The killing of Shishupala

By:

Magha

Contributor(s):

Dundas, Paul, 1952-2023 [translator.]

Material type: Text

TextLanguage: English, Sanskrit Original language: Sanskrit Series: Murty classical library of India ; 11Publication details: Cambridge : Harvard University Press, ©2017Description: xxxvi, 784 p. ; 22 cmISBN:

9780674545618

Contained works:

Māgha. Śiśupālavadha
Māgha. Śiśupālavadha. English

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

REF 891.21 23 MAG-K

LOC classification:

PK3798.M215 S513 2017

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.--

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Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Books	IIITD Reference	Murty Classical Library of India	REF 891.21 MAG-K (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Not for loan		012107

Total holds: 0

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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.--

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

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