Harsadeva, who was the king of Sthanvisvara in Kanauj and who flourished in 590 A.D. composed three excellent dramas viz., Ratnavali, Priyadarshika and Nagananda. They have won a significant place in the Sanskrit literature.
The story of the drama is of absorbing interest. The Nagananda has a spiritual atmosphere and a novel theme and as such it is a unique creation. On the one hand it has a beautiful love story revolving round Jimutavahana and Malayavati. Quite different from it we have yet another story of the hard inspiring example of self-sacri-fice and resolution even in the face of death.
The Nagananda has another dimen-tion pertaing to its methaphysical import. The play represents an attempt towards a synthesis of the Buddhistic and Hindu traditions. It was perhaps Sankara the great monistic philosopher who started this approach and when the Nagananda came to the Kerala state, it provided ample opportu-nities for the interaction between Hindu and Buddhistic ideas. The fact that a size-able number of manusripts of the play as well as commentaries are available in different parts of Kerala, textifies to the immense popularity that the play enjoyed right from the days of its composition by Sriharsa.
The present work is one of the several out-standing and excellent studies from the pen of Dr. N. P. Unni, the author. This popular edition with the Sivarama commen-tary is intended to give a comprehensive account of the poem, This study critically evaluates the literary achievements of Harsadeva put forth through the Nagananda.
Scholarly approach of the author renders a excellent treatment of the subject resulting into such extraordinary study of the poet which is bound to get a great applause from the literary world. It will be equally interesting for both the academician, the students of aesthetics and the general readers.
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