SĀKET: An English Transcreation — A Devotional Epic Reimagined

SĀKET: An English Transcreation — A Devotional Epic Reimagined

SĀKET: An English Transcreation — A Devotional Epic Reimagined

Between Translation and Revelation

In the evolving landscape of modern Indian English literature, SĀKET: An English Transcreation by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya stands as a rare and ambitious literary achievement. Inspired by Sākēt, the celebrated Hindi epic of Maithili Sharan Gupt, this work is not a literal translation but a poetic transcreation—a rebirth of ethical and devotional consciousness into the dignified cadence of English blank verse.

Ashodhiya positions himself at a unique literary confluence: the moral grandeur of Milton and the spiritual lyricism of Tagore. The result is a Miltonic–Tagorian devotional epic that transcends linguistic boundaries while remaining firmly rooted in India’s civilizational ethos.

The Epic Vision

Structured across eight Cantos, SĀKET traces the moral arc of the Rāmāyaṇa—from the harmony of Ayodhya to the redemptive solitude of exile. The poem privileges dharma as conscience, not conquest; restraint over triumph; endurance over spectacle.

“Let Beauty rise from service as from soil,
and Love be law, and law the heart of Love.”

Here, Rāma’s greatness lies in ethical restraint, and Sītā’s divinity in luminous endurance. The epic elevates dharma into poetic consciousness—transforming moral discipline into a form of beauty.

Language, Structure, and Style

Written in English blank verse, the poem adopts a solemn, meditative rhythm reminiscent of Paradise Lost, while retaining the tenderness and spiritual clarity associated with Gitanjali. Each Canto opens with an invocation, followed by contextual prose and sustained poetic movement—allowing accessibility without sacrificing epic depth.

Sanskritic resonances—Dharma, Sākēt, Rāma, Sītā—are carefully woven into the English idiom, ensuring cultural authenticity alongside universal readability. Symbolism drawn from Vedic and Bhakti traditions—the forest as prayer, exile as renunciation, love as law—anchors the poem in India’s moral imagination.

Comparative and Cultural Significance

SĀKET occupies a distinctive place in comparative literature:

• Like Milton, it affirms moral will and ethical freedom
  
  

• Like Tagore, it sanctifies beauty as devotion
  
  

• Like Maithili Sharan Gupt, it transforms myth into moral philosophy
  
  

This synthesis gives rise to a humanist devotional epic, where art and ethics coalesce into a single spiritual inquiry.

The inclusion of appendices, glossary, and contextual notes enhances its academic value, making the book suitable for scholars of comparative literature, Indology, and translation studies.

Book Details

Title: SĀKET: An English Transcreation
Inspired by: Sākēt by Maithili Sharan Gupt
Author: Anand Kumar Ashodhiya
Publisher: Avikavani Publishers
(Self-publishing imprint of Anand Kumar Ashodhiya)
Place of Publication: Shahpur Turk, Sonipat, Haryana, India
ISBN: 978-93-5469-845-3
Edition: First Edition, 2025
Presented by: Anand Kumar Ashodhiya for Avikavani Publishers

About the Author

Anand Kumar Ashodhiya is a poet, translator, literary critic, and cultural preservationist, widely known for his work in Hindi, Haryanvi, and English. A retired Indian Air Force Warrant Officer, he brings disciplined craftsmanship and ethical clarity to his literary pursuits.

As the founder of Avikavani Publishers, Ashodhiya is committed to preserving India’s folk and classical traditions through modern literary expression. His body of work includes epic poetry, folk raginis, critical reinterpretations, and English transcreations aimed at a global readership. His writing consistently explores themes of dharma, cultural memory, social conscience, and moral lyricism.

Conclusion

In an age marked by fragmentation and ethical uncertainty, SĀKET: An English Transcreation restores the forgotten harmony between beauty and virtue. It reminds readers that dharma is not imposed law, but love disciplined—and that devotion is not ritual, but moral awakening.

Through this work, Ayodhya emerges not merely as a city of myth, but as a state of being—a moral geography where duty becomes love, and love becomes dharma.