To commemorate this year's Festival of Lights, the Online Library is sharing some favourite authors from the diaspora of cultures celebrating Diwali.
Translations of Shakuntala and Other Works by Kālidāsa
The original tale of the Shakuntala originates from the Mahabharata. In this special translation, readers may enjoy the original play by Kālidāsa, which brought this timeless tale its global fame.
Varaan Bhai Gurdas Steek - Bhai Vir Singh
This text, often called "the key to Gurbani" was created by the father of Punjabi literature, Bhai Vir Singh. He not only modernised the text by providing well respected vernacular translations of the work but also added explanatory and helpful annotations throughout this text allowing readers a great understanding of the meaning of Sri Guru Granth Sahib's deepest philosophy.
Acharya Kundakunda's Pancastikayasara
Yogic and Ayurvedic practitioners will immediately recognize many parallels to the Vedic texts in this work. It is one of the Jain monk Acharya Kundakunda's four masterpieces and focuses on mind, matter, being, reality and the universe and cosmos. The Pancastikayasara is also considered a foundational text in Jainism.
The Palace of Illusions as retold by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Our last item is a masterpiece with a twist. Divakaruni's beautifully rendered retelling of the Mahabharata is now shared through the eyes of Panchaali, from her miracle birth through all of her tumultuous marriages and humiliations leading up to her ultimate Himalayan odyssey. This is an incredible work as it intertwines the female experience with the cultural phenomenon, that is the Mahabharata.
List of image credits used with permission or in accordance with their respective licence terms, in order as provided above:
- Udayaditya Barua on Unsplash
- Gabriel Federa on Unsplash
- Usha Kiran on Unsplash
- Anand Mahajan on Unsplash
Mauktik Dave on Unsplash