Kamasutra is the scripture which is against Vedas. Please explain.
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Question Kama Sutra is a scripture which is against Vedas please explain why this is so answer we should not have a narrow conception of what the Vedic teachings are certainly the conclusion of the Vedic teachings is pure devotional service which is mentioned both in the Bhagavatam and in the Bhagavad Gita Bhagavad Gita Krishna tells Sarvdharman Jnanam Ekam Sharanam Vrajam we have all varieties of religion just surrender to it so what are these varieties of religion that Krishna is talking about he is talking about the Akara Dharma, the material religion which involves Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha so Kama is also one of the principles of religion it is an important principle in the sense that it is a normal material role for people the Vedic scriptures are written in such a way that it can be fulfilled within the purview of Dharma and by the arrangement of Dharma so Dharma refers to the performance of religious activities which harmonizes desires with the higher powers in the universe and then by their grace our desires get fulfilled so those desires get fulfilled when we get material resources and one of the primary ways in which desires get fulfilled is through Dharma is through the relationship between male and female so from the transcendental perspective which the Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita talk about the attraction between the male and the female is seen as a source of entanglement and there is a repeated warning that one should not be entangled at the same time Vedas do talk about Kama as one of the Purusharthas, as one of the goals of life and the Vedic literature do talk about the Rahastha Ashram as one of the Ashrams so the way Kama is fulfilled is what is talked about in the Kama Sutras so is it against the purpose of the Vedas? If it is divorced from the whole Vedic progression where it occupies one place Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha so if one just focuses only on Kama and neglects Dharma and neglects Moksha then certainly it can be against the purpose of the Vedas but when it is understood properly in the context then it isn’t necessarily limited against the purpose so Dharma and Artha, so even Vatsyayan in the Kama Sutra explains that actually Kama Sutra should not be misunderstood and it should not be made into the ultimate goal of life it is one intermediate goal of life which ultimately one has to transcend if one wants to attain everlasting happiness so the inclusion of Kama Sutra within the Vedic tradition indicates its comprehensiveness but it doesn’t demonstrate that this Kama Sutra is a confusing teaching not at all so we shouldn’t think that everyone and everybody in the Vedic time was pure devotees or was even ultimately was even immediately aspiring for pure devotion there were people who wanted to practice Karmakanda that means they wanted to do religion, Dharma so that they could get Artha and Kama and that is accepted as a valid way of living although that was not considered the highest way of living and time and time again in the Bhagavatam those who are seen as practicing Karmakanda are described as less intelligent so Prachini Vaishya is criticized by Narada directly through the story of Purankara because Prachini Vaishya was caught in Karmakanda and I have not explored those results so in that sense this is definitely not the highest teaching it can become an obstacle to the highest teaching if it is itself thought to be the highest but it’s included within the broad Vedic tradition because Kama is also a Purusha and Dharmic sense gratification is also considered as playing an important part in most people’s lives today the word Kama Sutra has become a symbol an ultimate reference for just all kinds of mind bending and body bending sexual indulgences and in fact Kama Sutra has become a generic name that represents erotic literature however such a misuse misappropriation of the principle and the name of Kama Sutra is what is forewarned against if the Kama Sutra itself this is not to be made the ultimate goal of life this is one goal of life and those who want to pursue it they are also given some knowledge but it is told that one has to go beyond this so as devotees we recognize the comprehensiveness of the Vedic canon but at the same time of the Vedic tradition rather but at the same time we also recognize that this sort of literature is not favorable for our and that’s why we keep a long distance from this kind of literature but that doesn’t mean that it is antithetical to one of the Vedic purposes itself it is actually one part of the four purusharthas that I talked about