The original Kathasaritasagara or ocean of the streams of stories , is a collection of over 22,000 shlokas, taken from 18 books and 124 chapters, composed into verses. The content of these slokas comprises of Indian legends, folktales, and fairy tales. According to legends, it was composed by Somadeva for Queen Suryavati, who was the wife of King Ananta Deva, who ruled Kashmir during the 11th century. The original text was compiled in 1070 AD, and was derived from the Brhat-Katha by Gunadhya. Tales From The Kathasaritasagara, is a translation provided by the author Arshia Sattar. Unlike the texts of its time, the collection of stories featured in this book do not offer any moral principles or rules of adherence. Instead, the stories are presented as a celebration of life on earth. Readers will enjoy reading about Naravahanadatta who was the prince of vidyadharas. There is also the story about sky dwellers who are bestowed with magical powers which is the main narrative used as a framework for the remainder of the stories in the text. Other tantalizing tales include stories about married women who are promiscuous, clever courtesans, incompetent Kings, imbecile Brahmins, wise ministers, holy ascetics, wicked mendicants, men with boons, cursed men, non-human evil beings, and friendly magical beings. The text was originally composed between 1063-1081 AD. Tales From The Kathasaritasagara was published in 2007.

Best of Laxman Vol. 3

Arshia Sattar

Somadeva

Penguin

Literally translated as "ocean of the sea of stories, " the KATHASARITSAGARA is thought to have been compiled around A.D. 1070 for the queen of Kashmir. Unlike those more familiar classics, this work contains no hidden moral lessons. Instead, it is an uninhibited and bawdy celebration of earthly life. This edition includes ten of the original eighteen books.

Tales from the Kathasaritsagara (Penguin Classics)

Literature & Fiction

Literary

Penguin Classics

The Kathá Sarit Ságara; Or, Ocean of the Streams of Story [By Somadeva] Tr. by C.H. Tawney

History

Franklin Classics

Soma·deva composed his “Ocean of the Rivers of Story” in Kashmir in the eleventh century CE. It is a vast collection of tales based on “The Long Story,” a now lost (and perhaps legendary) repository of Indian fables, in which prince Nara·váhana·datta wins twenty-six wives and becomes the emperor of the sorcerers. There are tales within tales within tales. By turns funny, exciting, or didactic, they illustrate points within the narrative or are told simply to provide entertainment for the protagonists. Its twenty thousand plus verses are written in simple but elegant Sanskrit and it has long been used as an introductory text for students of the language. Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC Foundation For more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit series, please visit http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org

The Ocean of the Rivers of Story (Volume 1) (Clay Sanskrit Library, 57)

Classics

Clay Sanskrit

"The books line up on my shelf like bright Bodhisattvas ready to take tough questions or keep quiet company. They stake out a vast territory, with works from two millennia in multiple genres: aphorism, lyric, epic, theater, and romance." Willis G. Regier, The Chronicle Review"No effort has been spared to make these little volumes as attractive as possible to readers: the paper is of high quality, the typesetting immaculate. The founders of the series are John and Jennifer Clay, and Sanskritists can only thank them for an initiative intended to make the classics of an ancient Indian language accessible to a modern international audience." The Times Higher Education Supplement"The Clay Sanskrit Library represents one of the most admirable publishing projects now afoot. . . . Anyone who loves the look and feel and heft of books will delight in these elegant little volumes." New Criterion"Published in the geek-chic format." BookForum"Very few collections of Sanskrit deep enough for research are housed anywhere in North America. Now, twenty-five hundred years after the death of Shakyamuni Buddha, the ambitious Clay Sanskrit Library may remedy this state of affairs." Tricycle”Now an ambitious new publishing project, the Clay Sanskrit Library brings together leading Sanskrit translators and scholars of Indology from around the world to celebrate in translating the beauty and range of classical Sanskrit literature. . . . Published as smart green hardbacks that are small enough to fit into a jeans pocket, the volumes are meant to satisfy both the scholar and the lay reader. Each volume has a transliteration of the original Sanskrit text on the left-hand page and an English translation on the right, as also a helpful introduction and notes. Alongside definitive translations of the great Indian epics  30 or so volumes will be devoted to the Maha·bhárat itself  Clay Sanskrit Library makes available to the English-speaking reader many other delights: The earthy verse of Bhartri·hari, the pungent satire of Jayánta Bhatta and the roving narratives of Dandin, among others. All these writers belong properly not just to Indian literature, but to world literature.” LiveMint”The Clay Sanskrit Library has recently set out to change the scene by making available well-translated dual-language (English and Sanskrit) editions of popular Sanskritic texts for the public.” NamarupaThe frame narrative in “The Ocean of the Rivers of Story” is so swamped in the flood of stories that it is not until volume two of the CSL edition, 3,000 verses into the text, that Nara·váhana·datta, the protagonist, is born. Shiva has foretold his birth and said that he is a partial incarnation of the god of love and will become the emperor of the sorcerers. From here on the main narrative and many of the tales pouring into it describe the exploits of sorcerers and lovers. This volume ends with the events preceding the birth of Mádana·máñchuka, Nara·váhana·datta’s first and greatest love.

The Ocean of the Rivers of Story, Volume 2 (Clay Sanskrit Library)

One of the most important works of classical Indian literature, The Kathá Sarit Ságara is a vast collection of fables, legends, and folktales from throughout the subcontinent. Originally written in Sanskrit, this translation by Charles Henry Tawney provides an accessible and highly readable version of this epic work, allowing readers to explore the rich tapestry of Indian storytelling for themselves. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Mythology & Folk Tales

Legare Street Press

Nabu Press

The Kathá Sarit Ságara: Or, Ocean of the Streams of Story [By Somadeva] Tr. by C.H. Tawney, Vol. I

The Kath Sart Sgara; Or, Ocean Of The Streams Of Story

Bhaa

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