Translations of Shakuntala and Other Works

A curse that clouds King Dushyanta's memory shapes the love story of Shakuntala, a young woman raised among forest hermits. In Arthur W. Ryder's English translations of Kālidāsa's drama and poetry, palace life meets the quiet companionship of the hermitage. Shakuntala's friends, the sober Anusuya and lively Priyamvada, give that forest world distinct voices, while a ring links the king's troubled memory to the woman he has turned away.

The volume also offers an introduction to the poet's life and writing, carefully separating uncertain legends from what his works suggest. Its discussion ranges from the literary traditions of Ujjain to the mountains that recur in his verse. Commentary on Shakuntala explains how the dramatist reshaped an older epic story through new characters, scenes and the memory curse. Readers interested in Sanskrit literature can use these explanations to follow both the human relationships and the play's mythic setting.