The lively stories in this book capture the magic and wonder of six great works from the golden ages of Sanskrit and Tamil Literature: *Kalidasa's Abhijnanashakuntalam, the great saga of forgotten love between Shakuntala and the king Dushyanta. *Shudraka's Mrichchakatika, the epic romance between the impoverished Charudatta and the courtesan Vasantasena, played out against a backdrop of political intrigue and mystery. *Bhavabhuti's Uttararamacharita, the compelling retelling of the story of Rama and Sita. *Illanko Adigal's Silappadikaram, the tale of the epic revenge executed by the strong and beautiful Kannagi. *Sattanar's Manimekalai, the quest of an extraordinary woman to master the truths that define our existence. *Bhasa's Urubhangam, the stirring tale from the Mahabharata that culminates in the final battle between Duryodhana and Bheema at Kurukshetra. This is the ideal introduction to some of the best-known stories from the Indian classics with their eternal themes of love and betrayal, battles and feasts, valiant heroes, beautiful heroines, treacherous villains and loyal friends.