The book Three Satires from Ancient Kashmir takes the reader back to the times when Kashmir was demographically Hindu. When this book was written for the first time in Sanskrit, the advent of Islam was still two to three centuries away in time. Although, some historical accounts suggest that Islam had made its entry into Kashmir way before 14th century when Islam marked a major advance into the valley. The book is a voyage through the cultural landscape of the ancient Kashmir. Rather it is more accurate to say that the book sketches the landscape of Kashmir when the west wind of Islam was round the corner. In any case, there is no mention of the transition to a new demography in the Three Satires from Ancient Kashmir.

Translated from Sanskrit to English by A.N.D. Haksar, a veteran writer in the field of translation work from Sanskrit to English. A career diplomat who has served in the diplomatic circles as the Indian High Commissioner to Kenya and the Seychelles, and ambassador to Portugal and Yugoslavia. He has previously translated works from Sanskrit to English.

Three Satires from Ancient Kashmir brings to the contemporary audience the everyday life of the eleventh century Kashmir. Originally, written by Kshemendra in the 11th century, the three satires mentioned in the title of the book are: Narma Mala, or A Garland of Mirth, Kalavilasa, or A Dalliance with Deception and Desopadesa, or Advice from the Countryside. The translation of the three Sanskrit texts is based on the original as edited and published by the Osmania University, Hyderabad in 1961. The original manuscripts of Kshemendra, and also of other classical Sanskrit poeticians, were discovered by various European indologists from the........

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