Beyond Dharma

Wendy Doniger

Dharma, artha and kama, that is, religion, politics and pleasure, are each held to be an essential requirement of a fulfilling life according to ancient Hindu philosophy, though dharma has historically taken precedence over the other two goals. In this book, scholar Wendy Doniger offers a close reading of ancient texts—especially Kautilya’s Arthashastra and Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra—to reveal a long history of opposition against dharma. Indian theocracy today, Doniger argues, is subverting the shastras with its insistence on an exclusivist religion.

Speaking Tiger, 248 pages, Rs 599