Dildos were very important according to the Kama Sutra. Artificial devices and sexual aids were not about solitary masturbation—they were arts of seduction, tools that lovers could use to bring each other to greater heights of passion and fulfilment. In fact, metallurgy and woodwork are amongst the sixty-four essential skills mentioned in the Kama Sutra—so that lovers could make their own dildos.
The lover’s main purpose during sex was to bring their partner to ultimate fulfilment through all the many arts of touching, loving and pleasuring taught by the Kama Sutra. But that was not always possible. For instance, if the genital sizes did not match—if the man was too small and the woman too large or vice versa—it could make things difficult. Or if there were multiple women to satisfy—as in a harem. Or if the man was impotent or weak, if he was too fat, if the woman had a very high sex drive, if it was a homosexual couple, if the woman wished to penetrate her partner, etc. There were many reasons why sexual fulfilment was not always possible
In such cases, the Kama Sutra recommended using a device of some kind—because, as we’ve repeatedly seen, unsatisfactory sex was never an option. But, says Vatsyayan, if you are going to use a dildo it must be done properly—that is, by imitating the exact manner and thrusts of the superior lover so you can stimulate all the different erogenous points inside the yoni —because only then would the gates of heaven open and fulfilment be achieved.
The Kama Sutra recommends ten distinct strokes for using dildos.
Upasriptaka or Straight In and Straight Out—
According to the Kama Sutra this is the best and ‘most decent’ way to have sex, where the dildo is moved in and out in the most straightforward fashion, ‘like a wild horse bucking through a swiftly running stream’.* The perfect position is where the woman is lying down on her back with the legs raised and ankles supported. Vary the thrusts to suit your pleasure.
Manthana or Churning—
The dildo is held in the hand and turned round and round as though you are churning the yoni ‘like a flight of sea gulls wheeling around and playing in the waves’. It can be inserted to whatever depth you wish. As I’ve mentioned earlier, there are six erotic nerves that run through the length of the yoni, on all sides and at different depths—churning can excite all these points. It is said the pleasure from this can be so powerful that if the woman is not strong enough to handle it, she will faint.
Hula or Rod or Piercing—
Here, the word ‘piercing’ means ‘to plunge’. This dildo is used in a downward thrust but only to the tip of the vulva ‘in the way that the sparrow picks out the grains of rice that have been left in the mortar’. Repeat in constant and small movements. This is excellent for creating anticipation and building up excitement.
Avamardhana or Devastator—
This is the same as the Hula, but here the dildo is plunged to the end of the vulva ‘in the way that large stones sink when thrown into the sea’. For this movement the woman must lie on her back and arch her buttocks upwards in an almost ninety degree angle so as to allow unrestricted access. Placing a square pillow under the hips will help.
Piditaka or Cruel—
This is once again the same as the Hula, but in this the dildo is removed some distance from the yoni and then brought down hard so that it penetrates the lips and drives through to the end with force, ‘in the way that a frightened mouse rushes into its hole’. Once inside, continue to press hard for as long as it is bearable. Extra lubrication is essential to make sure that this is pleasurable rather than painful.
Nirghata or Thunderbolt—
For this, the hips should be raised quite high with the help of a cushion. Maintain regular and gentle thrusts for a while and then stop for a long pause, thrust again for a while, stop again for a long pause, repeating till the vulva is lulled into a sleepy rhythm, and then suddenly let the dildo fall into the yoni again like an arrow ‘rising and then plunging down, in the same way that the full sail of a boat braves a heavy gale’.
Varahaghata or Thrust of the Wild Boar—
Lying on your side, face to face with your partner, rub the dildo with pressure in slow repetitions on only one side of the yoni, ‘pushing in slowly, in the way that a snake enters its hole when about to hibernate for the winter’. Anyone who can pleasure his beloved in this manner will win her for all eternity. Even in the land of Yama she will not forget him.
Vrishaghata or Thrust of the Bull—
This is like the Varahaghata, but here the dildo strikes two sides of the yoni in quick and alternate succession, ‘flailing to the right and the left, in the same way a brave warrior breaks up the ranks of the enemy’.
Samputa or Box—
Lying down absolutely straight, on top of each other, insert the dildo. Do not thrust, just press in small movements as you lie together, just as a hawk skims the ground with his feet when trying to grab an elusive rabbit. The Samputa does not depend so much on the position; it is more about the movement of the device. The pressing is supposed to be the most pleasurable sensation of all and a favourite with most people.
Chitakavilasa or Love Game of the Bird—
Alternate between deep and shallow thrusts, changing the rhythm constantly, like the pecking of a bird. It is a great way to bring the lovemaking to climax.
Sexual devices and aids came in all sizes and shapes—small ones, big ones, huge ones of almost intimidating proportions, ones that looked like gymnastic equipment and even some that would have taken a small army to operate. But the most popular device seems to have been the humble dildo. In spite of its lack of glamour and artistic creativity it was obviously the most practical, the safest and—so long as you could learn how to thrust and move it properly—most likely to deliver results.
Lovers were encouraged to make their own dildos. According to the Kama Sutra, vulvas are different not only in size and sensitivity, but also in stimulation levels. Some are smooth and soft and need very little stimulation to come to arousal, some are rough and covered with knots and bumps and require far more friction to get them going; what was exciting for one could be painful for another, what was pleasantly rough here was boringly smooth there. A one-size-fits-all dildo would not really do the job—it was best to make one for yourself to perfectly suit your own needs.
Therefore, metallurgy and woodwork was one of the sixty-four essential skills for lovers mentioned in the Kama Sutra so that dildos could be made customized for specific arousal types.
Dildos could be made of precious metals like gold or silver, ordinary metals like tin or lead or even different types of wood. The best kinds were the wooden ones because, once polished and thoroughly oiled, they had the most natural feel of all. When covered with well-oiled leather, this made it as close to the real thing as possible.
If one had to use a metal one, then tin was the best because, when inserted, this felt cool and soft like semen and had a ‘pleasant roughness’. But if the dildo was going to be a gift from a lover, then the Kama Sutra said that no woman worth her salt should accept anything other than one made of gold—she is to say ‘this is the one that feels most like you when it is inside me. It makes me think of you and my love is increased.’
In a pinch, if nothing else was available, the Kama Sutra says that fruits and vegetables of the right shape work equally well, like bamboo, gourds, cucumber. They should be rigorously cleaned and rubbed with either oil or honey before use. In the end, the most natural product is the best.
Sometimes the dildo was made to be worn as a sheath. It was a hollow contraption that opened and closed like a suit of armour to wear over the penis in order to have sex in the ‘normal’ way—in case of impotence or weak erections. In ancient India, something as trifling as impotence was never an obstacle to sex. The sheath dildo was made with protective guards at the base to cover the testicles to prevent it from slipping backwards during a moment of excitement and slicing something off. This little prosthetic could be made of wood or metal. It was generally covered with leather and then attached to the waist with elastic bands to make it as close to the real thing as possible. And it came highly recommended for its psychological benefits—knowing that you were physically penetrating your lover was excellent for the ego.
Dildos were almost always strapped to the waist so that the lover had his hands free to pleasure his partner in other ways as well. They would be held in place with the help of bands and twine, sometimes as many as three or four straps. Dildos could occasionally be decorated with beads and other things to add texture, size and beauty.
But whatever the shape or style, the ultimate goal was fulfilment and pleasure. And for this reason the masters taught the art of moving and thrusting the dildo.
