Kama is defined by Vatasyaya as consciousness that rises from the contact between

various sense organs (ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose) and their respective senseobjects as directed by the mind along with the soul; but particularly when, during
sensation of touch, there is a clear delight in some object which bears fruit and is
permeated by the pleasure of arousal (KS 1.2 11-12).
Kama referred primarily to sexual pleasure. But the Kamasutra devotes only one of
the seven books to sex techniques. Thus kamastra itself perceived sex as an
overwhelming 'social art'. The largest part of kamasutra is concerned with how men
and women were to manage their liaisons.
The knowledge recommended by Kamasuta constituted much more than simply
knowing how to execute diverse techniques. The heroes were routinely compared
with the god of love, Kamadeva in Kamasutra and Murugan Tamil poetry, in beauty
and singled sexual prowess.
In the kamasutra, the sexual art was itself accompanied by a vast array of material,
verbal and gestural which were thought to be integral to its enjoyment.
These were deemed so important in the Akam poetry that a number of them were
considered to be 'determinative' of the very emotion of sexual pleasure. Vatsayana
called these 'fine arts' and lists 64 of them.
The sexual relations for the people were a part of wide aestheticised lifestyle. It is
perhaps no surprise that the major discourses which expanded much of the
knowdedge of the Kamasutra were increasingly treatises in drama and poetry. The
later handbooks or treatises on erotics focus more on seminal techniques.
The most famous Gupta period treatise by Vatsyayana, the Kamasutra, purports to
advice men on proper pursuit of sexual pleasure. It's advice covers a number of
topics: the general lifestyle and attributes of paramours; the sexual compatibility of
lovers; the specific phases and activities of the sex acy itself; the ways and means
of winning and acquiring a virgin; the conduct and management of sexual relations;
with liaisons with wives of other men; dealing with courtesans; and esoteric
formulas for whining one's serial goals.

Besides Kamasutra, there is also a vast body of poetic writings in various genres on
courtship, love and sex. There are, for example, numerous plays. There are story
cycles of famous lovers. There are literary texts which deal with love affairs of
courtesans. Finally and importantly, there are larger number of anthologies and free
floating independent verses commenting on, or sketching scenarios between lovers.

These verses, stretching from the sublime to the vulgar, are typically populated by
anonymous and generic 'lovers.
Completing the picture is an extensive technical literature on poetics, beginning
with the Natysastra, and continuing throughout medieval India, which instructs
poets and readers on the conventions for writing and appreciating love poetry. It
sets out the qualities, scenarios and behaviours appropriate to the male and female
lovers/ characters, as well as a cast of supporting characters who appeared in
connection with their affairs. The literature is in many aspects crucial, for in setting
out the conventions of literary representation, it makes reference to and shares
terminology with the presumptive literature on erotic proper.
There are, of course, important differences of perspective and subject matter
between various poetic genres and, further, between those texts which advised
poets how to write about love.
Some poems, for example, present rustic, village or even pastoral, scenes. In
general, poetic discourses are far less explicit with regard to sexual act itself then
erotological, being more concerned with various aspect of wider process of
courtship from wooing, seduction and symptoms of desire, to sexual longing and
lovers quarrels. Poetic discourses divided the experience of erotic love into the
categories of 'union' and 'separation' and became increasingly pre-occupied with
the experience of love-in-separation -- the effective world of the lover longing for
the beloved. This pre-occupation was not only a clever poetic technique, it also
allowed and contributed to investing erotic love with wider social concerns.