Lilavai

The Prakrit romance Lilavai | an early ninth-century poem attributed to Kouhala and set in modern-day coastal Andhra Pradesh | is the most celebrated work in the genre. Complexly narrated in the alternating voices of its heroines and heroes and featuring a cast of semi-divine and magical beings | it centers on three young women: Lilavai | princess of Sinhala (today’s Sri Lanka); her cousin Mahanumai | princess of the mythical city Alaka; and Kuvalaavali | Mahanumai’s adopted sister. Following a prophecy that Lilavai’s husband will rule the earth | the princess happens upon a portrait of King Hala of Pratishthana and immediately falls in love. While journeying to meet him | she hears her cousins’ tales of their lost loves | and then vows not to marry until they are reunited. To win Lilavai’s hand | King Hala journeys to the underworld | faces monsters | and overcomes armies. Lilavai explores themes of karma and female desire | notably privileging women as storytellers. A new edition of the Prakrit text | presented in the Devanagari script | accompanies a new English prose translation.