While imprisoned for subversion in the 1940s, Nepal's Chittadhar H?daya wrote Sugata Saurabha, an epic poem on the life and teachings of the Buddha. Telling the story of how Siddhartha became the Buddha, Hrdaya populates the tale with very human characters who experience a wide range of emotions, from erotic love to anger, jealousy, heroism, compassion, and goodwill. Translator Todd Lewis also includes supplementary texts that add perspectives on Hrdaya and how he reflects the culture of the Kathmandu Valley's Newar people.