Posted on: 14 November 2011

Digital Rare Book :
The Enchanted Parrot : Being a selection from the SUKA SAPTATI or The Seventy Tales of a Parrot
By B. Hale Wortham
Published by Luzac & Co., London - 1911

Śukasaptati, or Seventy tales of the parrot is a collection of stories originally written in Sanskrit. The stories are supposed to be narrated to a woman by her pet parrot, at the rate of one story every night, in order to dissuade her from going out to meet her paramour when her husband is away.

The collection is part of the Katha tradition of Sanskrit literature. Some of the tales are actually repeated from earlier well-known collections in Sanskrit literature. In the tradition of Sanskrit literature, the tales are frequently interspersed with verse, many original, some repeated from earlier works. Though it is not known when it was originally written, current scholarship accepts that the collection was in its current form by the 12th century CE, though currently the oldest known manuscript dates back to the 15th century CE. The collection has been translated to many languages, including Persian in the 14th century, and in Malay, Hikayat Bayan Budiman, by a certain Kadi Hassan in 773 AH (1371 AD). It was last translated to English in 2000 CE.

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Read Book Online : http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924022986115#page/n5/mode/2up

Download pdf Book : http://ia700402.us.archive.org/0/items/cu31924022986115/cu31924022986115.pdf

Thanks a lot for this. Co-incidently, yesterday, I started reading the original text. Now this would help me for better understandings. Thanks a lot RBSI

Hemant Rajopadhye : I found it intriguing that the 'Suka Saptati' was translated by 'Reverend' Hale Wortham. I mean... why would a clergyman want to translate a book which relates to "uninhibited accounts of illicit liaisons" ?? : )

Dear RBSI, We have many examples of such Westerns Christian Missionaries who have rigerously worked on Indian culture and literary traditions. Understnding the local culture was very much important for them to establish contacts in the society of their 'Religious ambitions'. Some of them, even successfully attempted to write the biographies of Christ in local languages and styles , as we have Marahi 'ख्रिस्त-पुराण' by Father Stephens. The most popular Marathi- English dictionary by Molesworth, and the famous monogram on the histoery of Philosophical trends 'Philosophical Trens in Maharastra' by Father Matthew Lederle, who lived amongs the Brahmins of Pune to learn their religion and Literature. In pune, He founded the DeNobly college in Pune. They have their active department for Sanskrit Studies, and one of the Professor there, a scholar of 'श्री-भागवत पुराणम', has presided over a session of World Sanskrit Conference in 2009 at Austine, Texas. So, its been the long traditions of Western Missionaries in India, who studied Indology and contributed significantly.

I must mention one thing that unfortunately, becaise of some gruesome translations, the real beauty of such concepts with their typical Indian essence, is missing and the texts are wrongly interpreated in the West. Being here, I can see the misconceptions about the Tantric Traditions and especially the 'Kamasutra' of Vatsayana, and feel very sad. We need to re-interprete such texts with their authentic translations by a scholar of Sanskrit and respective languages.

Hemant Rajopadhye : Why don't you take up one single translation to start with ? You can book my pre-order copy right away !

Thanks a lot RBSI, for the inspiration. I am planning to do the same. In fact, I just arrived here some 2months before. So, presently have to focus on the commencement of my project. But I would definitely, start working on that soon. Thanks a lot, again !

All the best Hemant Rajopadhye !!