Epitome of Queen Lilavati (Volume 1)

'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. '"Epitome" is one of the hidden jewels of Jain literature. It has great relevance to those of us who are striving for spiritual truths in a complex and often confusing world order' - "Jain Spirit" [Refers to "The Epitome of Queen Lilavati: Volume One"]. "The Epitome of Queen Lilavati" 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 Jinaratna, "The Epitome of Queen Lilavati" 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 Lilavati and her husband, King Simha, by the teacher-monk Samarasena. It is co-published by New York University Press and the JJC Foundation.