Penguin presents the enthralling Raghuvamsam by Kalidasa in a beautiful translation. A.N.D. Haksar’s translation of ‘Raghuvamsam: The Line of Raghu’ retells the story of the Ramayana and the ancestry of Rama and its relevance even today.
Long considered as Kalidasa’s greatest work, Raghuvamsam is an epic poem in classical Sanskrit. It recounts the legendary tales of the Raghu dynasty, whose scions include the divine hero of the Ramayana. In this majestic mahakavya, Kalidasa invokes the whole gamut of literary flavours, ranging from the erotic and the heroic to the tragic and comic, the horrific and peaceful. The descendants of Rama are also brought to life. Within these pages we see the ideal couple, Dilipa and Sudakshina, their son Raghu’s valour and generosity, the tragic love of Aja and Indumati, the travails of Dasaratha, the feats of Kusha and Atithi, and finally, the dynasty’s downfall with Sudarshana and Agnivarna.
Composed in nineteen cantos, this mesmerizing, lyrical and very accessible new translation of Raghuvamsam will continue to enthrall readers with its insights into ancient India, its land, people and seasons, and its social and cultural values that are still relevant today.
The Author:
Kalidasa, perhaps the most extraordinary of India’s classical poets, composed seven major works: three plays, two epic poems and two lyrical poems. According to legend, he lived at the end of the fourth century, and was one the ‘nine jewels’ in the court of the Gupta king Chandragupta II. Although very little is known about his life, Kalidasa’s popularity has endured for centuries.
The Translator:
Aditya Narayan Dhairyasheel Haksar is a well-known translator of Sanskrit classics. Educated at the universities of Allahabad and Oxford, he was for many years a career diplomat, serving as the Indian high commissioner in Kenya and the Seychelles, minister in the United States and ambassador in Portugal and Yugoslavia. His translations from the Sanskrit include Hitopadeśa, Simhāsana Dvātrimśika, Subhāshitāvali, Kama Sutra, The Courtesan’s Keeper, The Seduction of Shiva and Suleiman Charitra, all published as Penguin Classics. He has also compiled A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry, recently translated into Arabic as Khazana al-Shair al-Sanskriti.