Kamasutra Part 4 — The Ladder (111–130)
Twenty positions arranged not by number but by what they ask of you — four rungs from gentle to expert. Tap any rung to open it.
Climbing Rather Than Listing
A numbered list of twenty positions tells you nothing about which one suits a Tuesday evening. So this final section of the Kamasutra is arranged as a ladder: four rungs graded by effort and control, with every entry collapsed until you open it.
The distribution is worth knowing before you start. Rungs 1 and 2 hold 9 of the twenty — positions needing no strength, no flexibility and no setup beyond a chair or a bed. Rung 3 adds standing work and deeper angles. Rung 4 holds just 5, and every one of them is optional.
This chapter continues the purushayita material from Part 3 — a large share of these hand her control, and position 117 restates Vatsyayana's argument outright: sex is a doubles game.
Two on Rung 4 Carry Real Risk
Barrow Position (130) suspends her between a wall and his grip — the text itself warns that pulling her backward risks a fall. Chitralekha's Dream (129) puts her entire balance in his hands. Lay cushions down, keep both brief, and treat skipping them as the normal choice rather than the cautious one.
The Ladder
Rung 1 · Gentle
Low effort, high control — start here · 1 position
122 The Regal PairingRajayugma — he seated on a block
He sits on a stool or block; after unhurried kissing she eases onto his lap, positioning one leg stretched behind for support, and paces herself. Low effort, high control, and the seated height means his mouth is at exactly the right level throughout.
Rung 2 · Steady
The seated and her-led core of the chapter · 8 positions
111 Shiva and Shakthi at PlayShiva-Shakti lila — the divine pair
He sits on a low block and leans back; she settles over him with her feet planted on the ground, controlling the movement of her own torso to find the angle she wants. The name invokes Shiva and Shakti — the masculine and feminine principles whose union, in Indian philosophy, is the ground of everything. That framing tells you the register the text intends.
113 The TopAgra — she rides with legs closed
He lies flat; she settles over him with her legs closed together rather than astride, holding his chest for balance. Closing the legs narrows the fit noticeably. The text places it among the positions for days when you're both tired but still want each other — it starts slow and builds on its own schedule.
116 The Spice CarrierMasalika — she leans back on bent knees
He lies with knees slightly bent; she sits over him with her own knees bent, leaning backward with her hands braced on his chest while he holds her hips. Leaning back opens the angle toward the front vaginal wall — the mechanical reason the text singles this one out for G-spot contact.
117 The Source of DelightAnandamula — she kneels and leans forward
He lies back and raises his knees to form a seat; she kneels over him and leans forward onto her elbows near his shoulders, riding at her will. The text uses this position to make its broader argument: sex is a doubles game, and an encounter where one partner does everything satisfies neither.
118 The Woman of BahikaBahika — she rides facing away, upright
He lies back resting on his elbows; she sits over him facing away and rides at her own pace while he stays passive. Named for the women of Bahika — the Kamasutra classifies preferences by region as well as physique, and several positions carry those regional names as a kind of index.
123 The Silk-Cotton TreeShalmali — he kneels, she lowers onto him
He kneels with legs wide and leans back onto his hands; she lowers herself onto him and rides, holding his thighs. Because he's fixed in position, he cannot lead even if he wanted to — his only contribution, the text says, is to say aloud how it feels, which it treats as technique rather than commentary.
124 Tree FrogMandukasana — she rides against his knees
He reclines on his elbows with knees bent; she settles over him and leans forward against his raised knees, holding them for grip. His knees are a backrest and brace at once, which is why she can sustain this far longer than an unsupported ride.
126 Honey and SugarcaneMadhu-ikshu — she kneels over his bent knees
He lies back with knees bent to form a seat; she kneels over him, holding his chest for balance while her knees take the work. The thigh grip she achieves is the reason the text pairs honey with sugarcane in the name — two things that hold together.
📖 Read the Massage Foreplay guide →
Rung 3 · Demanding
Deeper angles, standing work, more effort · 6 positions
114 Lightning StrikeVidyut — she rides across a block
He leans back with his hips resting on a low block and his feet planted on the floor; she positions over him with her legs on the block and hands braced on his thighs, moving forward and back. The block sets a height that changes the angle entirely — and she controls direction and depth throughout.
115 The Panting PositionShvasita — she rides facing away, leaning
He lies on his back; she sits over him facing away and leans forward, holding his heels while he supports her hips to help her rhythm. The forward lean combined with the reversed orientation produces one of the deepest angles in the woman-led family. She sets the pace; his hands assist rather than direct.
119 The Seductive MountMohana — facing away, legs wide, upright
A variation of the Panting Position: she sits over him facing away but stays upright with her legs spread wide, hands braced on his thighs. Opening the legs wide rather than leaning forward produces depth plus direct clitoral contact simultaneously — the reason the text catalogues it separately from 115.
121 The ScholarPanditaka — she braces against a wall
She braces her hands against a wall and angles her hips back; he stands behind, holding her hips and adjusting his stance for the right height. Standing rear entry needs no furniture and almost no setup — which is why the text associates it with romantic dates and honeymoons rather than planned evenings.
127 Congress of a CowDhenuka — she bends, one hand braced
A named classical posture: she bends forward with one hand braced on the floor while he stands behind, holding her free hand for stability and spreading her stance for the angle. Entirely unplanned by design — the text presents it as what happens when neither of you gets further than the doorway.
128 The Bracing PositionAvashtambha — braced flat against a wall
She braces flat against a wall and angles her hips back; he stands behind and holds her hips, adjusting his stance for height. Nearly identical to The Scholar, differing in how much she bends — the text catalogues both because the angle genuinely differs between them.
Rung 4 · Expert
Real strength and balance required — entirely optional · 5 positions
112 The Praiseworthy ManPrashamsya — he becomes the platform
He raises himself onto hands and feet to form a rigid platform; she settles over him with her feet planted, pushing herself forward and back. His arms and legs are locked, so he genuinely cannot contribute — the text's instruction is to stay a silent participant. Demanding, and best in short intervals.
120 Suspended CongressAvalambitaka — lifted against a wall
One of Vatsyayana's named postures. He braces his back against a wall and lifts her; she clings to his shoulders while he supports her weight with one arm. The wall is what makes it possible at all — without it, this lasts seconds. The text frames it as arising from urgency, in whatever room you happen to be in.
125 YantraYantra — she extends across his lap
He sits while she grips him with her thighs and extends forward across his lap, holding his hands behind her for support as he holds her hips. Named for the geometric diagram used in Indian ritual — the shape the two bodies form is the reference. Genuinely demanding on both; short intervals only.
129 Chitralekha's DreamChitralekha — one leg lifted, standing
She bends forward balancing on one leg while he stands behind holding the lifted leg and her shoulder. Named for Chitralekha, the artist-companion of legend whose drawings could summon anyone she rendered — the text frames this as a fantasy position, and it plays like one. Balance is the whole challenge.
130 Barrow PositionShakata — she hangs, hands on the wall
The chapter's closing entry and its most demanding: she supports herself with both hands firmly on a wall while he holds her legs, which she wraps around his back. She is effectively suspended between the wall and his grip. The text warns plainly that pulling her backward risks a fall — this needs real fitness from both.
⭐ The Ladder Table
| # | Position | Rung | Intensity | Pairs With |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | Shiva and Shakthi at Play | Rung 2 | ●●●○○ | Moods Premium Ribbed → |
| 112 | The Praiseworthy Man | Rung 4 | ●●●●● | Manforce StayLong Gel → |
| 113 | The Top | Rung 2 | ●●●○○ | Moods Ultrathin → |
| 114 | Lightning Strike | Rung 3 | ●●●●○ | Manforce Stay Long Spray → |
| 115 | The Panting Position | Rung 3 | ●●●●○ | Moods Premium Dotted → |
| 116 | The Spice Carrier | Rung 2 | ●●●○○ | Okamoto 0.02 Ultra Thin → |
| 117 | The Source of Delight | Rung 2 | ●●●○○ | Manforce Epic Lube → |
| 118 | The Woman of Bahika | Rung 2 | ●●●○○ | Moods All Night (Delay) → |
| 119 | The Seductive Mount | Rung 3 | ●●●●○ | Okamoto Skinless Skin → |
| 120 | Suspended Congress | Rung 4 | ●●●●● | Manforce Litchi Flavoured → |
| 121 | The Scholar | Rung 3 | ●●●●○ | Moods Natural Lube → |
| 122 | The Regal Pairing | Rung 1 | ●●○○○ | Manforce Bubblegum → |
| 123 | The Silk-Cotton Tree | Rung 2 | ●●●○○ | Okamoto 0.02 Ultra Thin → |
| 124 | Tree Frog | Rung 2 | ●●●○○ | Moods Premium Ribbed → |
| 125 | Yantra | Rung 4 | ●●●●● | Manforce StayLong Gel → |
| 126 | Honey and Sugarcane | Rung 2 | ●●●○○ | Moods Premium Dotted → |
| 127 | Congress of a Cow | Rung 3 | ●●●●○ | Moods Ultrathin → |
| 128 | The Bracing Position | Rung 3 | ●●●●○ | Manforce Stay Long Spray → |
| 129 | Chitralekha's Dream | Rung 4 | ●●●●● | Okamoto Skinless Skin → |
| 130 | Barrow Position | Rung 4 | ●●●●● | Moods All Night (Delay) → |
Pairs With — Shop by Category
Explore More Guides
Kamasutra Part 3 · Kamasutra Part 2 · Kamasutra Part 1 · Perfumed Garden Field Guide · Tao Field Guide · The Kiss Atlas · Bedroom Stories · All About Condoms · How-To Guides · All Sex Positions
Reading a Ladder Instead of a List
Sorted this way, the chapter makes an argument the original numbering hides: most of what the Kamasutra describes is easy. Thirteen of these twenty need a chair, a bed and some time — and the five that demand real fitness sit at the top precisely because they're exceptional rather than aspirational. Climb as far as suits you, and stop there without ceremony.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why arrange the positions as a ladder?
Because the original numbering tells you nothing about what a position asks of you. Sorted into four rungs by effort and control, the same twenty positions become usable: Rung 1 and 2 hold thirteen positions that need no strength or flexibility at all, while Rung 4 holds five that genuinely do.
Which rung should we start on?
Rung 1 and 2. The Regal Pairing (122), The Top (113) and The Spice Carrier (116) need nothing but a chair or a bed, hand her full control, and can continue as long as you like. Nothing in the lower rungs requires fitness from either partner.
Which positions are genuinely risky?
Barrow Position (130) suspends her between a wall and his grip — the text itself warns that pulling her backward risks a fall. Chitralekha's Dream (129) depends entirely on his grip for her balance. Both belong in Rung 4, both are optional, and skipping them costs you nothing.
Why do so many of these hand control to the woman?
This chapter continues the purushayita material from Part 3. Vatsyayana's argument, stated directly at position 117, is that sex is a doubles game — an encounter where one partner does everything satisfies neither, so a substantial run of positions exists specifically to correct that.
What's the difference between The Scholar and The Bracing Position?
How far she bends. Positions 121 and 128 are otherwise identical standing rear-entry arrangements, and the Kamasutra catalogues them separately because that single variable changes the angle meaningfully. It's Vatsyayana's method across the whole text: hold everything constant, change one thing.
Is delivery from Condombazaar discreet?
Completely. Every order ships in plain, unmarked packaging with sender name CA Gain Healthcare — no product name or brand visible anywhere on the box. Delivering privately across India since 2010.
Related Guides
Was this guide useful? Share it: