Translations & Retellings

TRANSLATIONS AND RETELLINGS

THE RAMCHARITMANAS VOL. III
by TULSIDAS; translated by ROHINI CHOWDHURY

Tulsidas’s epic retelling of the story of Ram, in a new, three-volume translation.

Tulsidas, amongst the most important of the saint–poets of the medieval bhakti movement in northern India, is also Hindi’s most renowned poet. In the sixteenth century, he wrote his Ramcharitmanas , a retelling of the story of Ram, the legendary prince of Avadh. Composed in Avadhi, the spoken language of the people, it enjoyed instant popular appeal. It soon became—and remains—the dominant and accepted version of Ram’s story in the Hindi-speaking north.

Volume III: Kishkindhakand (Kishkindha); Sundarkand (The Beautiful); Lankakand (Lanka); Uttarkand (Epilogue)
The translation also includes a glossary and a comprehensive introduction to the poet and his work.

ISBN: 9780143425892
Publisher: Penguin Random House India, 2019

TALES FROM THE KATHASARITSAGARA
by SOMADEVA; adapted and retold by ROHINI CHOWDHURY, with an introduction by Namita Gokhale

Do you know the story of Phalabhuti, who narrowly escaped a grisly fate? Or of the kind-hearted Jimutavahana, who was willing to give his life to save a snake from death? Or of young Shringabhuja, who married a rakshasa's daughter? These are just some of the tales that make up Somadeva's Kathasaritsagara , a classic work of Sanskrit literature that is full of memorable characters. Within the pages of this book, you will encounter demons and demigods, faithful guards and foolish villagers, golden swans, magic pots and even automatons made of wood!

Suitable for readers of all ages.

‘Kathasaritsagara, as rendered by Rohini Chowdhury, is a delightful collection of stories for young readers. It beautifully showcases our rich heritage and the many treasures of Sanskrit literature.’ — VISHAL BHARDWAJ.

ISBN: 9780143445920
Publisher: Puffin Books, Penguin Random House India, 2019

PANCHATANTRA
by VISHNUSHARMA; translated by ROHINI CHOWDHURY, with an introduction by Nilanjana S. Roy

Timeless fables, now in a classic collector's edition. 

Composed in Sanskrit around 300 CE, the Panchatantra is one of the oldest collections of fables in the world. It is not only a masterly treatise on politics and government, and a manual for conducting our daily lives with wisdom and common sense, but devised to educate the three dull-witted sons of a king in the ways of the world, it was also a revolutionary and successful experiment in teaching young people.

Rohini Chowdhury's complete and vibrant translation brings to you the full breadth of the ancient work. As each story unravels into several more, a motley group of creatures educate and entertain in crisp rhymes and delightful prose.

Suitable for readers of all ages.

ISBN: 9780143334330
Publisher: Puffin Books, Penguin Random House India, 2017

CHANDRAKANTA
by DEVAKI NANDAN KHATRI; translated by ROHINI CHOWDHURY

Chandrakanta , Devaki Nandan Khatri’s extraordinary novel first published in 1888, is set in the courtly world of princes and princesses, magnificent palaces and gardens. The beautiful Princess Chandrakanta is imprisoned in an ancient tilisma, and waits to be rescued. Her lover, the valiant Prince Birendra Singh, battles jealous rivals and tries to break the ancient enchantment in order to reach her. The real protagonists of the story, however, are not the prince and princess, but their secret agents, the ‘spy-magicians’ known as aiyaars.

Written in the spoken Hindi of northern India rather than in any difficult literary idiom, Chandrakanta  became an instant hit upon publication – it was modern India’s first bestseller. Over the years its appeal has remained intact through various translations and adaptations, both in the printed form and the visual medium.

Now in a sparkling new translation by Rohini Chowdhury, this fantastic classic will enchant a fresh generation of readers and entice them into an unforgettable realm of magic and bravery.

ISBN: 9788129131126
Publisher: Rupa Publications India, 2015

THE RESIGNATION (TYAGPATRA)
by JAINENDRA; translated by ROHINI CHOWDHURY, with an afterword by Mridula Garg

One of the giants of Hindi literature, Jainendra introduced the ‘psychological’ novel into Hindi literature, exploring the thoughts and emotions of individuals rather than that of society at large.  Questions of love, marriage and relationships occupy much of Jainendra’s works, taking them into the realm of the internal and the intimate.

In The Resignation, he tells the story of Mrinal, a young woman whose uncompromising idealism results in her family and society rejecting her completely. More than eighty-five years after it was written, the story of Mrinal's struggle against stultifying social norms and her fierce individualism remain startlingly relevant.

Rohini Chowdhury’s elegant translation is accompanied by an afterword by Mridula Garg.

ISBN: 9780143415244
Publisher: Penguin Books India, 2012

ARDHAKATHANAK (A HALF STORY)
by BANARASIDAS; translated by ROHINI CHOWDHURY, with an introduction by Rupert Snell

‘It was more than three hundred and sixty-five years ago, in the winter of 1641, in Agra, that Banarasidas, poet, philosopher and merchant, completed the writing of a unique and remarkable text. Ardhakathanak, as this text is known, is the story of Banarasidas’s own life.’

The Ardhakathanak is also, possibly, the first autobiography in an Indian language. Banarasi had no precedent in literature or tradition that might have inspired him to write his life’s story, or guided him in his task. His motivation to write his story seemed simple: ‘Let me tell my story to all’. The result was an account that is more modern than medieval in tone, and which transcends formulaic conventions and stylized ornamentation.

Banarasi’s story is set against a backdrop of Mughal history, spanning the reign of three great kings – the Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shahjahan. Banarasidas does not provide us with any political or social commentary of the times, but he does give us some glimpses of a merchant’s life under the great Mughals. This makes the Ardhakathanak important not only from the literary point of view, but also as a historical record of the period.

The book includes Banarasidas's original text.

ISBN: 9780143100546
Publisher: Penguin Books India, 2009

ARDHAKATHANAK (Hindi)
by BANARASIDAS; translated by ROHINI CHOWDHURY

It was more than three hundred and sixty-five years ago, in the winter of 1641, in Agra, that Banarasidas, poet, philosopher and merchant, completed the writing of a unique and remarkable text. Ardhakathanak, as this text is known, is the story of Banarasidas’s own life.

The Ardhakathanak  is also, possibly, the first autobiography in an Indian language. Banarasi had no precedent in literature or tradition that might have inspired him to write his life’s story, or guided him in his task. His motivation to write his story seemed simple: ‘Let me tell my story to all’. The result was an account that is more modern than medieval in tone, and which transcends formulaic conventions and stylized ornamentation.

Banarasi’s story is set against a backdrop of Mughal history, spanning the reign of three great kings – the Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shahjahan. Banarasidas does not provide us with any political or social commentary of the times, but he does give us some glimpses of a merchant’s life under the great Mughals. This makes the Ardhakathanak important not only from the literary point of view, but also as a historical record of the period.

The book includes Banarasidas's original text.

ISBN: 9780143100560
Publisher: Penguin Books India, Yatra Books, 2007

BOSKY’S PANCHATANTRA
by GULZAR; translated by Rohini Chowdhury. Illustrated by Rajiv Eipe.

Gulzar, one of India’s best-known writers, turns the  stories of the Panchatantra into story-poems, to be read aloud or enjoyed alone.

ISBN: 9788129121189
Publisher: Red Turtle, Rupa Publications India, 2013