Abstract:
Sanskrit literature is the full of various literary aspects. Among them didactic
method is the attractive way to express one's feelings about the society in which
one lives. Actually, the main objective of didactic method is to give instructions to
the readers about the society or community in which they live. Likewise, the
śatakatrayī of Bhatṛhari is the most invaluable didactic poetry, which is full of
similes, metaphors and splendor words. Among the śatakatrayī, Nīti-śataka is the
first śataka work of Bhartṛhari, which is praised by the readers and the scholars.
Here, the objective of this paper is to discuss a segment of Nīti-śataka i.e. fair
concern on the several editions of this book and specific focus on the stanzas of the
vidvat praśaṃsā paddhati, which praise the scholars, by Bhartṛhari. The stanzas,
which are used to praise the scholars is named as ‘vidvat praśaṃsā paddhati’. As
there are different editions, there are some distinctions in verses and the number of
verses of the same category in different editions. For instance, the stanza, which
we can see in one edition, cannot be seen in the other edition of the same category
in ‘vidvat praśaṃsā paddhati’. Here, the edition of Kriṣṇa Śāstrī is used as the
archetype and all the other editions as the secondary types. Hence, the comparison
is done focusing on the archetype. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to
discuss the facts mentioned above. As well as meters & prosodies he had used to
compile the stanzas and about how he had praised the scholars, which illuminate
the significant role of the erudite people in the society.
