ADITYA NARAYAN DHAIRYASHEEL HAKSAR is a well-known translator of Sanskrit classics. A long-time career diplomat, he served as the Indian high commissioner in Kenya and the Seychelles, minister in the United States and ambassador in Portugal and Yugoslavia. His translations from the Sanskrit include
Hitopadesa,
Simhasana Dvatrimsika,
Subhashitavali,
Kama Sutra,
The Courtesan's Keeper,
The Seduction of Shiva,
Suleiman Charitra,
Raghuvamsam and
Three Hundred Verses, all published in Penguin Classics.
Chanakya's numerous sayings on life and living -- popularized in the wake of his successful strategy to put Chandragupta Maurya on the throne, if legend is to be believed -- have been compiled in numerous collections and anthologies over time. This entire corpus was referred to as Chanakya Niti.
These aphorisms, which continue to be recalled and quoted in many parts of India, primarily deal with everyday living: with family and social surroundings, friends and enemies, wealth and knowledge, and the inevitable end of everything. They also advise on the good and bad in life, proper and improper conduct, and how to manage many difficult situations.
A.N.D. Haksar's wonderful translation also places this work into context, showing how these verses have endured in the popular imagination for so long.
The language is straightforward, easy to follow, and mostly devoid of the 'alamkara' or embellishments found in traditional Sanskrit verse. The stanzas also have a natural rhythm, easy to recite or hear.AND Haksar, a former diplomat, has become synonymous with translations of lesser-known Sanskrit texts.
