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Story – How Kokkoka Wrote Rati Rahasya Or Koka Shastra?

A popular scholarly treatise on erotics, Rati Rahasya was written by Pandit Kokkoka, in the 8th century, during the reign of the celebrated Hindu emperor, Bhoja. Rati Rahasya is generally known in India as Koka Shastra after the illustrious author. Here is a popular story as to who Koka came to write Rati Rahasya.

A passionate woman, consumed with love, failing to find a proper person to gratify her inordinate desire, could not contain herself; she threw off her garments and swore she would wander over the wide world in the state of nature till she met with a worthy mate.

In this abnormal state she entered the palace hall of King Bhoja, to the wonder and scandal of the courtiers present. Unabashed she declared that as she found no manly person among the crowed, she had felt no shame in appearing unclothed. The king and his courtiers remained stunned and dumb-founded. Pandit Kokkoa who was attending on the monarch could not remain silent; he begged his king’s permission to teach the woman a lesson.

Kokkoka led her home and applied his effective technique so relentlessly on the incontinent woman that she became totally vanquished in the duel of love. Then the virile Pandit inserted gold pins into her arms and legs, and brought her back before the king. In a chastened mood, she confessed her debacle and solemnly and decorously clothed and veiled herself. The king was naturally very much intrigued and anxious to know who the passion of the voluptuous woman was quenched. He asked Kokkoka to relate the story of his conquest. The learned amorist composed the treatise Rati Rahasyam sometime later for the edification of another prince Venudatta.

SourceKokkokam and Rati Rahasyam – Study in Hindu Erotics, Edited by Prof, T.N, Ray