K?lid?sa's The Recognition of Shakúntala (), ed. Somadeva Vasudeva

The Clay Sanskrit Library is a series of books published by New York University Press and the JJC Foundation. Each work features the text in its original language (transliterated Sanskrit) on the left-hand page, with its English translation on the right. The series was inspired by the Loeb Classical Library,^[1] and its volumes are bound in teal cloth.

History

The Clay Sanskrit Library (CSL) is the product of the JJC Foundation, a charitable foundation established by John P. and Jennifer Clay, along with New York University Press.^[2] John Peter Clay was born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1934. He won a scholarship to attend St Paul's School, London in 1947. In 1951, he was offered a full scholarship by the Queen's College, Oxford, where he achieved a First-class degree in Sanskrit, Old Persian and Avestan. He was later appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Queen's College. On leaving Oxford, Clay joined Vickers da Costa, a stockbroking firm based in the City of London. He spent 25 years at Vickers, becoming Deputy Chairman and an elected Member of the London Stock Exchange council. In 1982, he left Vickers and moved to New York City, where he founded the international investment management company Clay Finlay Inc.^[3]

In the late 1990s, when he was semi-retired, Clay decided to return to his early passion, Sanskrit literature: he envisioned a series that would make the classics easily available to the general public for the first time. He shared his ambitions for the CSL with Richard Gombrich (also an alumnus of St Paul's School, London), who was the Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University from 1976 to 2004.^[4] Richard Gombrich was appointed General Editor of the Clay Sanskrit Library.^[4] Sanskrit scholars Somadeva Vasudeva and Isabelle Onians were appointed Associate Editors, and thirty academics from eight countries were appointed to produce new translations of classical Sanskrit texts. In 2007, Sheldon Pollock joined Gombrich as Co-General Editor, and Gombrich resigned in early 2008.^[3] In 2009, the CSL ended its initial project^[5][2] and in 2010 Pollock joined the Murty Classical Library of India,^[6] which seeks to publish works in Sanskrit as well as other Indian languages. John Clay died in 2013,^[2] following complications from multiple sclerosis.^[3] In early 2016, Camillo Formigatti (formerly of the University of Cambridge^[3]) became John Clay Sanskrit Librarian at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford,^[7][8] where previously in 2010 the JJC Foundation had sponsored a CSL international outreach program led by Matt Kimberly.^[3][9]

Publication History

Facing page layout from Budhasv?min's The Emperor of the Sorcerers

The first 15 volumes of the Clay Sanskrit Library (CSL) were published in 2005. An additional 41 volumes were published between 2006 and 2009, far exceeding Clay's original vision of 50 titles. The 56 published volumes represent the richness and wide variety of Sanskrit literature. They include selections from famous epics, novels, poetry, satire and drama. The entire Clay Sanskrit Library is available for purchase through NYU Press. Selected titles may be purchased individually, in a 56 volume complete set or in mini-sets, grouped thematically.^[10]

JJC, in conjunction with NYU Press, created the Digital Clay Sanskrit Library (eCSL) for ebook platforms: Amazon's Kindle Apple's iBooks, Google Play and KOBO. The eCSL collection comprises 20 volumes. Further information is available at www.claysanskritlibrary.org. The Clay Sanskrit Illustrated Compendium, is produced by Dr. Camillo Formigatti, the John Clay Sanskrit Librarian. The lavishly illustrated Compendium contains excerpts from the CSL collection. These excerpts are paired with manuscripts from the Bodleian Library from the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions, and Mughal miniatures. It is scheduled for release by the Bodleian Library at the end of 2019.

John. P. Clay Sanskrit Scholarship

CSL and The Queen's College, Oxford is funding the John P Clay Graduate Scholarship in Manuscript and Text Cultures: Sanskrit. In October 2018 the Scholarship was awarded to Tara (Fabienne) Heuze.

List of volumes

Epic

Maha·bhárata

• Maha·bhárata II: The Great Hall (Sabh?parvan): 588 pp, Paul Wilmot, 2006, ISBN 978-0-8147-9406-7
• Maha·bhárata III: The Forest (Vanaparvan) (volume four of four): 374 pp, William J. Johnson, 2005, ISBN 978-0-8147-4278-5
• Maha·bhárata IV: Viráta (Viraparvan): 516 pp, Kathleen Garbutt, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8147-3183-3
• Maha·bhárata V: Preparations for War (Udyogaparvan) (volume one of two): 450 pp, Kathleen Garbutt, with a foreword by Gurcharan Das, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8147-3191-8
• Maha·bhárata V: Preparations for War (Udyogaparvan) (volume two of two): 789 pp, Kathleen Garbutt, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8147-3202-1
• Maha·bhárata VI: Bhishma (Bhmaparvan) (volume one of two) Including the "Bhagavad Gita" in Context: 615 pp, Alex Cherniak, Foreword by Ranajit Guha, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8147-1696-0
• Maha·bhárata VI: Bhishma (volume two of two): 582pp, Alex Cherniak, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8147-1705-9
• Maha·bhárata VII: Drona (Dro?aparvan) (volume one of four): 473 pp, Vaughan Pilikian, 2006, ISBN 978-0-8147-6723-8
• Maha·bhárata VII: Drona (Dro?aparvan) (volume two of four): 394 pp, Vaughan Pilikian, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8147-6776-4
• Maha·bhárata VIII: Karna (Kar?aparvan) (volume one of two): 604 pp, Adam Bowles, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8147-9981-9
• Maha·bhárata VIII: Karna (Kar?aparvan) (volume two of two): 624 pp, Adam Bowles, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8147-9995-6
• Maha·bhárata IX: Shalya (?alyaparvan) (volume one of two): 371 pp, Justin Meiland, 2005, ISBN 978-0-8147-5706-2
• Maha·bhárata IX: Shalya (?alyaparvan) (volume two of two): 470 pp, Justin Meiland, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8147-5737-6
• Maha·bhárata X & XI: Dead of the Night & The Women (Sauptikaparvan & Str?parvan): 416 pp, Kate Crosby, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8147-1727-1
• Maha·bhárata XII: Peace (ntiparvan): "The Book of Liberation" (volume three of five): 626 pp, Alex Wynne, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-9453-X

Ramáyana by Valmíki

• Ramáyana I: Boyhood (B?laka): 424 pp, Robert P. Goldman, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-3163-5
• Ramáyana II: Ayódhya (Ayodhy?ka): 652 pp, Sheldon I. Pollock, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-6716-8
• Ramáyana III: The Forest (Ara?yaka): 436 pp, Sheldon I. Pollock, 2006, ISBN 0-8147-6722-2
• Ramáyana IV: Kishkíndha (Ki?kindh?ka): 415 pp, Rosalind Lefeber, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-5207-1
• Ramáyana V: Súndara (Sundaraka): 538 pp, Robert P. Goldman & Sally J. Sutherland Goldman, 2006, ISBN 0-8147-3178-3

Classical poetry

• The Birth of Kumára (Kum?rasa?bhava) by K?lid?sa. 360 pp, David Smith, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-4008-1

• Love Lyrics (Amaru?ataka, ?atakatraya and Caurapañcik?) by Amaru, Bhart?hari and Bilha?a. 327 pp, Greg Bailey & Richard Gombrich, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-9938-8
• Messenger Poems (Meghad?ta, Pavanad?ta and Ha?sad?ta) by K?lid?sa, Dhoy? and R?pa Gosv?min. 293 pp, Sir James Mallinson, 2006, ISBN 0-8147-5714-6
• Three Satires (Kalivi?ambana, Kal?vil?sa and Bhalla?a?ataka) by N?lakaha, K?emendra and Bhalla?a. 403 pp, Somadeva Vasudeva, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-8814-9
• Gita·govínda: Love Songs of Radha and Krishna by Jayadeva. Foreword by Sudipta Kaviraj. 256 pp, Lee Siegel, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-4078-2
• "Bouquet of Rasa" and "River of Rasa" by Bh?nudatta. 442 pp, Sheldon I. Pollock, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-6755-9
• Bhatti's Poem: The Death of Rávana by Bhai. 566 pp, Oliver Fallon, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-2778-6
• On Self-Surrender, Compassion, and the Mission of a Goose: Sanskrit Poetry from the South by Appayya D?k?ita and Ved?ntade?ika, Yigal Bronner & David Shulman, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8147-4110-8
• Seven Hundred Elegant Verses by Govardha?a: 360 pp, Friedhelm Hardy, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-3687-4

Drama

• The Lady of the Jewel Necklace and The Lady who Shows her Love (Ratn?val? and Priyadar?ik?) by Har?a: 514pp, Wendy Doniger, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8147-1996-1
• Much Ado About Religion (?gama?ambara) by Bhaa Jayanta: 320 pp, Csaba Dezs?, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-1979-1
• Rákshasa's Ring (Mudr?r?k?asa) by Vikhadatta: 385 pp, Michael Coulson, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-1661-X
• Rama Beyond Price (Anarghar?ghava) by Mur?ri: 638 pp, Judit Törzsök, 2006, ISBN 0-8147-8295-7
• The Recognition of Shakúntala (Abhijñ?nakuntala, Kashmir Recension) by K?lid?sa: 419 pp, Somadeva Vasudeva, 2006, ISBN 0-8147-8815-7
• Rama's Last Act (Uttarar?macarita) by Bhavabh?ti: 458 pp, Sheldon I. Pollock, with a foreword by Girish Karnad, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8147-6733-7
• How the Nagas were Pleased (N?g?nanda) by Har?a and The Shattered Thighs (?rubha?ga) by Bh?sa: 376 pp, Andrew Skilton, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-4066-9
• Little Clay Cart by draka. Foreword by Partha Chatterjee: 674 pp, Diwakar Acharya, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-0729-7
• How Úrvashi Was Won by K?lid?sa: 566 pp, Velcheru Narayana Rao & David Shulman, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-2778-6
• The Quartet of Causeries by draka, ?y?milaka, Vararuci & varadatta, Csaba Dezs? & Somadeva Vasudeva, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8147-1978-7
• Málavika and Agni·mitra by K?lid?sa: 350 pp, Daniel Balogh & Eszter Somogyi, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-8702-9
• The Rise of Wisdom Moon by Kami?ra: 396 pp, Matthew Kapstein, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-4838-4

Other narrative

• The Emperor of the Sorcerers (B?hatkathlokasa?graha) by Budhasv?min (volume one): 452 pp, Sir James Mallinson, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-5701-4
• The Emperor of the Sorcerers (B?hatkathlokasa?graha) by Budhasv?min (volume two): 467 pp, Sir James Mallinson, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-5707-3
• The Epitome of Queen Lilávati (L?l?vat?s?ra) by Jinaratna (volume one): 543 pp, R.C.C. Fynes, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-2741-7
• The Epitome of Queen Lilávati (L?l?vat?s?ra) Jinaratna (volume two): 650 pp, R.C.C. Fynes, 2006, ISBN 0-8147-2742-5
• Five Discourses on Worldly Wisdom (Pañcatantra) by Viu?arman: 562 pp, Patrick Olivelle, 2006, ISBN 0-8147-6208-5
• Heavenly Exploits (Divy?vad?na): 444 pp, Joel Tatelman, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-8288-4
• The Ocean of the Rivers of Story (Kath?sarits?gara) by Somadeva (volume one of seven): 556 pp, Sir James Mallinson, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8147-8816-5
• The Ocean of the Rivers of Story (Kath?sarits?gara) by Somadeva (volume two of seven): 608 pp, Sir James Mallinson, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-9558-7
• What Ten Young Men Did (Da?akum?racarita) by Dain: 651 pp, Isabelle Onians, 2005, ISBN 0-8147-6206-9
• "Friendly Advice" and "King Víkrama's Adventures" (Hitopade?a and Vikramacarita) by N?r?ya?a: 742 pp, Judit Törzsök, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8147-8305-4
• Handsome Nanda (Saundarananda) by A?vagho?a: 392 pp, Linda Covill, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8147-1683-0
• Life of the Buddha by A?vagho?a: 561 pp, Patrick Olivelle, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8147-6216-5
• Garland of the Buddha's Past Lives (volume one of two) by ?ryara: 548 pp, Justin Meiland, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-9581-1
• Garland of the Buddha's Past Lives (volume two of two) by ?ryara: 543 pp, Justin Meiland, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-9583-8
• Princess Kadámbari by Ba, David Smith (volume one of three): 490 pp, David Smith, 2009, ISBN 0-8147-4080-4

Notes

Bibliography

• Banks, Eric (December 2005 - January 2006), "100 Paths to Nirvana", Bookforum, archived from the original on 2007-09-27, retrieved .
• Hanneder, Jürgen (2008), "Review of Clay Sanskrit Library" (PDF), Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, 158: 496-499.
• Ormsby, Eric (May 2005), "The jewel in the cobra's mouth", The New Criterion.
• Pollack, R. (7 September 2008), "The Clay Sanskrit Library", rpollack.net, retrieved 2017.
• Regier, Willis G. (3 March 2006), "Seduced by Sanskrit", Chronicle of Higher Education, 52 (26).
• Shulman, David (12 August 2008), "The Arrow and the Poem", New Republic, retrieved 2017.
• Smith, John D. (11 November 2005), "Script doctors' blunders mar valuable texts", Times Higher Education.

External links

• Clay Sanskrit Library (official page)
• Blog (Internet Archive copy)