The killing of Shishupala / Magha ; edited and translated by Paul Dundas.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Māgha, author.

Contributor:

Dundas, Paul, 1952-2023, editor, translator.

Series:

Murty classical library of India ; 11.

Murty classical library of India ; 11

Language:

English

Sanskrit

Subjects (All):

Krishna (Hindu deity)--Poetry--Early works to 1800.

Krishna.

Krishna (Hindu deity).

Death--Poetry--Early works to 1800.

Death.

Genre:

Early works.

Poetry.

Physical Description:

xxxvi, 784 pages ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Massachusetts : Harvard University Press, 2017.

Language Note:

This is a facing-page volume in English and Sanskrit.

Summary:

Magha's The Killing of Shishupala, written in the seventh century, is a celebrated example of the Sanskrit genre known as mahākāvya, or great poem. This adaptation from the epic Mahābhārata tells the story of Shishupala, who disrupts Yudhishthira's coronation by refusing to honor Krishna, the king's principal ally and a manifestation of divinity. When Shishupala challenges Krishna to combat, he is immediately beheaded. Magha, who was likely a court poet in western India, draws on the rich stylistic resources of Sanskrit poetry to imbue his work with unparalleled sophistication. He expands the narrative's cosmic implications through elaborate depictions of the natural world and intense erotic sensuality, mixing myth and classical erudition with scenes of political debate and battlefield slaughter. Krishna is variously portrayed as refined prince, formidable warrior, and incarnation of the god Vishnu protecting the world from demonic threat. With this translation of The Killing of Shishupala, presented alongside the original text in Devanagari script, English readers for the first time gain access to a masterwork that has dazzled Indian audiences for a thousand years.-- Provided by publisher

Contents:

Narada's message

The discussion in the council chamber

Departure for Indraprastha

Mount Raivataka

On the march

The seasons on Mount Raivataka

Forest flirtations

Water games

Romantic adventures after sunset

Wine and women

The court bards welcome the dawn

The Yadava army on the march again

Arrival at Indraprastha

Yudhishthira's sacrifice

Shishupala's anger

The emissary from Shishupala

The Yadavas prepare for war

The battle begins

The battle rages

The killing of Shishupala.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contains:

Container of: Māgha. Śiśupālavadha.

Container of: Māgha. Śiśupālavadha. English

ISBN:

9780674660397

0674660390

OCLC:

946907001