Madhuvidya

Author(s): S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 705

Reylews
359
MALLANĀGA VĀTSYĀYANA - DAS KĀMASUTRA : translated
into German by Klaus Mylius, Verlag Philipp Reclam jun., Leipzig, 1987, pp. 196.
The Kāmasūtra of Vatsyāyada has been translated more than once since the first translation by R. W. Burton and F. F. Arbuthnot appeared in 1883 (cf. the very useful intormation given by the author at the end of the book under the heading "Weiterführende Litteratur" pp. 194-196). However, the present translation need not be looked upon as superfluous.
The aim of the translator has been to acquaint the reader...with what really is to be found in the Kāmasūtra without interpreting into the work something from the modern view point” (p. 16 ). It may be said that the author has been largely successful in achieving his objective.
In the " Einleitung ” (pp. 5–16 ) the author briefly deals with, among other topics, the question of the date and the place of Vatsyāyana. In the author's view v. belonged presumably to the second half of the 3rd cent. A. D., and that he probably hailed from Western India. The explanatory notes (pp. 169-185 ) and the glossary ( 186-192 ) should go a long way to make the translation easily intelligible to the reader.
Althougb the translation, at some places, cannot be called inaccurate, yet it may not stand the test of "böchstmögliche Genauigkeit” (p. 16) aimed at by the author. This may be illustrated with only a few examples. In the translation of 1. 1.3 (ebenfalls )' which is meant for the textword ca, and of 1. 2. 1 ( zum Streben ) which corresponds to the text-wor seveta (trivargam seveta (zum Streben ) nach den drei Gütern 'Deed not have been put into the brackets. In the translation of 1. 1. 4 ( auch )' is unnecessary. In 1.1. 3 again avabodhaka has been translated as .die...erkanat haben'. It should have been who have taught' (cf. R. Schmidt .die... zur Erkenntnis gebracht haben). In 1. 2. 38. werden Topfgerichte nicht etwa nicht zubereitet 'translates nahi ... sthalyo nādhisriyante. What the translator means could have been achieved by remaining close to the text " it is not that the cooking-vessels are not put on fire",
M. A. Mehendalo
Madhu Vidyā/680