Overview

In 12th-century Vikramashila, merchant Dhananjaya Seth offers his beloved son Divodas to the Buddhist order. Renamed Dharmanuj, the young monk's piety soon clashes with the sinister tantric practices of Acharya Vajrasiddhi, who schemes to seize wealth and power. Cast into a subterranean prison, Dharmanuj is aided by his loyal steward, Sukhdas, disguised as a monk, and drawn to Manjughosha, a temple dancer revealed as a lost Licchavi princess. Their forbidden union defies tradition, even as corrupt monks and sorcerers conspire to possess them. Through perilous forests, divine revelation, and dramatic confrontation, the Goddess Vajratara's manifestation exposes hypocrisy and restores justice. Acharya Chatursen Shastri's Devangana-translated into English with lyrical precision-unfolds as a sweeping epic that interlaces romance, faith, and political intrigue against the backdrop of Buddhism's decline, capturing the end of an era.

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9781645608141

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Acharya Chatursen Shastri (1891-1960) was a towering figure of Hindi literature, renowned for his historical novels and bold narrative style. Trained in Ayurveda and Sanskrit, he combined scholarly depth with imaginative storytelling. His celebrated works include Vaishali ki Nagarvadhu, Somnath, Vayam Rakshamah, and Dharamputra, many of which explore the grandeur and decline of civilizations. Shastri's writing is marked by meticulous research, philosophical reflection, and a fearless critique of social and religious hypocrisy, often weaving myth, history, and romance into sweeping epics. His prose carries both scholarly gravitas and dramatic intensity, making him one of modern Hindi's most influential novelists. Dr. Gurudev Meher, a distinguished translator and academic, is an Associate Professor in the PG Department of English at Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha. With over fifteen years in academia, he excels in postcolonial criticism, diaspora studies, and translation. His research is published in prestigious journals worldwide. His passion for literature and translation is evident in his work on diasporic writing and translating Odia novels into English, bridging cultural narratives and reaching a wider audience. His notable translations include The Changeover, the English version of Surendra Mohanty's Kalantara, and Night in the Metropolis and Other Stories, both published by Bloomsbury Publishing and Black Eagle Books in 2019 and 2023, respectively. These works highlight his skill in preserving Odia literature's essence for global readers.

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