कथासरित्सागर Katha-Saritsagara by SOMADEVA
Manish Modi
कथासरित्सागर
Katha-Saritsagara
By SOMADEVA
Gunadhya's Brhatkatha {Great Tale} in Prakrit is believed to be the oldest work in the history of world literature. Katha-Saritsagara is the Sanskrit re-telling of Gunadhya's Brhatkatha. It was put together (c.1070 CE) by a Kashmiri brahmin called Somadeva, who was the court poet of King Anantadeva of Kashmir. Somadeva Bhatta states that he wrote this work for the amusement of Queen Suryavati, wife of King Anantadeva.
KATHĀSARITSĀGARA literally means an ocean of the rivers of various stories. These stories present the realities of life in all its shades reflecting the 9 rasas.
KATHASARITSAGARA tells of the adventures of Naravahanadatta, the future emperor of the Vidyadharas. Within the framework of this main story exist several charming and vibrant tales, over 350 in number. These subsidiary tales are tantalising and action-packed.
Kathā Saritsāgara mirrors the life and weltanschauung of Ancient India, especially the golden period of sustained growth and prosperity under the Gupta kings.
Katha-Saritsagara comprises of 21,388 shlokas in Sanskrit divided into 124 tarangas {Chapters} and 18 lambakas {Books}. Evidently, it is the oldest existing collection of stories in the world.
Kathāsaritsāgara is nearly twice as long as Iliad’s Home and Odyssey combined.
Kathāsaritsāgara is full of memorable characters like demi-gods and demons, faithful guards and foolish villagers, golden swans, magic pots and wooden automatons. Its stories abound with quirky offbeat characters like clever courtesans, incompetent kings, wise ministers, holy ascetics, wicked mendicants, men with boons, cursed men, non-human evil beings, and friendly magical beings.
The far-reaching impact of Kathasaritsagara is evident from the fact that the earliest recensions of the Panchatantra and the Vetala Pacchisi are both found contained in this text. (In lambakas 10 and 12 respectively).
Kathā-Saritsāgara is culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilisation as we know it. So strong and lasting has been its influence that its stories are found all over the world. They appear in the Arabian Nights, in Celtic folklore, and in the collection of fairy tales made by the Brothers Grimm.
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Versions Available with us
कथासरित्सागर
Tales from the KATHASARITSAGARA
By SOMADEVA
Adapted and Retold by Rohini Chowdhury
+ 3 Appendices by Rohini Chowdhury
+ Introduction by Namita Gokhale
2019 18 x 13 cm 266 pages Paperback 400 grammes
₹ 250
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कथासरित्सागर
Treasury of Tales from the KATHASARITSAGARA
By SOMADEVA
Retold by Jayashree Bhat
2019 22 x 14 cm 178 pages Paperback 200 grammes
₹ 299
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कथासरित्सागर
KATHASARITSAGARA (Hindi)
By SOMADEVA
Abridged Hindi translation by Gopalkrishna Kaul
Edited by Vishnu Prabhakar
2011 22 x 14 cm 455 pages Paperback 600 grammes
₹ 200
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कथासरित्सागर
KATHASARITSAGARA (Sanskrit + Hindi)
Sanskrit Text by SOMADEVA
Hindi translation by Kedarnath Sharma & Jatashankar Jha
1997 22 x 14 cm 3041 pages Hardcover 3.5 kilos
Set of 3 books
OUT OF PRINT
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We are proud to make this glorious masterpiece of Ancient India available to our readers.
If you were to ask me which translation is the most engaging and reader-friendly, I would recommend the work by Rohini Chowdhury.
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Best regards,
Manish Yashodhar Modi
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