Hitopadesha - Author

Author

The only clue to the identity of the author of Hitopadesha is found in the concluding verses of the work, which gives us the name Narayan (Hindi:नारायण), and which mention the patronage of a king called Dhavalachandra. As no other work by this author is known, and since the ruler mentioned has not been traced in other sources, we know almost nothing of either of them. It seems likely that Narayana was a pandit and preceptor employed in Dhavalachandra’s court. Since the invocatory and final verses evoke the god Shiva, he was most probably a Shaivite. Originally written in Sanskrit, the stories of his book have traveled to several parts of the world.

The author of Hitopadesha, Narayana, says that the main purpose of creating the Hitopadesha is to instruct young minds in a way that they learn the philosophy of life and are able to grow into responsible adults.