Hitopadeśa – Vedic Tales

Instructive fables on ethical conduct in human society

The Hitopadeśa is part of the Nīti-śāstra in the Vedic texts, which deal with ethical conduct in society. The author, Visnuśarma, was a Brahmin who was requested by king Sudarshan to impart the essential wisdom of life in a simple and accessible way to his sons, who were all dullards. He so used a succession of interweaving animal fables to convey the knowledge they required to succeed their father. Many of these tales have served as a source of inspiration for other authors across the globe over the centuries, starting from Aesop (Greece, c. 620 - 564 BC) to La Fontaine (France, 17th c.) up to the Brothers Grimm (Germany, 1st half 19th c.).