Illuminating Worlds explores the foundations of the world’s longest continuous multilingual literary tradition. It provides fresh and accessible translations of classical Indian texts from ancient Vedic hymns to the songs of Tamil bhakti. Organized both chronologically and thematically, this wide-ranging collection gives a broad perspective on Indian history while highlighting the deep connections between multiple literary traditions.

Spanning time, texts and languages, this anthology—the first of its kind—provides a comprehensive survey of ancient India’s most important literary contributions.

‘An important book, a wonderful selection, a treasure house’
Salman Rushdie

‘This book of classical Indian literature by Srinivas Reddy is to be welcomed for drawing attention to ancient Indian wisdom, which includes the practice of Ahimsa (non-violence) and Karuna (compassion)‘
His Holiness the Dalai Lama