka (Suspended)
(Kama Sutra)

She draws her limbs together,
clasping her knees
tightly to her breasts,
her yoni, like an opening bud,
offered up for pleasure:
this is known as
Mukula (the Bud)
(Kama Sutra)

Seated, the lady raises one foot
to point vertically over her head
and steadies it with her hands,
offering up her yoni for lovemaking:
this is Mayura (the Peacock)
(Kama Sutra)

Clasping each other's hands,
you lie sprawled like two starfish making love,
her breasts stabbing your chest,
her thighs stretched out along yours:
this is Devabandha (the Coitus of the Gods)
(Kama Sutra)

Lying upon you,
your beloved moves round like a wheel,
pressing hands one after the other
on the bed,
kissing your body as she circles:
experts call this Chakrabandha (the Wheel)

If, by means of some contraption,
your lover suspends herself above you,
places your linga in her yoni
and pulleys herself up and down upon it,
it is Utkalita (the Orissan)
(Kama Sutra)

Now spread, indeed cleave asunder,
that archway with your nose
and let your tongue
gently probe her yoni,
with your nose, lips and chin
slowly circling:
it becomes Jihva-bhramanaka
(Circling Tongue)

Let your tongue rest
for a moment in the archway
to the flower-bowed Lord's temple
before entering
to worship vigorously,
causing her seed to flow:
this is Jihva-mardita
(Tongue Massage)

Next, fasten your lips to hers
and take deep kisses
from this lovely one, your beloved,
nibbling at her
and sucking hard at her clitoris:
this is called Chushita (Sucked)

Cup, lift her buttocks,
let your tongue-tip probe her navel, slither down
to rotate skilfully in the archway
of the love-god's dwelling
and lap her love-water:
this is Uchchushita (Sucked Up)

Stirring the root of her thighs,
which her own hands are gripping and holding widely apart,
your fluted tongue
drinks at her sacred spring:
this is Kshobhaka (Stirring)
(Kama Sutra)

When your lover catches
your penis in her hand,
shaping her lips to an 'O',
lays them lightly to its tip,
moving her head in tiny circles,
this first step is called Nimitta (Touching)

Next, grasping its head in her hand,
she clamps her lips
tightly about the shaft,
first on one side then the other,
taking great care that her teeth
don't hurt you:
this is Parshvatoddashta
(Biting at the Sides)

When, taking your penis in her hand
and making her lips very round,
she presses fierce kisses
along its whole length,
sucking as she would
at your lower lip,
it is called Chumbitaka (Kissing)

If while kissing, she lets her tongue
flick all over your penis
and then, pointing it,
strikes repeatedly
at the sensitive glans-tip,
it becomes Parimrshtaka
(Striking at the Tip)

And now, fired by passion,
she takes your penis deep into her mouth
pulling upon it and
sucking as vigorously
as though she were stripping
clean a mango-stone:
this is Amrachushita
(Sucking a Mango)

When she senses that your
orgasm is imminent
she swallows up the whole penis,
sucking and working upon it
with lips and tongue until you spend:
this is Sangara
(Swallowed Whole)
(Kama Sutra)

But no two women make love quite the same way,
so orchestrate your rhythms
to the moods and colors of each lover's raga (emotions).
If long lovemaking exhausts you
before your lover has reached her orgasm,
you should allow her to roll you over your back
and sit astride you, taking initiative.
If the posture gives her deep pleasure,
or you enjoy its novelty,
she may transpose into it as a matter of course,
taking great care, however,
not to expel the linga from the temple of love.
Consider: she climbs upon you,
the flowers dropping from her tousled hair,
her giggles turning to gasps;
every time she bends to kiss your lips
her nipples pierce your chest.
As her hips begin to churn,
her head, flung back, bobs ever faster;
she scratches, pummels you with small fists,
fastens her teeth in your neck,
doing unto you what you've often done unto her.
When she takes the man's role,
your lady has the choice
of three famous lovemaking techniques:

Samdamsha (the Tongs), Bhramara (the Bee)
and Prenkholita (the Swing)

If she uses the Mare's Trick,
gripping your penis with her yoni's vice,
squeezing and stroking it,
holding it inside her for a hundred heart-beats,
it is known as Samdamsha (the Tongs)

If, drawing up her feet,
she revolves her hips so that your penis
circles deep within her yoni,
you arching your body to help her,
it is Bhramara (the Bee).

If she now swings her hips
in wide circles and makes figures-of-eight,
swaying upon your body
as though she were riding on a seesaw,
it is Prenkholita (the Swing)

When her passion has ebbed,
she should rest, bending forward to lay
her forehead upon yours
without disturbing your yoked bodies:
it won't be long before desire stirs again.
Catching your penis, the lady
with dark eyes like upturned lotus petals
guides it into her yoni,
clings to you and shakes her buttocks:
this is Charunarikshita (Lovely Lady in Control)
(Kama Sutra)