Hitopadesha. A Collection of Good Instructions

"Good instruction", in Sanskrit "Hitopadesha", belongs to the category of didactic monuments of ancient Indian literature. Its purpose is to teach worldly wisdom. The first part of this work consists of brief poetic sayings, intended for memorization; many of them still live in the everyday speech of Indians. The second part of the "Hitopadesha" comprises moral fables, nested within one another, so that each fable is narrated by a character acting in another fable. According to tradition, the text of the "Good Instruction" was composed by Narayana during the period approximately from the 6th to the 14th centuries. Unfortunately, history has not preserved any information about the life of Narayana. But in the introduction to this work, Narayana writes: "If you read this 'good instruction', it will give you proficiency in literary expressions, familiarize you with the diversity of meanings of words in various contexts, and teach you worldly wisdom". This edition is intended for all those who are on the path of spiritual development and are interested in the history, philosophy, and folklore of India.