Clay Sanskrit Library – serie

The "Little Clay Cart" is, for Sanskrit theatre, atypically romantic, funny, and thrilling. This most human of Sanskrit plays is Shakespearian in its skilful drawing of characters and in the plot's direct clarity. One of the earliest Sanskrit dramas, "Little Clay Cart" was created in South India, perhaps in the seventh century CE. Set in the city of Ujjain, so secular and universal is the story that it can be situated in any society, and it has, including in Bollywood film and by the BBC. Charu•datta, a bankrupt married merchant, is extramaritally involved with a wealthy courtesan, Vasánta•sena. The king's vile brother-in-law, unable to win Vasánta•sena's love, strangles her, and accuses Charu•datta. The court decides the case hastily, condemning Charu•datta to death. Fortunately, our heroine rises from the dead to save her beloved, and all applaud their love. At this climax, the regime changes, and the rebel-turned-king makes Charu•datta lord of an adjacent city.

The aristocrat who wrote this vigorous political play eschewed sentimentality in favor of realistic characterization and forceful action. It is 316 BCE, one year after Chandra·gupta Maurya, aided by his subtle minister Chánakya, has seized the kingdom of Mágadha from the last king of the Nanda dynasty. Rákshasa, Nanda's incorruptible minister, flees abroad and plots his vengeance, while Chánakya seeks to win him over to honor Chandra·gupta Maurya as his new king.The aristocrat who wrote this vigorous political play eschewed sentimentality in favor of realistic characterization and forceful action. It is 316 BCE, one year after Chandra·gupta Maurya, aided by his subtle minister Chanákya, has seized the kingdom of Mágadha from the last king of the Nanda dynasty. Rákshasa, Nanda's incorruptible minister, flees abroad and plots his vengeance, while Chanákya seeks to win him over to honor Chandra·gupta Maurya as his new king.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

Nanda has it all: youth, money, good looks and a kittenish wife who fulfills his sexual and emotional needs. He also has the Buddha, a dispassionate man of immense insight and self-containment, for an older brother. When Nanda is made a reluctant recruit to the Buddha's order of monks, he is forced to confront his all-too-human enslavement to his erotic and romantic desires. Dating from the second century CE, Ashva·ghosha's Handsome Nanda portrays its hero's spiritual makeover with compassion, psychological profundity, and great poetic skill.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

"Bhishma," the sixth book of the eighteen-book epic The Maha•bhárata, narrates the first ten days of the great war between the Káuravas and the Pándavas. This first volume covers four days from the beginning of the great battle and includes the famous "Bhágavad•gita ("The Song of the Lord"), presented here within its original epic context. In this "bible" of Indian civilization the charioteer Krishna empowers his disciple Árjuna to resolve his personal dilemma: whether to follow his righteous duty as a warrior and slay his opponent relatives in the just battle, or to abstain from fighting and renounce the warrior code to which he is born.

This second half of Bhishma describes the events from the beginning of the fifth day till the end of the tenth of the great battle between the Káuravas and the Pándavas. Despite grandfather Bhishma's appeal to conclude peace with the Pándavas, Duryódhana continues the bloody battle. The key strategist is general Bhishma, commander of the Káurava forces. Even though he is compelled to fight on the side of the Káuravas, Bhishma's sympathies are with the Pándavas. After the ninth day of war, when Bhishma has wreaked havoc with their troops, the Pándavas realise that they will be unable to win as long as invincible Bhishma is alive. Bhishma willingly reveals to them how he can be destroyed. Strictly observing the warrior code, he will never fight with Shikhándin, because he was originally born a woman. Bhishma advises the Pándava brothers that Árjuna should strike him from behind Shikhándin's back, and they follow the grandfather's advice.

The great war of the Maha bharata is over. Or is it? This is a single extended family wracked in conflict. Both sides succumbed to treachery. Ashva tthaman, the young leader of the three survivors on the losing side, is incensed at his father's murder. He returns after dark to the now sleeping encampment. The sacrifice of the unsuspecting champions, the "Dead of Night," ensues. The five sons of Pandu have escaped. After a final confrontation, a missile crisis, Ashva tthaman concedes defeat but redirects his missile into the wombs of the victors' women. They miscarry, and cannot hope for more children. Now the survivors, victors and vanquished, must struggle to comprehend their loss. "The Women" of both sides are confronted by their men's mangled corpses in a masterpiece of horror and pathos. But their potent curses must be curbed to usher in a new era. Maha bharata Books Ten and Eleven give voice to the vanquished, to the psychology of loss and the conflicting desires for understanding and revenge.

Epic: Maha·bhárata The Maha·bhárata tells the tale of the epic battle between the Pándavas and the Káuravas for the thrown. It begins with the famous game of dice between the Pándavas and the Káuravas, which sets the scene for the war that will lie at the center of the Maha·bhárata epic. But even after the war is ostensibly over when the heroic but flawed king of the Káuravas is dishonor­ably defeated in battle by his arch enemy, the extended family is still wracked in conflict leaving survivors, victors and vanquished struggling to comprehend their loss. Perhaps the most enigmatic philosophical text from ancient India, the final book in the set, "The Book of Liberation" is presented as the teachings of Bhishma as he lies dying on the bat­tlefield in the aftermath of war.Included in this set:Maha·bhárata Book II: The Great HallTranslated by Paul Wilmot.588 pages / 978-0-8147-9406-7Maha·bhárata Book III: The ForestVolume 4Translated by William Johnson.374 pages / 978-0-8147-4278-5Maha·bhárata Book IV: VirátaTranslated by Kathleen Garbutt.516 pages / 978-0-8147-3183-3Maha·bhárata Book V: Preparations for WarVolume 1Translated by Kathleen Garbutt. Foreword by Gurcharan Das.720 pages / 978-0-8147-3191-8Maha·bhárata Book V: Preparations for WarVolume 2Translated by Kathleen Garbutt.760 pages / 978-0-8147-3202-1Maha·bhárata Book VI: BhishmaTranslated by Alex Cherniak. Foreword by Ranajit Guha.Volume 1 (Including the "Bhagavad Gita" in Context)615 pages / 978-0-8147-1696-0Maha·bhárata Book VI: BhishmaVolume 2Translated by Alex Cherniak.550 pages / 978-0-8147-1705-9Maha·bhárata Book VII: DronaVolume 1Translated by Vaughan Pilikian.473 pages / 978-0-8147-6723-8Maha·bhárata Book VII: DronaVolume 2Translated by Vaughan Pilikian.470 pages / 978-0-8147-6776-4Maha·bhárata Book VIII: KarnaVolume 1Translated by Adam Bowles604 pages / 978-0-8147-9981-9Maha·bhárata Book VIII: KarnaVolume 2Translated by Adam Bowles.684 pages / 978-0-8147-9995-6Maha·bhárata Book IX: ShalyaVolume 1Translated by Justin Meiland.371 pages / 978-0-8147-5706-2Maha·bhárata Book IX: ShalyaVolume 2Translated by Justin Meiland.470 pages / 978-0-8147-5737-6Maha·bhárata Books X & XI: "Dead of the Night" and "The Women"Translated by Kate Crosby.350 pages / 978-0-8147-1727-1Maha·bhárata Book XII: Peace (Part 2: The Book of Liberation)Volume 3Translated by Alex Wynne.540 pages / 978-0-8147-9453-1

The Ramáyana epic centers around Rama, the crown prince of the city of Ayódhya, providing a profound meditation on the paradox of the hero as both human and divine. After rescuing a sage from persecution by demons. Rama attends a tournament in the neighboring city of Míthila where he wins the prize and the hand of Sita, the princess of Míthila. But a court intrigue involving one of the king's junior wives and a maidservant forces Rama into a fourteen-year banishment to the jungle with his wife, Sita, and his loyal brother Lákshmana. When Sita is abducted by the demon king Rávana, Rama goes to the monkey capital of Kishkíndha to seek help in finding her. It is there that he meets Hánuman, the greatest of the monkey heroes. In exchange for the assistance of the monkey troops in discovering where Sita is held captive, Rama has to help Sugríva win the monkey throne over his brother, Valin. In the final book of the set, Hánuman leaps across the ocean to the island citadel of Lanka, where he scours the city for the abducted Princess Sita. But when Hánuman reveals himself to the princess and offers to carry her back to Rama, she nevertheless insists that Rama must come himself to avenge the abduction. Included in this set:Ramáyana Book I: BoyhoodBy Valmíki. Translated by Robert Goldman.424 pages / 978-0-8147-3163-5Ramáyana Book II: AyódhyaBy Valmíki. Translated by Sheldon I. Pollock.652 pages / 978-0-8147-6716-0Ramáyana Book III: The ForestBy Valmíki. Translated by Sheldon I. Pollock.436 pages / 978-0-8147-6722-1Ramáyana Book IV: KishkíndhaBy Valmíki. Translated by Rosalind Lefeber.415 pages / 978-0-8147-5207-4Ramáyana Book V: SúndaraBy Valmíki. Translated by Robert Goldman and Sally Sutherland Goldman.538 pages / 978-0-8147-3178-9

ReligionA diverse set, the religion set includes works from the biographical narratives of Buddha and stories of his past rebirths, to the lyrical account of love affair between gods, to a play that satirized religions to make a laughingstock of their followers and their tenets. Included in this set:The Epitome of Queen LilávatiBy Jina·ratna. Edited and translated by Richard Fynes.Volume 1543 pages / 978-0-8147-2741-6The Epitome of Queen LilávatiVolume 2By Jina·ratna. Edited and translated by Richard Fynes.650 pages / 978-0-8147-2742-3Garland of the Buddha's Past LivesVolume 1By Arya·shura. Translated by Justin Meiland.550 pages / 978-0-8147-9581-1Garland of the Buddha's Past LivesVolume 2By Arya·shura. Translated by Justin Meiland.543 pages / 978-0-8147-9583-5Gita·govínda: Love Songs of Radha and KrishnaBy Jaya·deva. Translated by Lee Siegel.200 pages / 978-0-8147-4078-1Handsome NandaBy Ashva·ghosha. Translated by Linda Covill.392 pages / 978-0-8147-1683-0Heavenly Exploits: Buddhist Biographies from the DívyavadánaEdited and translated by Joel Tatelman.444 pages / 978-0-8147-8288-0"How the Nagas Were Pleased" & "The Shattered Thighs"By Harsha and Bhasa. Translated by Andrew Skilton.350 pages / 978-0-8147-4066-8Life of the BuddhaBy Ashva·ghosha. Translated by Patrick Olivelle 561 pages / 978-0-8147-6216-5Much Ado about ReligionBy Bhatta Jayánta. Edited and translated by Csaba Dezsö.320 pages / 978-0-8147-1979-4

This set of plays provides an array of Sanskrit drama and satire, with plots that vary from the "strikingly Shakespearian" (as H. H. Wilson described it ) "Little Clay Cart" to a dramatization of and amendment to the "Ramáyana" in "Rama's Last Act." In addition to its scope of genre, the set covers a large period of time (the "Three Satires" by Bhállata, Ksheméndra, and Nila·kan alone were written over a period of nearly a thousand years) and also includes several works traditionally given less modern attention, such as "Málavika and Agni·mitra" by Kali·dasa, in order to provide a multifaceted view of Sankskrit theater. Included in this set:"The Lady of the Jewel Necklace" & "The Lady who Shows her Love"By Harsha. Translated by Wendy Doniger.514 pages / 978-0-8147-1996-1Little Clay CartBy Shúdraka. Translated by Diwakar Acharya. Foreword by Partha Chatterjee.640 pages / 978-0-8147-0729-6Málavika and Agni·mitraKali·dasa. Translated by Dániel Balogh and Eszter Somogyi.350 pages / 978-0-8147-8702-1 Rákshasa's RingBy Vishákha·datta. Translated by Michael Coulson385 pages / 978-0-8147-1661-8Rama Beyond PriceBy Murári. Edited and translated by Judit Törzsök.638 pages / 978-0-8147-8295-8Rama's Last ActBy Bhava·bhuti. Translated by Sheldon Pollock. Foreword by Girish Karnad.458 pages / 978-0-8147-6733-7The Recognition of Shakúntala (Kashmir Recension)By Kali·dasa. Edited and translated by Somadeva Vasudeva.419 pages / 978-0-8147-8815-8Three SatiresBy Bhállata, Ksheméndra, and Nila·kantha. Edited and translated by Somadeva Vasudeva.403 pages / 978-0-8147-8814-1

Adventure, conquest, romance, comedy, suspense, and tragedy are just a few of the themes woven together by the range of styles represented in this set of classical Sanskrit literature. The set brings together classics like the Aesop's fables which originated in Vishnu·sharman's "Five Discourses on Worldly Wisdom" with the less traditional, such as the adventures of Dandin's "What Ten Young Men Did," written uncharacteristically in prose rather than verse. Included in this set:The Emperor of the SorcerersVolume 1By Budha·svamin. Edited and translated by Sir James Mallinson.452 pages / 978-0-8147-5701-7The Emperor of the SorcerersVolume 2By Budha·svamin. Edited and translated by Sir James Mallinson.467 pages / 978-0-8147-5707-9Five Discourses on Worldly WisdomBy Vishnu·sharman. Edited and translated by Patrick Olivelle.562 pages / 978-0-8147-6208-0"Friendly Advice" by Naráyana & "King Víkrama's Adventures"Translated by Judit Törzsök.742 pages / 978-0-8147-8305-4How Úrvashi Was WonKali·dasa. Translated by Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman.300 pages / 978-0-8147-4111-5 The Ocean of the Rivers of StoryVolume 1By Soma·deva. Translated by Sir James Mallinson.556 pages / 978-0-8147-8816-5The Ocean of the Rivers of StoryVolume 2By Soma·deva. Translated by Sir James Mallinson.580 pages / 978-0-8147-9558-3The Quartet of CauseriesBy Shúdraka, Shyamílaka, Vara·ruchi, and Íshvara·datta. Edited and translated by Csaba Dezsö and Somadeva Vasudeva.450 pages / 978-0-8147-1978-7What Ten Young Men DidBy Dandin. Translated by Isabelle Onians.651 pages / 978-0-8147-6206-6

The Quartet of Causeries have been handed down as a collection of the most ancient monologue farces in classical Sanskrit. Though stylistically divergent, they share a common plot: the hero is an inept, bungling procurer, who mismanages his client's love-affairs to an unexpectedly successful completion. A wide spectrum of India's urban society is scandalized, from respected judges to clumsy poetasters, from hypocritical Buddhist monks to greedy madams, from spoiled scions of wealthy houses to criminal low-life.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

This play satirizes various religions in Kashmir and their place in the politics of King Shankaravarman (883–902). The leading character is a young and dynamic orthodox graduate, whose career starts as a glorious campaign against the heretic Buddhists, Jains, and other antisocial sects. By the end of the play he realizes that the interests of the monarch do not encourage such inquisitional rigor.Unique in Sanskrit literature, Jayánta Bhatta's play, Much Ado About Religion, is a curious mixture of fiction and history, of scathing satire and intriguing philosophical argumentation. The play satirizes various religions in Kashmir and their place in the politics of King Shánkara·varman (883-902 CE). The leading character, Sankárshana, is a young and dynamic orthodox graduate of Vedic studies, whose career starts as a glorious campaign against the heretic Buddhists, Jains and other antisocial sects.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

King Harsha, who reigned over the kingdom of Kanauj from 606 to 647 CE, composed two Sanskrit plays about the mythical figures of King Udayana, his queen, Vásava·datta, and two of his co-wives. The plays abound in mistaken identities, both political and erotic. The characters masquerade as one another and, occasionally, as themselves, and each play refers simultaneously to itself and to the other.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

The Epitome of Queen Lilávati tells the stories of the lives of a group of souls as they pass through a series of embodiments on their way to final liberation from the continual cycle of death and rebirth. Told as a means to promote the non-violent ethic of Jainism, it abounds in memorable incidents and characters, such as Dhana, the rich merchant who attempted to justify cheating in trade, Padmaratha, who while invisible attempted to seduce the ladies of the royal household, and Vasundhara, the bogus holy man who was caught in a compromising position with a female dog.Written in 1297 CE by the Jain poet-monk Jina·ratna, The Epitome of Queen Lilávati is undeservedly almost unknown outside India. In the stories, embodied souls undergo all too human adventures in a succession of lives, as they advance to final release. The book abounds in memorable incidents and characters, related to Queen Lilávati and her husband, King Simha, by the teacher-monk Sámara·sena.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

The second volume of Jina·ratna's thirteenth-century The Epitome of Queen Lilávati completes his story. Embodied souls undergo all too human adventures in a succession of lives, as they advance to final release. The primary purpose of Jain narrative literature was to edify lay people through amusement; consequently the stories are racy, and in some cases the moralizing element is rather tenuous.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

To the dry bones of grammar Bhatti gave juicy flesh in his poem, telling the greatest Indian story in elegant Sanskrit. Composed in the fourth century CE, in South India, "Bhatti's Poem: The Death of Rávana" is both a poetic retelling of Rama's adventures, and a compendium of grammatical and rhetorical examples for students. Bhatti's study aid to Pánini's groundbreaking grammatical treatise, the "Eight Books," gives examples disguised as the gripping, morally improving "Ramáyana" story. In Bhatti's own words: "This composition is a lamp to those whose eyes have language as their goal." Tradition has it that an elephant ambled between Bhatti and his pupils, interrupting their outdoors grammar class. By Hindu law this intrusion canceled class for a year. Lest time be lost, Bhatti composed his poem to teach grammar without textbooks. Ever since, "The Death of Rávana" has been one of the most popular poems in Sanskrit literature.

One of the great national epics of India that blends poetry and adventure to tell the origin story of the hero RamaRama, the crown prince of the City of Ayodhya, is a model son and warrior. He is sent by his father the king to rescue a sage from persecution by demons, but must first kill a fearsome ogress. That done, he drives out the demons, restores peace, and attends a tournament in the neighboring city of Mithila; here he bends the bow that no other warrior can handle, winning the prize and the hand of Sita, the princess of Mithila.Valmíki's Ramáyana is one of the two great national epics of India, the source revered throughout South Asia as the original account of the career of Rama, ideal man and incarnation of the great god Vishnu. The first book, "Boyhood," introduces the young hero Rama and sets the scene for the adventures ahead. It begins with a fascinating excursus on the origins and function of poetry itself.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

The fifth and most popular book of the Ramáyana of Valmíki, Súndara recounts the adventures of the monkey hero Hánuman leaping across the ocean to the island citadel of Lanka. Once there, he scours the city for the abducted Princess Sita. The poet vividly describes the opulence of the court of the demon king, Rávana, the beauty of his harem, and the hideous deformity of Sita's wardresses. After witnessing Sita's stern rejection of Rávana's blandishments, Hánuman reveals himself to the princess, shows her Rama's signet ring as proof of identity, and offers to carry her back to Rama.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

The Book of Viráta details the Pándavas' 13th year in exile, when they live disguised in King Viráta's court. They suffer the humiliation of becoming servants; a topic explored both through comedy and pathos. Having maintained their disguise until the very end of the year, then their troubles really begin. Bhima is forced to come to Dráupadi's rescue when King Viráta's general, Kíchaka, sets his sights on her. Duryódhana and the Tri·gartas decide to invade the defeated Viráta's kingdom, unaware the Pándavas are hidden there. In the ensuing battles the Pándavas play a crucial role, save Viráta and reveal their true identities. The book ends in celebration, with the Pándavas ready to return from exile and reclaim their kingdom. However, the battles in "Viráta" foreshadow the war to come, proving it will not be easy.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

The Pándavas believe they have completed the terms of their exile, though Duryódhana claims that they did not live unknown for the full thirteenth year, since Árjuna was recognized in the battle at the end of the preceding book, Viráta. While the Pándavas and Kurus make their preparations for war they organize a series of embassies to negotiate peace. This volume constantly highlights the inevitability of conflict and the futility of negotiation. Most characters are concerned that war between family cannot fail to be sinful. Contained herein is the "Sanat·sujatíya," a philosophical passage to rival the "Bhagavad·gita." Like the "Bhagavad·gita," the "Sanat·sujatíya" tells that karma will not chain one in the cycle of rebirth, if one refrains from desire. Through understanding the truth of non-duality, that the world is mere illusion, one is subsumed into eternal existence with Brahman.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

"The books line up on my shelf like bright Bodhisattvas ready to take tough questions or keep quiet company. They stake out a vast territory, with works from two millennia in multiple genres: aphorism, lyric, epic, theater, and romance." —Willis G. Regier, The Chronicle Review"No effort has been spared to make these little volumes as attractive as possible to readers: the paper is of high quality, the typesetting immaculate. The founders of the series are John and Jennifer Clay, and Sanskritists can only thank them for an initiative intended to make the classics of an ancient Indian language accessible to a modern international audience." —The Times Higher Education Supplement"The Clay Sanskrit Library represents one of the most admirable publishing projects now afoot. . . . Anyone who loves the look and feel and heft of books will delight in these elegant little volumes." —New Criterion"Published in the geek-chic format." —BookForum"Very few collections of Sanskrit deep enough for research are housed anywhere in North America. Now, twenty-five hundred years after the death of Shakyamuni Buddha, the ambitious Clay Sanskrit Library may remedy this state of affairs." —Tricycle"Now an ambitious new publishing project, the Clay Sanskrit Library brings together leading Sanskrit translators and scholars of Indology from around the world to celebrate in translating the beauty and range of classical Sanskrit literature. . . . Published as smart green hardbacks that are small enough to fit into a jeans pocket, the volumes are meant to satisfy both the scholar and the lay reader. Each volume has a transliteration of the original Sanskrit text on the left-hand page and an English translation on the right, as also a helpful introduction and notes. Alongside definitive translations of the great Indian epics — 30 or so volumes will be devoted to the Maha·bhárat itself — Clay Sanskrit Library makes available to the English-speaking reader many other delights: The earthy verse of Bhartri·hari, the pungent satire of Jayánta Bhatta and the roving narratives of Dandin, among others. All these writers belong properly not just to Indian literature, but to world literature." —LiveMint"The Clay Sanskrit Library has recently set out to change the scene by making available well-translated dual-language (English and Sanskrit) editions of popular Sanskritic texts for the public." —NamarupaThe second volume of "Preparations for War" seals the fate of the Pándavas and Kurus. This book is the turning point of the entire Maha·bhárata. The failure of diplomacy ensures war is now inevitable, and with this realization come dramatic arguments, miracles and temptations. The Maha·bhárata explores timeless problems of humanity, and in this volume of "Preparations for War," it explores the realities of human nature in times of conflict. The lust for power and bloodshed overwhelms all attempts at negotiation.Interwoven with these serious issues come beautiful accountsof divinities, magical realms and legendary marvels.

When Go·várdhana composed his "Seven Hundred Elegant Verses" in Sanskrit in the twelfth century CE, the title suggested that this was a response to the 700 verses in the more demotic Prakrit language traditionally attributed to King Hala, composed almost a thousand years earlier. Both sets of poems were composed in the arya metre. Besides being the name of a metre, in Sanskrit arya means a noble or elegant lady, and Go·várdhana wished to reflect and appeal to a sophisticated culture. These poems each consist of a single stanza, almost as condensed and allusive as a Japanese haiku. They cover the gamut of human life and emotion, though the favorite topic is love in all its aspects.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

This court epic describes events leading up to the birth of Kumára, the war god who will defeat the demon Táraka. The gods try to use Kama, the Indian Cupid, to make the ascetic god Shiva fall in love with the daughter of the Himalaya mountain. Kama fails, and is burnt to ashes by the angry Shiva. Then Parvati, the daughter of the mountain, herself turns to asceticism to win the husband she longs for. She is successful, and the climax of the poem is the marriage and lovemaking of Shiva and Parvati, parents of the universe.The greatest long poem in classical Sanskrit, by the greatest poet of the language, Kali·dasa's The Birth of Kumára is not exactly a love story but a paradigm of inevitable union between male and female, played out on the immense scale of supreme divinity. In this court-epic, the events are described leading up to but not including the birth of Kumára, the war god destined to defeat the demon Táraka.Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC FoundationFor more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

Two tragic plays that break the rules: both show the hero dying on stage, a scenario forbidden in Sanskrit dramaturgy. King Harsha's play, composed in the seventh century, re-examines the Buddhist tale of a magician prince who makes the ultimate sacrifice to save a hostage snake (naga). The Shattered Thighs, attributed to Bhasa, the illustrious predecessor to ancient Kali·dasa, transforms a crucial episode of the Maha·bhárata war. As he dies from a foul blow to the legs delivered in his duel with Bhima, Duryódhana's character is inverted, depicted as a noble and gracious exemplar amidst the wreckage of the fearsome battle scene.

Jayadeva's Gitagovínda is a lyrical account of the illicit springtime love affair of Krishna and Radha, a god and goddess manifesting on earth as a cowherd and milkmaid for the sake of relishing the sweet miseries and rapturous delights of erotic love. The narrative framing their bucolic songs was composed under royal patronage in northeastern India in the twelfth century. It was to be performed for connoisseurs of poetry and the erotic arts, for aesthetes and voluptuaries who, while sensually engaged, were at the same time devoted to Krishna as Lord of the Universe. The text at once celebrates the vicissitudes of carnal love and the transports of religious devotion, merging and reconciling those realms of emotion and experience. Erotic and religious sensibilities serve, and are served by, the pleasures of poetry. In the centuries following its composition, the courtly text became a vastly popular inspirational hymnal. Jayadeva's songs continue to be sung throughout India in fervent devotional adoration of Krishna.

No Sanskrit poet is more interesting, original, or greater than Bana. His prose poem Princess Kadámbari is his supreme achievement. His patron, King Harsha, ruled much of northern India from 606 to 647 CE from his capital at Kannauj. Princess Kadámbari, a work of fiction set in keenly observed royal courts, has everything. A love story doubled and redoubled in rebirth, the romance was so influential that its title became the word for a novel in some modern Indian languages. In free form verse, the experimental poem embodies enormous originality. Animals, flowers and mythology, as well as humans are presented in sympathetic detail. The complex coherent structure will culminate in a breathtaking conclusion. The two love affairs that dominate the poem have not yet begun in this first volume, where we hear of rituals to obtain a son, and the upbringing of a prince. Altogether the reader is given perhaps the fullest presentation of classical India available in a single work.

Vedanta Deshika (1268-1369) was perhaps the most outstanding Sanskrit author in the South Indian tradition focused on Vishnu and one of the most original poets in all of Sanskrit literature. Two of his best-known works appear here. "The Mission of the Goose," in the genre of messenger-poems modeled on Kali dasa's famous "Cloud Messenger," has Rama send a goose with a message for Sita, flying to Lanka over graphically described Tamil temples. "Compassion" is a meditation about the compassionate aspect of Vishnu, particularly as embodied in the great temple of Tirupati. Appayya Dikshita (1520 -1592) and Nila kantha Dikshita (1580 1644) belong to one family as well as to the same religious world centered on Shiva. Appayya's "Self-Surrender" to his deity is the most personal of the polymath's works. In "Peace" his great-nephew Nila kantha, political high achiever as well as poet, reevaluates renunciation and transcendence in a skeptical, intimate, and deeply unsettling voice.

One of the three surviving plays by Kali dasa (fifth century), universally acknowledged as the supreme poet in classical Sanskrit, How Urvashi Was Won, like the other two, is a masterpiece of lyricism, subtle characterization, and the working through of a bold theme. How Urvashi Was Won is the story of King Puru ravas and his love for an immortal, the dancer Urvashi, who normally lives in the heaven of the gods but who has come down to earth in order to realize her passion for the alltoo- mortal king. The tragic love of this asymmetrical couple was described already in the ancient "Rig Veda" and later often expanded. Kali dasa has reworked the narrative so as to depict a goddess in the process of becoming fully, and dangerously, human—since only human beings (at their best) are, in Kali dasa's vision, truly capable of the depths and intricacies of loving. This great work of love, loss, and eventual restoration speaks to the human condition generally in highly nuanced verses, accessible to any modern reader.