Hitopadesha
Encyclopedia
Hitopadesha is a collection of Sanskrit
fable
s in prose and verse written in the 12 century C.E. It is an independent treatment of the Panchatantra
. It is meant as an exposition on statecraft (including the conduct of war and peace and the development of allies) but was produced in a format easily digestible for young princes.
(Hindi
:नारायण), and which mention the patronage of a king called Dhavalachandra. As no other work by this author is known, and since the ruler mentioned has not been traced in other sources, we know almost nothing of either of them. It seems likely that Narayana was a pandit and preceptor employed in Dhavalachandra’s court. Since the invocatory and final verses evoke the god Shiva
, he was most probably a Shaivite. Originally written in Sanskrit
, the stories of his book have traveled to several parts of the world.
The author of Hitopadesha, Narayana, says that the main purpose of creating the Hitopadesha is to instruct young minds in a way that they learn the philosophy of life and are able to grow into responsible adults.
(3rd century BCE).
Originally compiled in Sanskrit, the Panchatantra was rendered, by order of Persian Sassanid king Anushiravan (Khosrau I), in the sixth century, A.D., into Persic. From the Persic it passed, A.D. 850, into Arabic.
It is believed that the author Narayana loved the Panchatantra so much that he rewrote it, improving the flow and adding stories of his own. The Hitopadesha—although similar in content and structure to the Panchatantra
—is more copious.
s and has been circulated all around the world.
The Emperor Akbar (1542-1605) commended the work of translating it to his own minister Abdul Fazel. He accordingly put the book into a familiar style, and published it with explanations, under the title of the Criterion of Wisdom. He followed the Emperor's suggestion that the incantions which often interrupt the narrative be abridged.
After Sir William Jones, who had encountered it in 1786, announced his "discovery", it was translated into English by Charles Wilkins
, who had made the earliest English translation of the Bhagavad Gita
.
Jones himself also made a translation shortly thereafter. An English
translation
by Sir Edwin Arnold
, then Principal of Puna College, Pune
, India
, was published in London in 1861.
One of the most widely read Sanskrit books in India, Hitopadesha tales are short stories that have the priceless treasure of morality and knowledge. After Bhagavad Gita
, Hitopadesha is considered to be the most sold religious text in India. The tales from Hitopadesha are written in a very logical and clear way and one does not have to make much effort to figure out what moral a particular story is implying. The stories feature animals and birds as main characters.
It is very popular in many countries and is one of the most widely read children's book. Even in today's world, it continues to amaze people with its simple but meaningful stories and many people are still inspired by the tales of Hitopadesha. Its simplicity and logic is what makes it a favorite among children and their parents.
To this day, in India, the Hitopadesa, under other names (as the Anvári Suhaili), retains the delighted attention of young and old, and has some representative in all the Indian vernaculars.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
fable
Fable
A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
s in prose and verse written in the 12 century C.E. It is an independent treatment of the Panchatantra
Panchatantra
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
. It is meant as an exposition on statecraft (including the conduct of war and peace and the development of allies) but was produced in a format easily digestible for young princes.
Etymology
Hitopadesha has been derived from two words, hita (हित) and upadeśa (उपदेश). It basically means to counsel or advice with benevolence.Author
The only clue to the identity of the author of Hitopadesha is found in the concluding verses of the work, which gives us the name NarayanNarayan Pandit
Narayan Pandit was the Brahmin author of the Sanskrit treatise called Hitopadesh, one of the oldest collection of stories mainly animal fables in the world. The last lines of the book indicate the name of the author as Narayan Pandit:नारायणेन प्रचरतु रचितः संग्रहोsयं कथानाम्Narayan Pandit was the...
(Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
:नारायण), and which mention the patronage of a king called Dhavalachandra. As no other work by this author is known, and since the ruler mentioned has not been traced in other sources, we know almost nothing of either of them. It seems likely that Narayana was a pandit and preceptor employed in Dhavalachandra’s court. Since the invocatory and final verses evoke the god Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, he was most probably a Shaivite. Originally written in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, the stories of his book have traveled to several parts of the world.
The author of Hitopadesha, Narayana, says that the main purpose of creating the Hitopadesha is to instruct young minds in a way that they learn the philosophy of life and are able to grow into responsible adults.
Sources
The book has many fables in common with the PanchatantraPanchatantra
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
(3rd century BCE).
Originally compiled in Sanskrit, the Panchatantra was rendered, by order of Persian Sassanid king Anushiravan (Khosrau I), in the sixth century, A.D., into Persic. From the Persic it passed, A.D. 850, into Arabic.
It is believed that the author Narayana loved the Panchatantra so much that he rewrote it, improving the flow and adding stories of his own. The Hitopadesha—although similar in content and structure to the Panchatantra
Panchatantra
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
—is more copious.
Translations
Hitopadesha has been translated into most of the major languageLanguage
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s and has been circulated all around the world.
The Emperor Akbar (1542-1605) commended the work of translating it to his own minister Abdul Fazel. He accordingly put the book into a familiar style, and published it with explanations, under the title of the Criterion of Wisdom. He followed the Emperor's suggestion that the incantions which often interrupt the narrative be abridged.
After Sir William Jones, who had encountered it in 1786, announced his "discovery", it was translated into English by Charles Wilkins
Charles Wilkins
Sir Charles Wilkins, KH, FRS , was an English typographer and Orientalist, notable as the first translator of Bhagavad Gita into English, and as the creator of the first Devanagari typeface....
, who had made the earliest English translation of the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
.
Jones himself also made a translation shortly thereafter. An English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
by Sir Edwin Arnold
Edwin Arnold
Sir Edwin Arnold CSI CIE was an English poet and journalist, who is most known for his work, The Light of Asia.-Biography:...
, then Principal of Puna College, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, was published in London in 1861.
One of the most widely read Sanskrit books in India, Hitopadesha tales are short stories that have the priceless treasure of morality and knowledge. After Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
, Hitopadesha is considered to be the most sold religious text in India. The tales from Hitopadesha are written in a very logical and clear way and one does not have to make much effort to figure out what moral a particular story is implying. The stories feature animals and birds as main characters.
Interest
The stories are very interesting and youngsters not only find it interesting, but also accept it easily.It is very popular in many countries and is one of the most widely read children's book. Even in today's world, it continues to amaze people with its simple but meaningful stories and many people are still inspired by the tales of Hitopadesha. Its simplicity and logic is what makes it a favorite among children and their parents.
To this day, in India, the Hitopadesa, under other names (as the Anvári Suhaili), retains the delighted attention of young and old, and has some representative in all the Indian vernaculars.
Books
- Max Müller (1884), Book I, Books II,III,IV (alt)
- Judit Törzsök (2007), “Friendly Advice” and “King Víkrama’s Adventures”, facing translation as part of the Clay Sanskrit LibraryClay Sanskrit LibraryThe Clay Sanskrit Library is a series of books published by New York University Press and the JJC Foundation. Each work features the text in its original language on the left-hand page, with its English translation on the right...
series. (The translation of the Hitopadesha is "Friendly Advice", the first part of the book)