Morality Tales

In her latest book-a translation of lesser-known stories from the Mahabharata-Wendy Doniger returns to the themes and ideas of her earlier work

- Arshia Sattar

A new book from Wendy Doniger always creates a stir-both friends and foes are eager to see what she has to say. Neither group is ever disappointed, each finds something that fulfils their expectations. Having been her student in the 1980s, I fall firmly in the first group and I am delighted, yet again, to read her lucid, bright translations that are marvellously fluent in English and yet, retain something of the lilt and pace of the Sanskrit original. If you have any doubt about this rare skill of Doniger's, you have only to read 'How the Procrastinator Saved Gautama from Killing His Wife'-you will experience the pleasure of Sanskrit puns and sarcasm even as you laugh out loud for what it sounds like in English.

As always with Doniger, this is primarily a book of stories.