Bṛhatkathā
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''Bṛhatkathā'' (बृहत्कथा) (
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
, "the Great Narrative") is an ancient
Indian epic Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called ''Kavya'' (or ''Kāvya''; Sanskrit: काव्य, IAST: ''kāvyá''). The ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata'', which were originally composed in ...
, said to have been written by Guṇāḍhya (गुणाढ्य) in a poorly-understood language known as
Paiśācī Paishachi or Paisaci () is a largely unattested literary language of the middle kingdoms of India mentioned in Prakrit and Sanskrit grammars of antiquity. It is generally grouped with the Prakrits, with which it shares some linguistic similariti ...
. The work no longer exists but several later adaptations — the ''
Kathāsaritsāgara The ''Kathāsaritsāgara'' ("Ocean of the Streams of Stories") (Devanagari: कथासरित्सागर) is a famous 11th-century collection of Indian legends and folk tales as retold in Sanskrit by the Shaivite Somadeva from Kashmir. ' ...
'' (''कथासरित्सागर''), ''Bṛhatkathāmañjarī'' (''बृहत्कथामंजरी'') and ''
Bṛhatkathāślokasaṃgraha ' (Brihat-katha-shloka-sangraha, बृहत्कथाश्लोकसंग्रह), ''"Verse Abridgment of the Great Story"'', is an abridgement into Sanskrit verse of the now lost ''Great Story'' ('). It tells the legend of the youthfu ...
'' (''बृहत्कथाश्लोकसंग्रह'') in
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
, as well as the ''Peruṅkatai'' and ''Vasudevahiṃḍi'' in vernaculars — make commentary on the piece. The date of its composition is uncertain. According to testimonials by later Sanskrit poets such as
Daṇḍin Daṇḍi or Daṇḍin (Sanskrit: दण्डिन्) () was an Indian Sanskrit grammarian and author of prose romances. He is one of the best-known writers in Indian history. Life Daṇḍin's account of his life in ''Avantisundari-ka ...
, the author of the ''
Kavyadarsha The Kavyadarsha (, ) by Dandin is the earliest surviving systematic treatment of poetics in Sanskrit. Contents This work is divided into 3 ''pariccheda''s (chapters) in most of the printed editions, except one, where the third chapter of the ot ...
'', Subandhu, the author of ''
Vasavadatta :''Vasavadatta is also a character in the Svapnavasavadatta and the Vina-Vasavadatta'' ''Vasavadatta'' (, ) is a classical Sanskrit romantic tale (''akhyayika'') written in an ornate style by Subandhu, whose time period isn't precisely known. ...
'', and
Bāṇabhaṭṭa Bāṇabhaṭṭa () was a 7th-century Sanskrit prose writer and poet from India. He was the ''Asthana Kavi'' in the court of the Emperor Harsha, during his reign at Kanyakubja. Bāna's principal works include a biography of Harsha, the ''Ha ...
, the author of the '' Kadambari'', the ''Bṛhatkathā'' existed in the 6th century CE. According to other estimates it predates that period by several more centuries. For example, if the story of
Udayana Udayana, (Devanagari: उदयन) also known as Udayanācārya (Udyanacharya, or Master Udayana), (circa 975 - 1050 CE) was an Indian philosopher and logician of the tenth century of the Nyaya school who attempted to devise a rational theolog ...
by poet
Bhāsa Bhāsa is one of the earliest Indian playwrights in Sanskrit, predating Kālidasa. Estimates of his floruit range from the 4th century BCE to the 4th century CE; the thirteen plays attributed to him are commonly dated closer to the first or se ...
(and also later by
Harsha Harshavardhana (Sanskrit: हर्षवर्धन; 4 June 590 – 647) was an emperor of Kannauj from April 606 until his death in 647. He was the king of Thanesar who had defeated the Alchon Huns, and the younger brother of Rajyava ...
in
Ratnavali ''Ratnavali'' ''(Devanagari: रत्नावली ) (transl.- Jewel Necklace or Precious Garland)'' is a Sanskrit drama about a beautiful princess named Ratnavali, and a great king named Udayana. It is attributed to the Indian emperor Hars ...
) was inspired by ''Brihatkatha'', it had to be older than the time of
Bhāsa Bhāsa is one of the earliest Indian playwrights in Sanskrit, predating Kālidasa. Estimates of his floruit range from the 4th century BCE to the 4th century CE; the thirteen plays attributed to him are commonly dated closer to the first or se ...
— itself uncertain, but before the 3rd century CE. Scholars compare Guṇāḍhya with
Vyasa Vyasa (; , ) or Veda Vyasa (, ), also known as Krishna Dvaipayana Veda Vyasa (, ''Vedavyāsa''), is a ''rishi'' (sage) with a prominent role in most Hindu traditions. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the epic Mahabharata, Mah ...
and
Valmiki Valmiki (; , ) was a legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epic ''Ramayana'', based on the attribution in the text itself. He is revered as ''Ādi Kavi'', the first poet, author of ''Ramayana'', the first epic poe ...
even though he did not write the now long-lost ''Brihatkatha'' in Sanskrit; the loss of this text is one of the greatest losses of Indian literature. Presently available are its two Kashmiri Sanskrit recensions, the ''Brihatkathamanjari'' by
Kshemendra Kshemendra (; ) was an 11th-century Sanskrit polymath-poet, satirist, philosopher, historian, dramatist, translator and art-critic from Kashmir. Biography Kshemendra was born into an old, cultured, and affluent family. His father was Prakashen ...
and the ''
Kathasaritsagara The ''Kathāsaritsāgara'' ("Ocean of the Streams of Stories") (Devanagari: कथासरित्सागर) is a famous 11th-century collection of Indian legends and folk tales as retold in Sanskrit by the Shaivite Somadeva from Kashmir. ' ...
'' by Somadeva.


Gunadhya

Guṇāḍhya could have flourished during the reign of a
Satavahana The Satavahanas (; ''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras (also ''Andhra-bhṛtyas'' or ''Andhra-jatiyas'') in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavaha ...
king of Pratishthana (modern-day
Paithan Paithan (), historically Pratiṣṭhāna ɾə'tɪʂʈʰanə is a town with municipal council in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra, Maharashtra, India. Paithan is located south of present-day Aurangabad on the banks of the ...
, Maharashtra). According to D. C. Sircar, he probably flourished between the 1st century BCE and 3rd century CE. An alternative account, mentioned in the ''Nepala Mahatmya'' of the
Skanda Purana The ''Skanda Purana'' ( IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest '' Mukhyapurāṇa'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Shaivite literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parv ...
, states that Gunadhya was born in
Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...
, and was a court poet of the king Madana of Ujjain. Sircar calls this tradition less authentic.


Early references

The earliest extant reference to the ''Bṛhatkathā'' seems to be that of Subandhu (600-700 CE) in ''
Vasavadatta :''Vasavadatta is also a character in the Svapnavasavadatta and the Vina-Vasavadatta'' ''Vasavadatta'' (, ) is a classical Sanskrit romantic tale (''akhyayika'') written in an ornate style by Subandhu, whose time period isn't precisely known. ...
''. Bāṇa (7th century) refers to it in his romances ''
Harshacharita The ''Harshacharita'' (, ; English: ''The deeds of Harsha'') is the biography of Indian emperor Harsha by Banabhatta, also known as Bana, who was a Sanskrit writer of seventh-century CE India. He was the ''Asthana Kavi'', meaning ''Court Poet ...
'' and '' Kadambari''. A reference by
Daṇḍin Daṇḍi or Daṇḍin (Sanskrit: दण्डिन्) () was an Indian Sanskrit grammarian and author of prose romances. He is one of the best-known writers in Indian history. Life Daṇḍin's account of his life in ''Avantisundari-ka ...
in his ''
Kavyadarsha The Kavyadarsha (, ) by Dandin is the earliest surviving systematic treatment of poetics in Sanskrit. Contents This work is divided into 3 ''pariccheda''s (chapters) in most of the printed editions, except one, where the third chapter of the ot ...
'' is problematic because it describes the ''Bṛhatkathā'' as being marvelous and as composed in the vernacular of the bhūtas (evidently Paiśācī). However, the information appears to be second-hand. A fuller reference is provided in ''
Dashakumaracharita ''Dashakumaracharita'' (''The narrative of ten young men'', IAST: ''Daśa-kumāra-Carita'', Devanagari: दशकुमारचरित) is a prose romance in Sanskrit, attributed to Dandin (दण्डी), believed to have flourished in the ...
'', whose author is possibly not the same Daṇḍin. Later references include the ''Daśarūpa'' of Dhanamjaya, ''Nalacampū'' of Trivikramabhaṭṭa, and ''Āryāsaptaśatī'' of Govardhanācārya. A Cambodian inscription (c. 875) expressly mentions Guṇāḍhya and his aversion to Prakrit. The earliest extant Kannada work on grammar and poetics, ''Kavirajamarga'' by Nripatunga (c. 850), mentions a now-lost Sanskrit version of ''Bṛhatkathā'' by the author
Durvinita Durvinita () is seen as the most successful ruler of the Western Ganga dynasty. Son of the previous ruler, Avinita, Durvinita's accession to the throne was disputed by his brother, who had gained the support of the Pallavas and Kadambas. Ther ...
. We can safely assume the existence of a romantic work by Guṇāḍhya before 600 CE.


Reconstructed content

Although several derivative works remain today, they differ so greatly that they cannot be used to reconstruct the ''Bṛhatkathā'' in its totality. However, some strong inferences can be made about its content based on their similarities.


Udayana

Due to a ''dohada'' ("pregnancy craving"), Mṛgāvatī, pregnant with Udayana, is either covered or immersed in red. A monstrous bird mistakes her for raw meat and carries her away, later dropping her. She is cared for in a hermitage, where she raises her son. Udayana obtains a wonderful lute, elephant-taming skills, and confidants; he and his mother eventually return to their home, Kauśāmbī. Udayana is later captured by Pradyota, the King of Ujjayinī. Here, he teaches the lute to Pradyota's daughter, Vāsavadattā, and they fall in love. Eventually, they escape to Kauśāmbī, where Udayana's rightful kingship is restored, and they are married. But, fearing Udayana is weakening, and desiring an additional political alliance, Udayana's ministers make him believe that Vāsavadattā is dead, and arrange a marriage to Padmāvatī. Though he is later reunited with Vāsavadattā, Udayana remains childless. Later, as a boon of
Kubera Kubera (, ) also known as Kuvera, Kuber and Kuberan, is the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yakshas in Hinduism. He is regarded as Guardians of the directions, the regent of the north (''Dikpala''), and a protector of the ...
, Vāsavadattā becomes pregnant with Naravāhanadatta (his name means "given by Kubera"), who is fated to become the emperor of the Vidyādharas.


Naravāhanadatta

Udayana's life serves as the prelude to the central story of his son, Naravāhanadatta. Unlike his father, who appears in several works unrelated to the ''Bṛhatkathā'', Naravāhanadatta is known only from texts demonstrably linked to the ''Bṛhatkathā''.


Relevance

The earliest reference to
Vikramāditya Vikramaditya (Sanskrit: विक्रमादित्य IAST: ') was a legendary king as mentioned in ancient Indian literature, featuring in traditional stories including those in '' Vetala Panchavimshati'' and '' Singhasan Battisi''. Ma ...
is traced in the lost ''Brihatkatha''. Guṇāḍhya describes the great generosity, undaunted valour and other qualities of Vikramāditya, whose qualities are also mentioned by Satavahana king
Hāla (r. 20–24 CE) was a Satavahana king who ruled in present-day Deccan region.Mahajan V.D. (1960, reprint 2007) ''Ancient India'', S.Chand, New Delhi, ,pp.394-95 The Matsya Purana mentions him as the 17th ruler of the Satavahana dynasty. The ...
or Halavahana, a predecessor of
Gautamiputra Satakarni Gautamiputra Satakarni ( Brahmi: 𑀕𑁄𑀢𑀫𑀺𑀧𑀼𑀢 𑀲𑀸𑀢𑀓𑀡𑀺, ''Gotamiputa Sātakaṇi'', IAST: ) was a ruler of the Satavahana Empire in present-day Deccan region of India. He was mentioned as the important a ...
in his ''
Gaha Sattasai The Gāhā Sattasaī or Gāhā Kośa ( Gāthā Saptaśatī) is an ancient collection of Indian poems in Maharashtri Prakrit language. The poems are about love. They are written as frank monologues usually by a married woman, or an unmarried girl ...
''; Guṇāḍhya and Hāla lived close to the time of Vikramāditya. Guṇāḍhya wrote the ''Brihatkatha'' in the little-known
Prakrit Prakrit ( ) is a group of vernacular classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 5th century BCE to the 12th century CE. The term Prakrit is usually applied to the middle period of Middle Ind ...
called
Paiśācī Paishachi or Paisaci () is a largely unattested literary language of the middle kingdoms of India mentioned in Prakrit and Sanskrit grammars of antiquity. It is generally grouped with the Prakrits, with which it shares some linguistic similariti ...
, the language of common people of the border regions of Northwest India. Daṇḍin asserts the fundamental importance of the ''Brihatkatha'' and states that it was written in prose and not in poetic form suggested by the three known Kashmiri rescensions ''Haracaritacintamani'' of Jayaratha included. ''Brihatkatha'' must have been a storehouse of tales about heroes and kings and gods and demigods and also about animals and birds. Kshemendra's ''Brihatkathamanjari'' must be a faithful summary of the original which too was in eighteen Books called ''Lambakas''. The earliest version must have been the ''
Bṛhatkathāślokasaṃgraha ' (Brihat-katha-shloka-sangraha, बृहत्कथाश्लोकसंग्रह), ''"Verse Abridgment of the Great Story"'', is an abridgement into Sanskrit verse of the now lost ''Great Story'' ('). It tells the legend of the youthfu ...
'' of Budhasvamin, the complete work of which has not been found. Guṇāḍhya must have lived a glorious life; he must have been a versatile writer, a master of literary art capable of weaving into his story of romantic adventures all the marvels of myth, magic and fairy tale. The stories forming the ''Brihatkatha'' had a divine origin which origin is recounted by Somadeva. Since King Satvahana has been identified with
Shalivahana Shalivahana (IAST: Śālivāhana) was a legendary emperor of ancient India, who is said to have ruled from Pratishthana (present-day Paithan, Maharashtra). He is believed to be based on a Satavahana king (or kings). There are several contradi ...
, Guṇāḍhya must have lived around 78 CE. Guṇāḍhya is perhaps the only author of a well-known text who speaks in the first person. His story is told from his point of view, not by an unseen, omnipresent narrator as in the case of Vyasa and Valmiki.


Legendary origin

For the origin of ''Brihatkatha'' as described in ''Kathasaritsagara'', see the adjacent diagram."Gunadhya" from "The Encyclopaedia Of Indian Literature
(Volume Two) (Devraj to Jyoti)" by Amaresh Datta, page 1506.


Notes


References

* (reprint, from the ''Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society'', of Tabard's translation of Lacôte 1908: ) * (PhD Dissertation) *
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including thousands of notes and large appendixes. * * * * * * * * * * (reprint, from the ''Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society'', of Tabard's translation of Lacôte 1908: ) * * * * {{Brihatkatha Indian poetics History of literature in India Prakrit literature Paisachi literature Epic poems Indian poems Panchatantra