Murty Classical Library of India

The poetry of Bullhe Shah, which drew upon Sufi mysticism, is considered one of the glories of premodern Panjabi literature. His lyrics, famous for their vivid style and outspoken denunciation of artificial religious divisions, have been held in affection by Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, and continue to win audiences today across national boundaries.

Bullhe Shah’s work is among the glories of Panjabi literature, and the iconic eighteenth-century poet is widely regarded as a master of mystical Sufi poetry. This striking new translation is the most authoritative and engaging introduction to an enduring South Asian classic.

The History of Akbar, by Abu’l-Fazl, is one of the most important works of Indo-Persian history and a touchstone of prose artistry. It is at once a biography of the Mughal emperor Akbar that includes descriptions of his political and martial feats and cultural achievements, and a chronicle of sixteenth-century India.

Therīgāthā is a poetry anthology in the Pali language by and about the first Buddhist women. The poems they left behind are arguably among the most ancient examples of women’s writing in the world and are unmatched for their quality of personal expression and the extraordinary insight they offer into women’s lives in the ancient Indian past.

The Therīgāthā, part of the Pali canon of Buddhist scripture, is one of the oldest surviving works by women, composed more than two millennia ago by some of the first Buddhist women—therīs—honored for their religious achievements. With a spare and elegant style, this powerful translation introduces us to a classic of world literature.

The Story of Manu, by sixteenth-century poet Allasani Peddana, is the definitive literary monument of Telugu civilization and a powerful embodiment of the culture of Vijayanagara, the last of the great premodern south Indian states. It describes kingship and its exigencies at the time of Krishnadevaraya, Peddana’s close friend and patron.

Surdas, regarded as the epitome of artistry in Old Hindi religious poetry from the end of the sixteenth century to the present, refashioned the narrative of Krishna and his lover Radha into elegant, approachable lyrics. His popularity led to the proliferation, through an energetic oral tradition, of poems ascribed to him, the Sūrsāgar.

Surdas—and his remarkable lyrics refashioning the widely known narrative of the Hindu deity Krishna and his lover Radha—has been regarded as the epitome of artistry in Hindi verse from the end of the sixteenth century to the present day. This award-winning translation of Sur’s Ocean reconstructs the early tradition of Surdas’s poems.

The History of Akbar by Abu’l-Fazl is one of the most important works of Indo-Persian history and a touchstone of prose artistry. In this volume, Humayun’s turbulent reign ends, and Akbar ascends his father’s throne.

The Epic of Ram by Tulsidas has become the most beloved retelling of the ancient Ramayana story across northern India and an influential literary masterpiece. This volume presents the poet’s grand introduction to Ram, setting the stage for his advent and divine mission.

The Epic of Ram by Tulsidas has become the most beloved retelling of the ancient Ramayana story across northern India and an influential literary masterpiece. This volume recounts Ram’s birth on earth, his youthful adventures, and the celebration of his marriage to Sita.

Arjuna and the Hunter, by the sixth-century poet Bharavi, portrays Arjuna’s travels to the Himalayas, where Shiva tests the hero’s courage in combat and bestows upon him an invincible weapon. This is a masterful contemplation of ethical conduct, ascetic discipline, and religious devotion—enduring themes in Indian literature.

The History of Akbar by Abu’l-Fazl is one of the most important works of Indo-Persian history and a touchstone of prose artistry, and is both a biography and a chronicle of sixteenth-century India. In this volume, the Mughal Emperor Akbar quells a rebellion, conquers Malwa, and marries a Rajput princess.

Magha’s The Killing of Shishupala is a celebrated seventh-century Sanskrit poem that tells the story of Shishupala’s refusal to honor the divine Krishna at the coronation of Yudhishthira. Through this translation, the first into English, readers gain access to a sophisticated work that has dazzled Indian audiences for a thousand years.

In Praise of Annada, Bharatchandra Ray’s long narrative poem dedicated to the glory of Annada, translated here into English for the first time, is a major achievement and a treasure of Bengali literature. This volume describes the origins of the goddess, the building of her city and temple, and the spread of her worship.

In Raghavanka’s poetic masterpiece The Life of Harishchandra, a powerful sage tests King Harishchandra’s commitment to truth. He suffers utter deprivation but refuses to yield. This spirited translation, the first from Kannada into any language, brings one of ancient India’s most enduring legends to a global readership.

The History of Akbar, Volume 4 by Abu’l-Fazl narrates the second eight years of Akbar’s reign, including his visit to Ajmer, the arrival of an embassy from the Safavid court, and the author’s brother’s career as court poet. The Persian text, presented in the Naskh script, is based on a careful reassessment of the primary sources.

The Epic of Ram, Volume 3 details the schemes of Ram’s stepmother, who thwarts his installation on the throne of Avadh. Ram calmly accepts fourteen years of forest exile with his wife, Sita, and younger brother Lakshman. This edition features the Avadhi text in the Devanagari script alongside the English translation.

The Epic of Ram, Volume 4 turns to the story of Ram’s younger half-brother Bharat. Despite efforts to place him on the throne of Avadh, Bharat refuses, ashamed that Ram has been exiled, and makes a pilgrimage to restore the true heir. This edition features the Avadhi text in the Devanagari script alongside the English translation.

The Life of Padma, Volume 1 recounts the histories and noteworthy ancestors of Rama’s allies and enemies, focusing on his antagonist Ravana. This first direct translation into English of the oldest extant work in Apabhramsha is accompanied by a corrected reprint in the Devanagari script of Harivallabh C. Bhayani’s critical edition.

Shah Abdul Latif’s Risalo is acknowledged as the greatest classic of Sindhi literature. In this collection of Sufi verses, composed for musical performance, the poet creates a vast imaginative world of interlocking references to Islamic themes of mystical and divine love and the scenery, society, and legends of the Sindh region.

The History of Akbar, Volume 5 by Abu’l-Fazl details the seventeenth to twenty-second years of Akbar’s reign, including the conquest of Gujarat, the capture of Rohtas fort from rebel Afghans, and the invasions of Patna and Bengal. The Persian text, presented in the Naskh script, is based on a careful reassessment of primary sources.

A Treatise on Dharma, written in the fourth or fifth century, illuminates major innovations in religious, civil, and criminal law, and informed Indian life for a thousand years. This new critical edition, presented alongside the Sanskrit original in the Devanagari script, opens the classical age of ancient Indian law to modern readers.

Mir Muhammad Taqi Mir is widely regarded as the most accomplished poet in the Urdu language. Selected Ghazals and Other Poems offers a comprehensive collection of ghazals and masnavis. The Urdu text, presented here in the Nastaliq script, accompanies new translations of Mir’s poems, some appearing in English for the first time.

Mir Taqi Mir (1723–1810), widely regarded as the most accomplished Urdu poet, composed his ghazals in a distinctive Indian style arising from the Persian tradition. Here, the lover and beloved live in a world of extremes: the outsider is the hero and death is preferred to the beloved’s indifference. Ghazals offers a collection of Mir’s finest work.

Remembrances, by acclaimed poet Mir Muhammad Taqi Mir, is a remarkable example of Indo-Persian autobiography, offering a vivid picture of political events and intrigues from 1760 to 1789. The Persian text in the Naskh script, including a series of jokes and anecdotes printed here for the first time, accompanies a newly revised English translation.

The History of Akbar, Volume 6 by Abu’l-Fazl details the twenty-third to twenty-eighth years of Akbar’s reign, including accounts of the quelling of rebellions in Bihar, Bengal, and Kabul, and final victory in Gujarat. The Persian text, presented in the Naskh script, is based on a careful reassessment of primary sources.

The Epic of Ram, Volume 5 relates the story’s three middle episodes—Ram’s battles with demons, the kidnapping of his wife, and his alliance with a race of marvelous monkeys—and climaxes in Hanuman’s journey to the island of Lanka to find Sita. This edition features the Avadhi text in the Devanagari script alongside the English translation.

This volume of Bharatchandra Ray’s narrative poem In Praise of Annada recounts the clandestine love affair of Princess Vidya and Prince Sundar, and how Bhavananda stopped a rebellion and became a king. The translation, the first in English, features the original text in the Bangla script of this treasure of Bengali literature.

The History of Akbar by Abu’l-Fazl is one of the most important works of Indo-Persian history. Volume 7 includes accounts of the marriage of Akbar’s heir Salim, the pacification of Bengal, and the emperor’s visits to Kashmir, the Punjab, and Kabul. The Persian text is presented in the Naskh script along with a new English translation.

In Poems from the Satsai, the seventeenth-century poet Biharilal blends amorous narratives about the god Krishna and the goddess Radha with archetypal hero and heroine motifs from older Sanskrit and Prakrit conventions. The Hindi text, composed in Braj Bhasha, is presented here in the Devanagari script with a new English verse translation.

The 700 poems of Hindi poet Biharilal’s Satsai weave amorous narratives of the god Krishna and the goddess Radha with hero and heroine motifs, bridging divine and worldly love. This new translation presents 400 couplets from the seventeenth-century classic. He Spoke of Love brims with rivalries, secret trysts, and the sorrows of separated lovers.

Kamandaki’s influential The Essence of Politics redefined political thought in early medieval India. Its lessons range from the finer points of military strategy and economic policy to the moral qualities of effective rulers. The Sanskrit text, presented here in the Devanagari script, accompanies a new English prose translation.

The romance Lilavai, an early ninth-century poem attributed to Kouhala, is a complexly woven narrative of love and fate centered on three young women: Lilavai, princess of today’s Sri Lanka, and her cousins Mahanumai and Kuvalaavali. A new edition of the Prakrit text, presented in the Devanagari script, accompanies a new English prose translation.

The History of Akbar by Abu’l-Fazl is one of the most important works of Indo-Persian history. The eighth and final volume includes the conquest of Ahmadnagar, prince Salim’s rebellion, and the emperor’s final days. The Persian text is presented in the Naskh script along with a new English translation.

In The Epic of Ram, Volume 6, Ram and his allies fight the army of Ravan in a climactic battle, culminating in the demon king’s death. Ram and Sita reunite and board a flying palace to return home. This edition features the Avadhi text in the Devanagari script alongside a new free verse English translation of the beloved Ramayana story.

Theft of a Tree, by the sixteenth-century poet Nandi Timmana, recounts how Krishna stole the pārijāta, a wish-granting tree, from the king of the gods. Krishna gifts the tree to his wife Satyabhama—who must temporarily relinquish it to enjoy endless happiness. The text is presented in the Telugu script alongside the first English translation.

Poems from the Guru Granth Sahib offers spiritual lyrics from the Sikhs’ sacred book of ethics, philosophy, and theology. This new English translation includes celebrated long hymns and innovative short poems by Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion. It is presented here with the text in Gurmukhi, the script developed by the Guru himself.

Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion, and his vast corpus of hymns forms the core of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikhs’ sacred book of ethics, philosophy, and theology. Poems from the Sikh Sacred Tradition offers a selection of his spiritual lyrics in a beautiful new translation that highlights his pluralistic vision of the singular divine.

The Epic of Ram, Volume 7 completes Tulsidas’s grand epic. Ram reunites with his family and begins his long reign. Then, an immortal sage embodied in a lowly crow reflects on Ram’s life. This edition features the Avadhi text in the Devanagari script alongside a new free verse English translation of the beloved Ramayana story.

The Life of Padma, Volume 2 recounts Rama’s exile in the Dandaka Forest with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. When Sita disappears, Rama prepares for war against Ravana. This first direct translation into English of the oldest extant Apabhramsha work appears alongside a corrected text, in the Devanagari script, of Bhayani’s critical edition.

Mhaimbhat’s God at Play, or Līḷācaritra, is a remarkable biography of the medieval religious figure Chakradhar Svami, considered by the Mahanubhavs to be an incarnation of the supreme god. The first volume of this new English translation, accompanied by the Marathi text, describes Chakradhar’s early life, wanderings, and the gathering of disciples.

The Kannada Mahabharata, known as Kumāravyāsa Bhārata, is an innovative fifteenth-century retelling of the famous Mahabharata story centered on Krishna. Volume 1 includes “The Book of Beginnings” and “The Book of the Assembly.” This abridged edition presents a new English translation and authoritative Kannada text in the Kannada script.

Kalidasa’s The Lineage of the Raghus, or Raghuvaṃśa, belongs to the literary tradition of mahākāvya, or court poem. It recounts the lives of ancient kings—such as Dilipa, Raghu, and Rama—who ruled from the capital city of Ayodhya. This volume presents a new edition of the Sanskrit text in the Devanagari script alongside a fresh English translation.