Mani Rao is the author of eleven poetry books including Sing to Me, Ghostmasters and Echolocation. Her books in translation from Sanskrit include Saundarya Lahari and Kalidasa for the 21st Century Reader.

Critically acclaimed for its accuracy and freshness, Rao's translation in free verse draws from modern poetics to redirect attention to the literary qualities of the Gita and sets a new standard for the translation of canonical spiritual texts.