Hiljadu lotosa
A Thousand Lotuses (first edition 1971, several reprints) represents the first comprehensive anthology of Indian literature in South Slavic languages, covering the period from the most ancient times (Vedic period) to the 17th century.
Vesna Krmpotić herself selected the texts, translated them (from English, sometimes indirectly from the original, with knowledge of Bengali and an interest in Sanskrit), wrote an extensive preface and added her own interpretations and commentaries. The book has about 500 pages and is structured into ten thematic units (chapters), which gives it a poetic and meditative flow, instead of a strict chronology.
This selection includes:
- Vedas (hymns, Rigveda, Atharvaveda),
- Upanishads (philosophical parts),
- Mahabharata (excerpts, including Bhagavad-gita),
- Ramayana,
- Dhammapada (Buddhist sayings),
- classical Sanskrit poetry (Kālidāsa, Bhartṛhari),
- Tamil Sangam poems,
- medieval bhakti poets (Kabir, Mirabai, etc.),
- excerpts from Puranas, ancient dramas and wisdom texts.
The title symbolizes the lotus – a thousand lotuses – a flower that grows from the mud and blooms in purity, reflecting the spiritual beauty of Indian thought through the millennia. The anthology is not just a literary selection, but also the author's deeply personal encounter with Indian spirituality, Vedanta, Buddhism and Bhakti.
The impact of the work was great - it popularized Indian classical heritage in our country, inspired generations of readers and remained a reference work for decades.
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