The Dance of Shiva and Other tales from India

Nowhere is the tradition of storytelling more deeply rooted than in India where tales told three thousand years ago are still part of popular culture. In this volume a rich sampling of the many strands that make up this tradition has been memorably rendered into English. These stories range over a wide human spectrum. They deal with love and adventure, religion and philosophy; among them are to be found animal stories that predate Aesop and stories of Buddha that form part of India's great spiritual heritage. Some of these tales have the naive purity of folk art of India; others are shaped wit rare sophistication. All, however help the reader understand and delight in one of the most fascinating of civilizations. Highly colored and exotic of the spirit and of the flesh, they illumine universal human truth.