How to Love in Sanskrit

by Anusha Rao, Suhas Mahesh (translator)

Sanskrit has too often been regarded as the sacred language of the gods, yet it is love that has been the overwhelming obsession of Sanskrit writers for over 3,000 years.

How to Love in Sanskrit is an invitation to Sanskrit love poetry, bringing together verses and short prose pieces by celebrated writers like Kalidasa and Banabhatta, Buddhist and Jain monks, scholars, emperors, and even some modern-day poets.

How do you brew a love potion? Turn someone crimson with a compliment? How do you make love? How do you quarrel and make up? Nurse a broken heart? And how do you let go? There's something for everyone in this brilliantly translated ancient guide to love for modern readers.

Witty, surprising and joyous ... A book to pick up, a book to gift. — ARUNDHATHI SUBRAMANIAM

Beautiful ... A book that will delight the reader. — BIBEK DEBROY

Genres: Poetry, Indian Literature, India, Romance, Spirituality, Nonfiction

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2024

About the author

Anusha S Rao is scholar of Sanskrit and religion, currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Toronto. A regular columnist for the Deccan Herald, her column, entitled 'Sans the Sacred,' features witty ancient Sanskrit takes on contemporary issues.

Reviews

[Sookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read some Sanskrit poems in school, college and private Sanskrit exams I took. And I used to wonder WTF are folks putting together curriculum smoking because they were all soppy, yearning, longing, mildly smutty, blatant innuendos, moonlight, warm evenings, floating veils and shapely waist.

I kid you not. Shapely Waist.

To be fair, the curriculum also included a lot of poetry taken out of long ballads, stories, part of plays, and some were just about moral fortitude. Yet, these soft poetry always made to the textbooks no matter what class you were in. I do have fond memories of my entire class (all girls, thirteen year olds) erupting in giggles, our cheeks turning rosy and eyes shining, when our tired and patient Sanskrit master recited and explained the yearning of Shakuntala in monotone.

Fond memories, I assure you.

Anyway, about this collection. I have been reading this for close to three weeks now. And the reaction has been...well, reactionary. And its also been a blast. The collection is categorized in the likes of "How to flirt", "How to make love", "how to yearn", "how to breakup", "how to let go" et al. My favorites from this collection is all under "How to Yearn" . The romanticism of the language shines the most, and the language that's already layered adds multitudes of complex word plays that makes reading enjoyable.

Okay, Okay, they are quite romantic also.

Not the point. The enjoyment is knowing that a cursory read can be perfectly understood and will convey the message just fine. As the editors provide examples of American and German translations of same poem, that does a good job of translation. But what is missed in these translations is the depth of feeling, the abyss that generations of culture has imbibed in our language and understanding of expression. The changing color of mango leaf as the seasons come to a peak marks the end of a joyful youth and start of parting and longing. But what gets missed without cultural context is that there is a moment when this leaf turns red, and its just a cheeky but loaded reference.

The disappointing thing about reading Sanskrit verses in English is that its impossible to replicate the complex wordplay alongside a meter. The author details about some meters like Tiger's wordplay, that have words with harsh sounds (ccch) that summons the agony. The meter is also designed to have sharp intake of breaths and gasps in between lines, adding to the nature of feeling the poem is exuding. Though the metaphors and the word arrangement are already a constraint when it comes to the language, I personally feel disappointed that these wordplay (that have their own names) cannot be faithfully translated at all.

The collection is good, the authors provide a lot of references and context to the poems, which is pretty great.

I leave you with this simple yet great verse on longing:

She was in such a daze
she sent him a wordless letter.
He was in such a daze
he read it with rapt attention.

[Nidhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed this book to show me how delightful and varied the world of Sanskrit poetry can be. The translations are undoubtedly hilarious (my favourites are the ones voiced by jealous partners). And there are many that will make you blush. What took me by surprise is how incredibly moving of some them are. Even a perennial grouch like me couldn't help but feel the longing that fills some of these verses. All I could do was sigh.
But when you're immersed in the beauty of the poems, it can be easy to miss the depth of scholarship and skill that has gone into these translations. The little notes at the bottom of each page are a gem of a resource for people like me who want to know so much more about where these works come from.
Can't wait to read more from these amazing author-translators!

[avinash · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely lovely book.
Just couldn’t stop recommending this to people.
Its got heart ❤️

[Yamuna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suhas and Anusha have done a fantastic job with this book. It has a very warm slice of life feeling to it. The dreamlike lyricism conjures up some beautiful imagery and makes me long for the times of these Sanskrit poets!

[Anupama · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly lovely book with a wide range of themes ranging from love, passion, rebukes, and resolutions. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and was grinning all along. The language is simple yet lyrical, rendering itself to be a perfect entry into Sanskrit erotic poetry for all lovers of poetry!

[Bindesh Dahal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a commendable effort. But I think it would have been better if the Devanagari script was included in the book. The roman rendering is difficult to go through. And some of the modern interpretations of ancient texts feel odd. I wanted to feel the old ambience from the verses.

[Shwetha Harsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book with effort from translators. I do think the original verse should be glanced once too to get the essence of the effort

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As one can tell from the title and cover, this is an anthology of poems translated from Sanskrit to English on the subject of love, relationships, and eroticism. The source poems come from a diverse collection of writings.

The translators made an editorial / translation decision to place the translations in a modern context. By that I mean that the poems, most of which were written hundreds of years ago, have references to cell phones and dating apps, as well as many colloquialisms and expressions du jour. Some readers will love how this makes it readable and relatable in the present-day. Others will find that it distracts and takes one out of the experience of reading classical literature. I'm not saying the decision is good or bad, but it is something of which a potential reader should be aware. The only critical comment I have on the matter is that, if you should be reading the book ten years from now, there will likely be both language and technical references that have not aged well, and which you will probably have to go to your AI historian to figure out. (Some expressions are cliched now.)

I did enjoy how much ground the collection covered. The poems are grouped into categories sticking to the "How To" motif of the book, e.g. "How to Flirt," "How to Yearn," etc. I will say I went through a period early in the reading in which it seemed like poem after poem was confusing teeny-bopper lust for love, seemingly celebrating pathologies like jealousy and co-dependence. Throughout this phase of the book there were a number of poems that read like bad schoolboy poetry. However, in later chapters there were more poems that were dignified and reflected a more mature grasp of the subject.

There were some features of the book that I loved. First of all, most of the poems have explanatory notes at the end that can be very helpful both because (as mentioned) most of the poems were written long ago and because I am a foreign reader. Secondly, there is an appendix with romanizations of the original Sanskrit.

Ultimately, I'd say a major factor in whether this anthology is for you will be whether you enjoy the colloquial tone and free verse form or find it off-putting.

[ari :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about How to Love in Sanskrit.

The actual selection of poetry is magnificent. I found a few verses terribly moving; others made me turn bright red. What’s more, I certainly don’t mean to rag on the quality of the translation (which I am by no means able to judge); the anthologists bring a remarkable résumé as Sanskritists to the table.

What doesn’t quite manage to convince me is their philosophy of translation. I admire the effort to lower the barrier of entry to Sanskrit literature by stripping away the complicated compounds and lost references… but I want those. When I read a work in translation, I’m hoping for that friction, for the vain, halfway-to-impossible attempt to render a distant cultural or historical context in modern English. Rao and Mahesh, on the other hand, substitutes references to phones and Vogue magazine. It’s not a bad strategy, of course—it just gives me a bit of whiplash.

3.5 stars.

[Mariella Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of romantic poetry from across time, collected and translated painstakingly by these two authors. I’ve always been intrigued by Sanskrit, so this was an interesting and educational read for me. After reading this, I would be interested to read more on the topic, as well as read other translated work.

[Gayathri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a lovely book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it :D I had no idea there were so many romantic poems in Sanskrit. This book is a collection of poems from ancient texts to modern Sanskrit literature, all about love, relationships, and heartbreak. It is such a beautiful and thoughtfully curated collection. Looking forward to the authors releasing more books like this :D

[Avni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every poem felt like a wave of unfelt emotions hitting like a wall.

[Prasad GR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covering a gamut of emotions and translated for the modern reader, this collection of poems is full of life and an absolute delight to read. The detailed notes and references open up new vistas for those interested in exploring further. Having grown up on a diet of western poetry, I found this truly refreshing, and would recommend highly as an introduction to our own poetic heritage.

[Ankush Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a curious thing to be outflirted by a language you don’t even speak. Somewhere between a coy glance translated into a line and a centuries-old complaint about an indifferent lover, you begin to suspect that romance may have peaked a long time ago and we’ve just been improvising since.

At its heart, this is a collection of Sanskrit verses, with a gentle brush of Prakrit, but calling them “verses” almost undersells their effect. These are distilled emotions, tiny, self-contained worlds of longing, flirtation, devotion, and the occasional well-timed sulk. Each one stands so firmly on its own that you begin to think of them less as excerpts and more as perfectly cut quotations, complete in themselves, yet hinting at a larger universe.

The real alchemy lies in the translations. The authors do not treat the originals like fragile museum pieces. Instead, they lean in with sensitivity, but also with a kind of creative confidence that pays off beautifully. The translations are warm, lucid, and often so elegantly turned that you pause and wonder if the line has somehow improved in transit. More importantly, they capture the emotional core rather than just the lexical meaning, allowing these centuries-old voices to sound startlingly present, never forced, never overly modern, just alive.

There is also a quiet, unmistakable wit at work here. Not the kind that announces itself, but the kind that slips in sideways through a choice of phrasing, a perfectly judged title, a moment where the translation gently winks at you without breaking the spell. The authors’ sense of humour never calls attention to itself, yet it is always there in the cadence and the subtle reframing that makes you see a verse anew. The titles themselves are a small triumph. They do not explain so much as nudge, sharpening the verse without diminishing its ambiguity.

The appendix, with its careful references, is a reminder that this lightness has been hard-earned. Nothing here is accidental. Paired with the selections and their framing, the book achieves that rare balance. It feels light in the hand, but never lightweight in its making.

What surprised me most was how often this book made me smile, not broadly, but with that quiet recognition that comes from seeing something achingly human expressed just right. There is a gentle, knowing amusement running through it, a recognition that love, in all its forms, has always been slightly absurd, deeply felt, and endlessly expressive. Across centuries and languages, the lovers here are still overthinking, still yearning, still finding ways to say too much and not enough at the same time. You do not laugh out loud, you smile in agreement.

By the end, I was not ready to move on, I was ready to circle back. It does not ask to be finished, only revisited.

This is also the sort of book that quietly upgrades your texting game. Use that information wisely, or do not. As a few poets here would suggest, half the charm lies in pretending you did not try that hard. And if a line or two happens to slip into your messages, sounding far more effortless than you actually were, some traditions are worth continuing.

[Gordon Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Translation of ancient writings is a many-edged sword. The advantage is that you are presenting works that have stood the test of time; they obviously appeal to the human condition. However, they are also taken centuries out of context. Oh, yes, and in a different language. Which tempts the author to explain everything too much.

The solution is to pick the right poems and translate them in a way that appeals to the modern reader. And in here, these translator/poets have succeeded. Most of the poems are a couple of thousand years old, but these translations bring them right into the modern day. There is a very brief editorial comment for each poem, sometimes explaining a religious or cultural concept that puts the work in perspective or deepens the meaning of an image.

These poets do a particularly good job of turning specific elements of Sanskrit into English. This is a point where the comments help. One example would be the ability to turn any noun into a verb, such as to “pillowize” a rock. Here, we are given just enough information to help our understanding but not enough distract us from our intimate contact with the poem.

As far as choice of material, these works are typified by subtle humour and irony, verging on the sardonic. Sometimes I found myself chuckling aloud, surprised by a twist of phrase. Some are incredibly romantic, some more prosaic. There are even references to global warming, cell phones and Vogue magazine.

These are short, economical poems, and their use of imagery and metaphor (often brief but complex) reminds us that a picture is, indeed, worth a thousand words.

This is not merely a volume of translated poems. These translator/poets have stamped their style on the writing, giving the work a unity of expression and a personality to enjoy. The true test of a book of poetry is when you’d like to meet the poet afterwards.

I will leave you with a key quote that sums it all up: “I tell you love is weird.”

An enjoyable read, full of small surprises.

[Sreena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how this book is organized, it feels like a playful, charming guide to romance, bringing together a rich variety of verses across different Sanskrit poets.

Sanskrit, often called the language of the gods, is both breathtakingly beautiful and deeply evocative. The authors have done a wonderful job viewing these ancient verses through a modern lens, keeping the language accessible without letting it get bogged down in dense academic jargon.

A few verses in particular completely stole my heart:

1. On complete obsession:

“Has she melted into my heart?

Or is she reflected there?

Perhaps she’s been painted?

Or engraved?

Or studded like some precious gem?

Or consecrated like a goddess on her plinth?

Or buried like some invaluable treasure?

Or pinned by the Love God’s five arrows?

Or sewn tight into the fabric of my heart

by the threads of my thoughts?”

2. On the lethal power of natural beauty:

“Beautiful,

let your doe-eyes be.

No kohl, please.

When the arrow can kill by itself

why rub poison on the tip?”

(A brilliant line celebrating eyes so naturally captivating that adding kohl feels redundant—why poison an arrow that is already lethal?)

3. A tender tribute to dimples:

“After creating her

God must have

gazed at his work admiringly

holding her face in his hands

thumb on each cheek.

That’s how she got

her two perfect dimples.”

Beyond the poetry itself, I really appreciated that the book provides helpful context, including the author, date, and historical background for each poet.

Overall, this collection is absolute magic and well worth every second spent reading it.

[Ramaprasad KV · Rating 4 out of 5]

This year’s Valentine’s day offering by HarperCollins, “How to Love in Sanskrit ” by Anusha Rao and Suhas Mahesh is a very readable collection of poems related to love, translated from Sanskrit to English. You do not have to know any Sanskrit to enjoy these. Plenty of side notes are given for those who are interested to go further into the study of Sanskrit poetry.

A major problem in writing a book as this is finding the right original verses that make good translated verses, and here the authors have scored high marks. You will be amazed to see that in their little “Translator’s workshop”, Anusha and Suhas have examined many excellent verses, as evidenced by the excellent bibliography, only to discard the bulk of them because they are not translatable in the original context, or they cannot be set in the present day context for reader’s appreciation. Reading these 218 translations, split into aptly named sections - “How to Flirt”, “How to Keep it a Secret”, “How to Daydream”, “How to Yearn”, “How to Quarrel”, “How to Make Love” , “How to Make it Work” “How to Break up” and “How to Let Go” are surely going to keep you engaged. But the beauty is you could open a random page and read a verse, as every poem is independent of the other.

Translations from Sanskrit to English are indeed tough. They pose a challenge much harder than faced by a writer when Sanskrit is translated to other Indian languages. In “How to Love in Sanskrit”, the authors have adopted a minimalist approach to translation. In many places, they have taken the creative liberty to change the setting, context, and other details in the original verse to make it more readable as well as relatable to current-day readers who likely prefer English as their first language even if it is not their mother tongue.

I give it a thumbs up! You can read my somewhat more detailed review with some examples in this page: https://www.indica.today/reviews/hls-...

[Ayshwarya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful and entertaining book on poetry. a quick and enjoyable read. I really liked that the list of original verses and their sources were listed. I also really liked the Tour of the translator's workshop chapter which explained the thought process which went into the translations. Many of the translations in modern context are brilliant. I also liked the tidbits about the original author, some of the examples commonly used typically poetry and the anecdotes.

What I would have liked to see:
1. Original verses in devnagiri script.
2. Original verses alongside the translations. Even in the e-book the experience of going back and forth between the English and original made the reading experience sub-optimal.
3. Some more insights into the meter and more explanation about the beauty in the original. As an amateur student of samskrut, I would have used this book to learn more about the literary devices, the puns and wordplay int he original and also how the choice of meter contributes to the content. (It is mentioned already for a couple of verses. But would have liked to see more of it).

[Archana A · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sanskrit poetry is subtle, clever, even sneaky, and can present slippery ground for even those who spend a lifetime wrangling with it."

I'm so happy that I'm reading Sanskrit poetry after 14 years. The authors have done a lot of research in compiling more than 200 poems from Sanskrit and Prakrit and translated them to English. They have also segregated them into various chapters based on the theme 'romance' and given explanations for each of them.

The names of Banabhatta, Kalidasa, Bhasa, etc., took me back to my high school days. You will be amazed to see how beautiful 'love' is being showcased in various ways. Yes! The authors are right. Sanskrit is indeed as rich as an Indian wedding. Kudos to both of them for coming up with such a novel idea for their book.

If you're a fan of a romantic theme and poetry, then this is surely a must-read. Another beauty of the book is the transliteration (alphabets or kaagunita in kannada). In the end, it gives an idea to every reader, irrespective of whether or not you know sanskrit. A perfect book for the Valentine month.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I carry your heart
Go as far as you like but
my heart will never let go of you.
Like at sunset a tree’s shadow
may grow apart but does the root let go?

Some of these are from 1700 CE. It boggles the mind completely. I like the modern translation although it seems false; didn’t everyone talk in antiquity in formal poetic prose? I felt connected to the writers through thousands of years of life on this planet, some things are universal.

Has she melted into my heart? Or is she reflected there? Perhaps she’s been painted? Or engraved? Or studded like some precious gem? Or consecrated like a goddess on her plinth? Or buried like some invaluable treasure? Or pinned by the Love God’s five arrows? Or sewn tight into the fabric of my heart by the threads of my thoughts?

Just maybe These cool Himalayan winds that burst open the tender shoots of the deodar and drink the fragrance of its sap hurry southwards to me. I embrace them, my love for what if by the tiniest chance they had touched you?

[Manisha Manohar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This compendium is such a revelation…. of how the human themes of love, attraction, yearning, jealousy, heart break, familiarity etc are absolutely timeless.

The authors have referred to innumerable Sanskrit and Prakrit, plays, manuscripts and poems to present this bouquet of 218 vignettes…… each one tells us a little about the milieu in which it was written, and the surprisingly risqué attitudes and doings of some of our ancestors.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the translations - although they do present the more modern equivalents of some of the messages in the verses, this only adds to their charm.

One very minor quibble I have, is that it would have been nice to have the original verse in Sanskrit, and the English translation side-by-side. In its present form, if one needs to refer to the original, it involves a lot of turning of pages back and forth. But I understand this would mar the formatting of the page, with its footnotes and references.

If you love Sanskrit plays, Ancient India and witty axioms, go out and buy this NOW!
Would also make a brilliant gift, it’s truly one of a kind….

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My fiance gifted me this for valentine's this year (2025). It's a very beautiful hardback book full of delightful ancient Sanskrit versus of poetry.
I'm a western woman studying Hinduism, Yoga philosophy, Mantra and Sanskrit with Oxford's Centre for Hindu Studies and I'm particularly interested in ancient and medieval poetry of India as well as Persia and the Near East so I was very excited to read this collection of poems.

I really liked that the authors included the transliteration at the back of the book although I wish they had a website with recordings so I could hear what they sound like and even maybe learn how to pronounce and chant these versus too. I would have liked to have seen the original Devanāgarī script on the page with the English translation too.

You can tell that the authors have poured a lot of love into the making of this book, the poetry is simple and lyric showcasing the abundance of love in all it's forms. it is a favourite of my reading year so far.

[hiaa123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these poems! So romantic, so evocative, perfect to get me out of my reading slump this February. I appreciated how they were modernized, it felt fresh and funny and relatable. At times, they felt just a bit too modern maybe, and I would've loved an endnote that gets into the original context because it incited my curiosity about the original text.

One of the more resonant poems for me below. Though I quite liked the flirtatious poems. Would make a great gift.



42. The trouble with being shy

Friends?
I can't trust them
to not blab.

The man I love?
I'm sure it's painfully obvious
to him
but I can't look him
in the eye.

Townsfolk?
They're talented
at reading into every gesture
from a mile away
and making cruel jokes.

Whom can I turn to?
The fire of my love
was born in this heart
only to die there.

[Apoorva Sastry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an excellent read! The multi talented couple have researched, curated and translated hundreds of love poems in Sanskrit, Prakrit, etc, with a lot style and flourish! The poems are ordered in a loosely thematic way and sometimes may appear a bit random if the reader is not familiar with "Old Indian Sensibilities". That said, each translated poem is very beautiful on its own and doesn't require too much additional context. The methodology used by the authors to translate is definitely what makes it work for me. They maintain the essence of the original but convey it in a relatable way to the modern audience. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

[Omar Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice collection of short Sanskrit poems (and a few short prose pieces) about love, longing, separation, etc. The originals are all in in the footnotes, so those who know sanskrit can comment on the translation. Translations are generally very contemporary (even cell phones make an appearance), but the originals are available if you want to see how they have captured (or failed to capture) the essence of the original. Since I do not know sanskrit, I cannot comment on that, but the collection is a lot of fun and worth a read. As india rises, so will the market for such works (which is a good thing).
Check it out.

[Cavak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Educational and wonderful. I enjoyed the effort that the translators put into making the poems applicable for us while also including transliterations of the originals. The entire book oozes with their respect and care. Ignited my interest to read more poets from different countries as well.

If I were to nitpick, there are some translations that I'm not quite sure would remain as timeless for future generations. I'm not sure how long "swiping left" will remain applicable in twenty years.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Seolhe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite delightful.
The translations are beautiful in their simplicity, and often clever and witty.

If I have one complaint it's the use of modernization and anachronisms (inserting words like phones, sexperts, Vogue, etc.) which I personally just find very jarring and irritating. I think you can make old texts appeal to and resonate with modern readers without clunkily inserting inventions and concepts completely alien to the people who wrote the original texts.
But that's a fairly minor complaint, all thing considered. I still very much enjoyed this collection.

[Tanaya Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book keeps you hooked from the beginning till the very end. The poems are a journey of emotions where you laugh, cry and smile, hence keeping you engaged and wanting for more.
The collection of poems are an excellent reflection of our relationships, which makes this book a relatable read. The translations are beautifully done, so much so that you often feel like the poems were originally written in English. It's a must read for every mood and everyone out there.

[Ki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am not conversant with any of the languages mentioned in this book, but the translation worked for me. The "translator's workshop" section at the beginning of the book got me hooked, and wished it was more detailed.
Want to read more along the lines of this book. Hope Suhas and Anusha produce more such books.

[Özlem]

A delightful collection of poems with very helpful footnotes for those entirely unfamiliar with this literature like me. I understand the more modern localization of some poems, but I found that it completely takes me out of the poem when I can see the date of a millennium ago. Still, I appreciate the insane amount of effort that must have gone into this book.