THE DHENUKA POSITION
Recognising the fact that the missionary positions can end up being boring, sage Vatsyayana laid out a number of exciting options for the adventurous and the bold among us. One such position, called the "the congress of the cow" or the Dhenuka (literally Milch Cow) offers enormous possibilities besides being a great diversion from the routine.

"When a woman stands on her hands and feet like a quadruped, and her lover mounts her like a bull, it is called the `congress of a cow'. At this time everything that is ordinarily done on the bosom should be done on the back."

In this position, the woman goes down on her hands and knees while the man mounts her from behind. In many ways this is now almost a conventional position universally appreciated for the equal amounts of pleasure it offers both partners. According to Vatsyayan, when bending, the woman can also grip some hard object like a bedstead or a table while raising her buttocks as high as possible. The man in turn, gets the opportunity to hold her breasts and pleasure her thus. The woman can make herself more comfortable by using some pillows or cushions to support her elbows.
The best thing about this position is that it offers maximum stimulation through contact to the woman as well. It also leaves the man's hands free to do other things which the woman could enjoy. And while the feminists may see in this position another reiteration of the man's dominant position even in the sex act, the fact is that most men do fantasize about being able to watch when they perform and this position best offers that opportunity

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THE MADANDHVAJA POSITION

For sheer variety there are few texts that can beat the Kamasutra. For those interested in the non-missionary style of sex, there are any number of variations on the basic theme of "come from behind". One of these is the Madandhvaja position, also called the "The Flag of Cupid". The male grasps the ankles of the woman, simultaneously raising and spreading her thighs wide. With the woman' yoni well and truly exposed the man then proceed to enter her thus.

"Full of desire, saying sweet words, approach her with your body stiff as a pole and drive straight forward to pierce her lotus and join your limbs: experts call it 'Madandhvaja' (The Flag of Cupid)."

Not surprisingly Vatsyayan recommends this position in particular when the woman is round hipped or as he says a woman "whose buttocks are like two ripe gourds". In today's times that would probably rule out the more angular and spare feel of the ramp walkers.
This position also calls for a fair degree of expertise and is hardly likely to work very well for new initiates. The man has to balance himself expertly, with his hands occupied in holding up the woman. The advantage is that the man controls the thrusting so he can slow down as and when he wants to. For the woman this is a bit of a passive position but stimulation is very high.

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THE KSHOBHAKA

Equality of the sexes is the very essence of Vatsyayan's writing. Not only is this evident in the detailing of the regular penetrative sex positions, the Kamasutra has a plethora of positions exclusively aimed at pleasuring the woman. In the oral sex list, few positions are as explicitly laid out as the Kshobhka (literally meaning stirring) position. And few are written with as much poetic zest as this:

"Stirring the root of her thighs, which her own hands are gripping and holding widely apart, your fluted tongue drinks at her sacred spring: this is "Kshobhaka".

In this position, the man performs oral sex for the woman, using his tongue to stir up sensations and feelings. The fluted tongue is significant: Vatsyayan clearly expects the man to have a feel for the task on hand, exploring various sensitive nooks and cranies of the woman's yoni with his tongue. The woman is, of course, not just a willing participant but a proactive one, parting her thighs for maximum exposure. Notice the complete absence of any squeamishness here: not for the ancient sage the inhibitions of a woman demanding she received the full treatment.
This and similar positions are obviously recommended for women who are not in a position to have penetrative sex. These could be pregnant women, those suffering from some physical ailment or even those who are too obese.

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THE LATAVESHTA POSITION

This kamasutra position is a classic coupling sequence tailor-made to allow great intimacy and perfect harmony of movements. Try it!

Some of the classic sexual positions also acquire a new meaning in the way they have been described in the Kamasutra. Of a piece with these is the Lataveshta Position. Lataveshta literally means a clinging creeper and the position relates to a classic coupling sequence where the man and the woman are tangled in an all-pervasive embrace. To quote the book:
"Her limbs, entwined in yours like tendrils of fragrant jasmine creeper, draw taut and slowly relax in the gentle rhythm of linga and yoni: this is "Lataveshta" (the Clinging Creeper)."
This is a position that is tailor-made for intimacy. The sheer physical proximity gives the whole thing a very different feeling. It's also a languorous position, with great scope for relaxed and really long sessions of love-making. While the penetration is not so deep, it is more than made up for since the lovers can move in perfect harmony with each other. While it is dubbed the "creeper" position, it has similarities with the serpent position. The movements of the lovers perforce need to be laboured as they move in sync with each other. One slight disadvantage of this position is that it allows minimal stroking or any other sport.

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THE RATISUNDARA POSITION

Even in the middle of conventional positions, the Kamasutra offers variety both in the form of variants as well as advancements. The objective in all cases is obviously maximizing the pleasure that both the partners derive out of the experience. Literally translated to Aphrodite's Delight, the Ratisundra Position is a step up from the basic missionary stance. The man atop the woman pushes back her legs and enters her fully exposed yoni. In the Kamasutra the position is described thus:
"Catching hold of her two feet, raising them till they press upon her breasts and her legs form a rough circle. Clasp her neck and make love to her: this is "Ratisundara".
Though a variant of the missionary position, this has a lot going for it. The woman can easily vary the rhythm as well as the depth of the man's penetration merely by altering the position of her legs. The position also allows for maximum penetration and also friction. The pelvic bone of the man directly rubs against the vulva, thus supporting stimulation of the clitoris. The only problem with this position could be that it requires a great deal of flexibility on the part of the woman, in particular when the legs approach very close to the bust.
The translation into English is interesting and also reveals something more about the position. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty and sexual rapture whose husband made her a girdle of finely wrought gold and wove magic into the filigree work. That was not very wise of him, for when she wore her magic girdle no one could resist her. Maybe the circle made by the legs in the Ratisunara position is reminiscent of this girdle

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THE GRAMYA POSITION

There was clearly some kind of a social pecking order in the era that the Kamasutra was written. Throughout the text Vatsyayana carefully places positions and acts within their hierarchical framework. Sexual agility and complexity is likened to social sophistication.
Thus one of the variants of the missionary position is called the Gramya Position, which means the rustic position. This is a fairly basic position in which the woman lies on her back with her thighs closed tight and the man enters her and remains locked during the duration of the love making. To quote from the book:
"When she lies on her back with her two thighs pressed tightly together and you make love to her, keeping your thighs outside hers, it is "Gramya".
This isn't a position requiring great finesse or agility. It is also centered around the man's pleasure. With the woman hardly moving, there is little or no scope for her to derive any great pleasure herself. Is that why it is called the rustic position?
The position does call for the woman to exercise some control. Too tight a clutch could end up being a bit of a dampener.