Nagananda

Nagananda (Joy of the Serpents) is a Sanskrit play attributed to emperor Harsha (ruled 606 C.E. - 648 C.E.).

Nagananda is among the most acclaimed Sanskrit dramas. Through five acts, it tells the popular story of a prince of divine magicians (vidyādharas) called Jimútaváhana, and his self-sacrifice to save the Nagas. The unique characteristic of this drama is the invocation to Buddha in the Nandi verse, which is considered one of the best examples of the dramatic compositions.

Nagananda is the story of how prince Jimutavahana gives up his own body to stop a sacrifice of a Naga prince to the divine Garuda.

Harsha's play Nāgānanda tells the story of the Bodhisattva Jīmūtavāhavana, and the invocatory verse at the beginning is dedicated to the Buddha, described in the act of vanquishing Māra (so much so that the two verses, together with a third, are also preserved separately in Tibetan translation as the *Mārajit-stotra). Shiva's consort Gauri plays an important role in the play, and raises the hero to life using her divine power.