Info on Hitopadesha

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Tue, 16 Dec 1997, Chandran, Nanda (NBC) wrote:

> Jaladhar, thanks for the information.
>
> But, Isn't the Panchatantra supposed to be tales told to the princes of
> Kozhikode (Cochin), Kerala, by their teacher Vishnu Sharma (rumoured to be
> Vishnugupta Chanakya)?
>
>         Because e-mail can be altered electronically,
>         the integrity of this communication cannot be guaranteed.
>

I recently picked up a Sanskrit copy of the Hitopadesh with Sanskrit and
Hindi commentaries by Krishnavallabhacharya a Swaminarayan sadhu who lived
in Kashi earlier this century.  In this version the kings name is
Sudarshan and he is the king of Pataliputra (modern Patna in Bihar.)  The
stories are mostly the same as I remembered

These stories are folk tales which were probably centuries old before they
were ever written down.  The "setting" may change from place to place but
that's true of tales everywhere isn't it?

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>