Rama's Last Act

'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 "Mahabharat" itself - Clay Sanskrit Library makes available to the English-speaking reader many other delights: The earthy verse of Bhartrihari, the pungent satire of Jayanta 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' - "Namarupa". Narayana's best-seller gives its reader much more than 'Friendly Advice'. In one handy collection-closely related to the world-famous "Pancatantra" or "Five Discourses" on Worldly Wisdom -numerous animal fables are interwoven with human stories, all designed to instruct wayward princes. Tales of canny procuresses compete with those of cunning crows and tigers. An intrusive ass is simply thrashed by his master, but the meddlesome monkey ends up with his testicles crushed. One prince manages to enjoy himself with a merchant's wife with her husband's consent, while another is kicked out of paradise by a painted image. This volume also contains the compact version of King Vikrama's Adventures, thirty-two popular tales about a generous emperor, told by thirty-two statuettes adorning his lion-throne. It is co-published by New York University Press and the JJC Foundation.