Great Sanskrit Plays in Modern Translation

Book Overview

The wonderful world of classical Indian drama has been obscured for most readers by the stilted style of the existing 19th-century translations. Here, an Indian Sanskrit scholar, P. Lal, who is also a fine poet in his own right, has produced new versions in modern idiom which brings across the full richness and vitality of the originals. And these "transcreations" are so presented that they will "play" on our stage today. The volume contains: Shakuntala by Kalidasa, The Toy Cart by King Shudraka, The Signet Ringof Rakshasa by Vishakadatta, The Dream of Vasavadatta by Bhasa, The Later Story of Rama by Bhavabhuti, and Ratnavali by Harsha.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811200795
• ISBN13: 9780811200790
• Release Date: January 1964
• Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Interesting Ancient Indian Plays

These are a set of ancient Indian plays that I throughly enjoyed. They are translated into modern English, and that has its good and bad points. The main good being that they are easy to understand, the main bad being that at times they are a little corny. However the love stories related by these plays are as beautiful as anything found in Western literature. What is more, they allow one to see how dharma and karma effected the lives of the characters (and by extension we the readers). These are by no means religious expositions, they are love stories, yet one still gets a sense of life and people's beliefs in Ancient India. Again, the main attraction of these plays are their enchanting love themes.