How the Nagas Were Pleased by Harsha & the Shattered Thighs by Bhasa

By Harsha and Bhāsa

Two tragic plays that break the rules: both show the hero dying on stage, a scenario forbidden in Sanskrit dramaturgy. King Harsha's play, composed in the seventh century, re-examines the Buddhist tale of a magician prince who makes the ultimate sacrifice to save a hostage snake ( naga ). The Shattered Thighs , attributed to Bhasa, the illustrious predecessor to ancient Kali·dasa, transforms a crucial episode of the Maha·bhárata war. As he dies from a foul blow to the legs delivered in his duel with Bhima, Duryódhana's character is inverted, depicted as a noble and gracious exemplar amidst the wreckage of the fearsome battle scene.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814740669
• ISBN13: 9780814740668
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Clay Sanskrit
• Length: 380 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.3" x 6.5"