Please find below details of a newly published work of Dr. Shankar Rajaraman. Please pass the details on to those who may be interested.
Book Details
Title: Chitranaishadham—The picturesque tale of King Nala
Title in IAST: Citranaiṣadham: The picturesque tale of King Nala
Description: Citranaiṣadham is a first-of-its-kind Sanskrit short poem (khaṇḍakāvya)—a picture-poem (citrakāvya) composed entirely in the zig-zag gomūtrikabandha pattern. The work in four cantos ‘paints’ the narrative of Nala and Damayantī’s romance and wedding from the Nalopākhyāna of the Mahābhārata. The hero and heroine, made to fall in love by a celestial swan, are united in matrimony despite the deities’ attempts to deceive them. The work is a fascinating example of constrained writing.
Language: Sanskrit, with Hindi and English translations
Author: Dr. Shankar Rajaraman
English translation: Dr. Shankar Rajaraman
Hindi translation: Ankur Nagpal
Foreword: Dr. Balram Shukla
Book design and typesetting: Nityanand Misra
Cover art: Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906), retouched
Publisher: Niraamaya Publishing, Mumbai
ISBN-13: 978-81-931144-2-1
ISBN-10: 81-931144-2-6
Book type: Paperback
Binding: Perfect binding with section sewing
Book size: Metric demy 8vo (138 mm x 216 mm)
Number of pages: 120 (viii + 112)
Inside paper: 80 gsm acid-free natural shade maplitho paper
Cover paper: 300 gsm Sinar art paper
Finishing: Matte thermal lamination on outside cover
Weight: Approx 150 grams
Price: INR 200 in India, USD 6 outside India (excluding shipping).
Sample pages
Online reading: Click
hereDownloadable PDF: Click
here
Availability in India
Directly from the author: Contact Dr. Shankar Rajaraman in Bengaluru
Availability outside India
Praise for the book
“Following the great classical Sanskrit poets who incorporated a citra (specialized geometric forms of wording) section in epics like Śiśupālavadha and Naiṣadhīyacarita, Dr. Shankar Rajaraman has composed the beautiful Citranaiṣadham, not only retelling the classical story of Nala and Damayantī, but also displaying his poetic prowess through the use of yamaka and gomūtrikābandha forms in his poetic narration. I congratulate him, and hope that he will continue producing more such beautiful poetic creations.“
—Prof. Madhav Deshpande
(Professor of South Asian Literature and Linguistics,
University of Michigan,
Author of 15 books and 150+ papers)
श्रुतिहितकरवाणी नर्मिला शक्वरेड्या
गतिविततरसैणी निर्मिता शङ्करेण।
जयतु नलविदर्भश्रीमतीचित्रचर्या
नयघनकविगर्भस्थेमवैचित्र्यचर्चा॥
—Shatavadhani Dr. R. Ganesh
(Sanskrit poet and scholar, Bengaluru,
Recipient of Badrayan Vyas Samman for Sanskrit)
चित्रबन्धैर्वितन्वानस्सचित्रं चित्रनैषधम्।
प्रीणयत्यात्मवृत्तैर्मां राजारामाख्यशङ्करः॥
—Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Abhiraja Rajendra Mishra
(Sanskrit poet and scholar, Shimla,
Recipient of President’s Certificate of Honour for Sanskrit)
अलङ्कृतिरसस्निग्धमाधुर्यमहिमोद्भटम्।
वैदर्भीवृत्तमाबध्नत्कृत्स्नं सर्गचतुष्टये॥
चित्रबन्धचमत्कारचातुरीचर्चयाऽर्चितम्।
शाङ्करीं प्रतिभां प्राप्य प्रोदगाच्चित्रनैषधम्॥
—Mahamahopadhyaya Devarshi Kalanatha Shastri
(Sanskrit poet and scholar, Jaipur,
Recipient of President’s Certificate of Honour for Sanskrit)
अप्याद्यन्तमहो इदम्प्रथमतो गोमूत्रिकाबन्धभाक्
स्वाद्यं सद्भिरनारतं न गुणितव्यङ्ग्यं न गूढं मनाक्।
कापेयात्कृतिनां चिराद्विमनसो वाचः प्रहर्षौषधं
राजारामकवेरिदं विजयतां चित्रं सतां नैषधम्॥
(Sanskrit poet and scholar, Madhubani,
Recipient of Badrayan Vyas Samman)
Thanks, Nityananda
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