Introducing the Murty Library

[Nathan "N.R."]

The Library's page is ::
http://www.murtylibrary.com/

The NYT review of the first five volumes ::
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/03/boo...

Further press coverage :
http://www.murtylibrary.com/press.php

The editor's introduction ::
http://www.murtylibrary.com/why-a-cla...


Please post any other resources regarding the series as a whole, or large chunks of it, in this thread.

[Nathan "N.R."]

The Wall Street Journal has a notice about the Murty Library.

"The Many Strands of Indian Identity:
An ambitious new library of Indian literature shows the cultural riches ignored by today’s Hindu nationalists" by Pankaj Mishra
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-many-...

[thanks to The Complete Review for calling attn.]

[Nathan "N.R."]

Also to call your attention ::

The 2015 Jaipur Literature Festival featured two sessions about the Murty Library, "The Murty Classical Library of India" and "Why a Library of Classical Indian Literature".

Multilingual! Videos at the Murty page :
http://www.murtylibrary.com/events.php

Pretty cool!

[Nathan "N.R."]

And one more!

The Murty Library website has collected a bunch of Press stuff -- notices, reviews, interviews -- about their new books.
http://www.murtylibrary.com/press.php
audio and video included.

[Nathan "N.R."]

A longer piece in New Statesman ::

" Many gods, many voices: the Murty Classical Library is uncovering India’s dazzling literary history: The Murty Classical Library of India tackles a multilingual, epic tradition." by Neel Mukherjee, March, 2015
http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2...

[Richard]

The Murty website was recently updated to announced four titles that will be published in January 2016. http://www.murtylibrary.com/volumes.php

"The History of Akbar, Volume 2

Abu’l-Fazl, edited and translated by Wheeler M. Thackston

The History of Akbar by Abu’l-Fazl is one of the most important works of Indo-Persian history and a touchstone of prose artistry. In this volume, Humayun’s turbulent reign ends, and Akbar ascends his father’s throne."

"The Epic of Ram, Volume 1

Tulsidas, translated by Philip Lutgendorf

The Epic of Ram by Tulsidas has become the most beloved retelling of the ancient Ramayana story across northern India and an influential literary masterpiece. This volume presents the poet’s grand introduction to Ram, setting the stage for his advent and divine mission.

The Epic of Ram, Volume 2

This volume recounts Ram’s birth on earth, his youthful adventures, and the celebration of his marriage to Sita."

"Arjuna and the Hunter

Bharavi, edited and translated by Indira Viswanathan Peterson

Arjuna and the Hunter, by the sixth-century poet Bharavi, portrays Arjuna’s travels to the Himalayas, where Shiva tests the hero’s courage in combat and bestows upon him an invincible weapon. This is a masterful contemplation of ethical conduct, ascetic discipline, and religious devotion—enduring themes in Indian literature."

[Nathan "N.R."]

Thanks for the update, Richard. And it looks like the forthcoming volumes listed at the bottom of the page have changed too ::
"Forthcoming works include The Death of Shishupala of Magha (Śiśupālavadha, Sanskrit); The Kindness of Annada of Bharatchandra Ray (Annadāmaṅgal, Bangla); The Way of the King of Poets of Shrivijaya (Kavirājamārga, Kannada), and other classical texts in such languages as Apabhramsha, Marathi, Prakrit, Sindhi, and Tamil."

I'll get our threads and folders in the group here updated in the next day or two.

[Mukesh]

Oh, I was so looking forward to the book on Ghalib by Shamsur Faruqi, I guess. Sigh, it is nowhere to be found

[Nathan "N.R."]

Mukesh wrote: "Oh, I was so looking forward to the book on Ghalib by Shamsur Faruqi, I guess. Sigh, it is nowhere to be found"

For better or worse, the Murty Library looks like a 100 year project, with funding through 2024 so far. So the Ghalib should still be in the pipeline for one of these years!

[Jibran]

Is Shamsur Rehman Faruqi translating Ghalib? Has anyone got any info about the book?

[Mukesh]

Jibran wrote: "Is Shamsur Rehman Faruqi translating Ghalib? Has anyone got any info about the book?"
Yes, it was in mentioned by Sheldon Pollock himself, in the JLF talk. Also, it was mentioned on the previous list of forthcoming titles on the MCLI site. The prospect is so exciting, isn't it ? :)
Though delayed now, I guess :/

[Mukesh]

Nathan "N.R." wrote: "Mukesh wrote: "Oh, I was so looking forward to the book on Ghalib by Shamsur Faruqi, I guess. Sigh, it is nowhere to be found"

For better or worse, the Murty Library looks like a 100 year project,..."

Haha. We'll spend our lifetimes collecting them.
But Faruqi sahab writing about Ghalib is too mouth watering a prospect to wait for years!

[Jibran]

Mukesh wrote: "Jibran wrote: "Is Shamsur Rehman Faruqi translating Ghalib? Has anyone got any info about the book?"
Yes, it was in mentioned by Sheldon Pollock himself, in the JLF talk. Also, it was mentioned on ..."

Yes indeed Mukesh. Faruqi is arguably the best Ghalib expert alive. And seeing how he masterfully translated his own Urdu novels into English, I'm sure he'll come up with a finely wrought translation of Ghalib conveying the poet's style and diction.

I'm also wondering which Sindhi classic work they are translating. Any news on that front? In any case a quality translation of Shah Jo Risalo is much needed. It's a pity that Bhitai, often called the Rumi of Sindh, remains relatively unknown in English speaking circles due to lack of quality translations!

[Mukesh]

Yes, I really admire him. There are only a handful of clips available on youtube of him talking, but love them all. One of the greatest living Indian intellectuals, I believe.

I am afraid, I am not aware about the Sindhi work in progress. I haven't seen any mention of that so far, but then there is so much stuff to cover and in so many languages....it must be a herculean task to pick and choose :) A hundred years is the least they would need ;)

[Mukesh]

Jibran wrote: "...and seeing how he masterfully translated his own Urdu novels into English, I'm sure he'll come up with a finely wrought translation of Ghalib conveying the poet's style and diction."

Okay, since you seem to have read his novels, I would like to seek your opinion on a couple of things...
Are the two novels related or in a series ? Isn't the second one a collection of short stories ? And which one should one pick first, in your opinion ( if one is not entirely familiar with heavily persianized, ornate Urdu ? )
:)

[Nathan "N.R."]

Another feature article on the Murty Library and its Editor, Pollock::
"Columbia South Asia Scholar Oversees New Editions of Classical Indian Literature"
http://news.columbia.edu/global/3693

I just don't think I can overestimate how important this series is going to be. And I hope too to get started on it before the year's over.

[Jibran]

Nathan "N.R." wrote: "Another feature article on the Murty Library and its Editor, Pollock::
"Columbia South Asia Scholar Oversees New Editions of Classical Indian Literature"
http://news.columbia.edu/global/3693

I jus..."

Thanks for the posting this article, Nathan. I'm so excited to get my hands on the first editions.

The Murty Library has text in the original language on one page, with the English translation on the opposite page.

I'm wondering how they would solve the matter of the same language written in two scripts. Bulleh Shah's poems are printed in Gurmukhi script, but Bulleh recorded his poems in Shahmukhi script of Punjabi. I think since the source text is aimed at the Indian audience it makes sense to use Gurmukhi than Shahmukhi because no one in India would understand the latter.

But it becomes a problem with languages that are mostly written and read in one script across the communal divide. I read that the Library has plans to translate a work of Sindhi. Although both scripts exist for it, Arabic-derived script had been in use even long before partition, by both Muslim and Hindu Sindhis. If they code it in Sanskrit-derived script I doubt anyone besides scholars of Sindhi would be able to read it. But on the other hand Sindhi in Arabic script is readable only in Pakistan. If they publish it in the script used currently, it will sell like hot cakes in Sindh, since Sindh has a rich and proud literary tradition.

Same for Gujarati where the situation is reversed. Gujarati in Arabic-derived script is rare and I think Gujarati speakers in India use the indigenous script across the communal divide.

Akbar's memoirs original is in Farsi which no one understands in India apart from some scholars.

The funding for the Murty Library comes from a computer scientist, Rohan Narayana Murty, whose family donated $5.2 million to launch the series. Murty’s father is Narayana Murthy, founder of the tech firm Infosys.

Ah, so it's Moorthi! I wondered why they had attached an English name to the series :)

[Jibran]

Mukesh wrote: "Jibran wrote: "...and seeing how he masterfully translated his own Urdu novels into English, I'm sure he'll come up with a finely wrought translation of Ghalib conveying the poet's style and dictio..."

Sorry Mukesh I missed this.

I have only read the novel The Mirror of Beauty, and in the original Urdu. If you can't read Urdu you have an English translation done by the author himself, and going by what I have read, it is a very good translation.

The other one is a collection of short stories. This one: The Sun that Rose from the Earth. It's the same with this, written in Urdu and self-translated into English.

Both books explore the Indo-Persian cultural and literary milieu but are not part of a series.

[Mukesh]

Jibran wrote: "Mukesh wrote: "Jibran wrote: "...and seeing how he masterfully translated his own Urdu novels into English, I'm sure he'll come up with a finely wrought translation of Ghalib conveying the poet's s..."

No issues! And thanks for the details. :)
'Kai Chaand' was published in Devnagri script too, so language shouldn't be a problem. Though it is such a huge tome, it is a bit daunting to start it. :)

[Jibran]

Mukesh wrote: "Kai Chaand' was published in Devnagri script too, so language shouldn't be a problem. "

That's good to know. His language is definitely polished and reflects the times, more so because of the high register Urdu poetry. I'm wondering if the Devanagari edition comes with a glossary of words.

[Mukesh]

Jibran wrote: "Mukesh wrote: "Kai Chaand' was published in Devnagri script too, so language shouldn't be a problem. "

That's good to know. His language is definitely polished and reflects the times, more so beca..."

Hmm, I am not sure about the glossary. It's a bit funny but language is such a fluid thing. When you see a 50s Bombay film, half of the dialogue may seem ornate, incomprehensible. Same with this case too, I guess.

[Nathan "N.R."]

A recent article about The Murty Library in The Hindu ::

"Indian classical texts get the kiss of life" by Nikhil Govind
http://www.thehindu.com/books/literar...

"It is a matter of deep discredit that despite the abundant rhetoric on Indian tradition, few enterprises in India have actually generated any concrete body of work. The Murty series, which apparently hopes to publish as many as 500 titles, is a noble exception, and can serve as guide and impetus. One hopes that other imaginative pedagogical projects will pick up the strands from here — else all this hard-won and exultant wisdom will be lost again. New scholarship will have to be inaugurated to meaningfully relate this series to contemporary intellectual conversations. Both the past and the present can only be mutually nourished by this dialogue."

[Kartik]

Sindhi in Devanagari should be easy enough to read for anyone who knows to read Devanagari. It's a pretty unambiguous script. Sindhi Devanagari uses a few letters for unique sounds but otherwise it's the same.

[Nathan "N.R."]

Two more recent notices about the soon to be released second batch of Murty Library volumes ::

Rohan Murty revives classic conversation
http://www.asianage.com/people/rohan-...

Wraps off a rich literary legacy
http://www.thehindu.com/books/wraps-o...

In January, the release of the second volume of Akbarnama, two volumes of Ramcharit Manas by Tulsidas, and Kirtarjuniya by Bharavi, a sixth century Sanskrit poet.

[Nathan "N.R."]

A piece in The Guardian by Amit Chaudhuri ::
" The Murty Classical Library of India review – great literary works for a new generation : As debates over culture and nationalism rage in India, these new translations of classic early texts are needed as never before"
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015...

"Internecine disagreement has succeeded decades of prevaricatory blandness and dreams of harmonious diversity. “Culture” in the 1970s was of interest inasmuch as it was an essential constituent of multiculturalism, understood in terms of liberal tolerance and cohabitation, rather than as an imaginative inheritance that needs to be periodically reassessed and reused. Its importance was seen primarily through an idea of the nation, and it was therefore relatively easy to pay obeisance to: hospitals, streets, metro stations and auditoriums in Calcutta, for instance, are persistently named after Tagore. (The logic of such ritualised public invocation is that for every great poet remembered, a hundred are forgotten.)"

"[editor] Pollock reminds us that the “classic” is a western concept. What quality do these texts have, then, that makes them “classics”? Pollock’s answer is true not only of how one might approach the Indian past, but any past:“It might in fact be their very resistance to contemporaneity and universality, that is, their capacity to communicate the vast variety of the human past. There will, of course, be many occasions for learning something about our shared humanity from these works, but they also provide access to radically different forms of human consciousness, and thereby expand the range of possibilities of what it has meant or could mean to be human.” Pollock here is echoing Tagore’s sui generis reappraisal of Kalidasa, as an ancient poet who was both a contemporary (and capable of speaking directly to us) and belonged to a world that could no longer be laid claim to: “We are banished from that India, not just during the rains but for all time.” But we can both confront the otherness of the past and immerse ourselves in it, as in these astonishing lines from The Story of Manu, describing a mere look of desire between a goddess and a man:

Like the beetle that,
from concentrating on the bee,
becomes
a bee, by taking in that human being
she achieved humanity
with her own body. "

[Caroline]

Thanks

[Nathan "N.R."]

It would appear that the 2016 releases from the Murty are now available ::

The Epic of Ram, 2 volumes
The History of Akbar, v 2
Arjuna and the Hunter
http://www.murtylibrary.com/volumes.php

I haven't seen an announcement yet for what will come in 2017.

[Nathan "N.R."]

A few more press links from the recent (Jan '17) round of releases ::
http://murtylibrary.com/press.php