After massive research, the author already published two fabulous books from the Series of Katha Sarit Sagara titled as 'Vikram Betal; and 'The Amazing Throne' and now presenting Katha Sarit Sagara Book -1 titled as 'Kathapitha' with the encouragement of Ms. Jocelyn C. Lee, California USA is a contributing editor. She is an expert who has proven ability and has readership draw and did excellent work in this book's preparation. As the original author with the rights of both electronic, print and publishing, he brought Kathapitha into life with fully illustrated with the licensed Images and Content with authenticity! Even before this work published, I have received excellent reviews and recommendations from Jocelyn C. Lee, Dr. Keshab Mandal M.A (Triple), Ph. D., B.Ed., PGDBM Researcher, Author, Publisher, and Columnist from Kolkata Area, India and also from Prof. Surendera Kala, Professor Emeritus in Strategic Management at Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, India. All their wonderful reviews and recommendations are furnished at Book Reviews.The Katha Sarit Sagara opens with Parvati asking Shiva to tell her stories that she had never heard before. These were overheard by Pushpadanta, one of his attendants who repeat them to his wife Jaya who was Parvati's Sevita. She, in turn, told these stories to Parvati who enraged that Shiva had told her stories that even her Sevita knew. The erring attendant, Pushpadanta was cursed to be reborn as Vararuchi as well his accompli Malyavan was also cursed to be reborn on earth as Gunadhya until he has spread these stories overheard far and wide. Thus, they took their births and these stories reached earth and told in the world of mortals by a narrator Gunadhya, a celestial being. Gunadhya's Brihatkatha was authored in the Paisacha language with his blood in the 1st AD. Brihatkatha means 'The Great Story', all the seven tales that he heard from Shiva, on bark in his own blood using the Paisachi language. This 'manuscript' was presented to a Satavahana king by Gunadhya's students. King Simuka heard that Paisacha language and saw that they had the appearance of Pisachas said with a sneer: '... the Paisacha language is barbarous... away with this Paisacha tale.' So Gunadhya burnt the manuscripts of six of the seven tales that comprised 600,000 couplets and reserved only 100,000 in his Brihatkatha. When the King Simuka chanced upon hearing this, he was entranced, and salvaged from the proverbial flames. He decreed that it should be preserved. He had obtained possession of the 100,000 couplets which formed the Brihatkatha and composed the book named Kathapitha.Kathapitha or Katha + Pitha mean the father of (Katha) stories, the great god Shiva, who sat up the pedestal (Pitha) upon which Somadeva's dizzyingly complex web of fabulous stories built. As per Kalhana's Rajatarangim (1148 CE), a historical chronicle of the kings of Kashmir and dealt about 11th century King Anantadeva of Kashmir and Somadeva, a Sanskrit scholar, who was in his court. Somadeva stated in his epilogue that he composed Kathasaritsagara in Sanskrit with 22,000 Shloka for Queen Suryavati. Each Shloka consisting of two half-verses of 16 syllables each. He titled this work as Kathasaritsagara consisting of 18 books of 124 chapters which contain the pith of the Gunadhya's Brihatkatha.King Anantadeva of Kashmir hoped that the Kathasaritsagara stories 'would, even for a brief while, divert the queen's mind from the political turbulence and strife in the kingdom, as he and his son Kalasa battled each other for the throne. The King ensured that Somadeva imparted them to his queen Suryavati. She loved all the stories in the vast, rambling and thoroughly captivating treasure trove of tales. The queen had spent her time in the worship of Lord Shiva. Kathapitha is a must for educators, teachers, students, and librarians. The readers will love to read, digest and remember for ages with wonder!
