Śukasaptati
The stories frequently deal with illicit liaisons, the problems that flow from them and the way to escape those crises by using one's wits.The situations depicted in the stories not only test the bounds of marriage, some stray into taboo areas of incest and, in one case, zoophilia.In the tradition of Sanskrit literature, the tales are frequently interspersed with verse, many original, some repeated from earlier works.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).The parrot typically expresses approval of its mistress' intention by agreeing that the goal of life was to seek pleasure and acknowledges the strength of sexual desire.The parrot's seventieth story is in fact a plea for forgiveness on the grounds that Padmavati was not fully responsible for her fault, having been led astray by bad company.[8] The cuckolds are generally unaware of the situation though some times they are portrayed as simpleminded, and the wives often take advantage of their ignorance and superstitious nature.[9] The less typical story involves men being in similar situations, though in this case the trouble still comes in the form of the woman's husband rather than the man's wife.Some are erotic:[13] The best of the lover's couches is higher on the sides sunken at the centre it will also bear the strong poundings of a couple's passion The middling bed is flat of surface so that the night will often pass with rarely any contact between the bodies two.The worst is raised at the centre, and both its sides slope down; even adepts in the art cannot make love on it continuouslyAnd some describe profound wisdom:[14] The rich man is wise, he is generous and good, the honoured kin of everyone; but when his money goes, so does his glory.In some cases the verses are part of the story and actually act as part of the conversation between the characters.
SanskritFablesparrotPersianHikayat Bayan Budimanstory within a storyBrahminadulteryYakshapornographycuckoldedGanapatiprostitutesPanchatantraHitopadeshaPuranasJataka talesKathasaritsagaraNakhshabiTutinamaStuttgartTelugupoetic formVavilla Ramaswamy Sastrulu and SonsHarperCollinsA N D HaksarStoriesThe Blue JackalThe Tortoise and the BirdsThe Bear and the GardenerThe Lion and the MouseThe Mouse Turned into a MaidThe Deer without a HeartThe Ass in the Lion's SkinThe Brahmin and the MongooseThe Fox and the CatThe milkmaid and her pailAesop's FablesCalila e DimnaLa Fontaine's FablesHikayat Panca TanderanKalīla wa-DimnaOne Thousand and One NightsJungle TalesVishnu SharmaAbu'l-Fazl ibn MubarakBorzuyaDurgasimhaJean de La FontaineAntoine GallandJohn of CapuaKshemendraIbn al-Muqaffa'NarayanaAbu'l-Ma'ali NasrallahThomas NorthRudakiSimeon SethTheodor BenfeyGustav BickellHermann BrockhausEdward Backhouse EastwickFranklin EdgertonA. N. D. HaksarJohannes HertelJoseph JacobsIon Keith-FalconerPatrick OlivelleN. M. PenzerArthur W. RyderSilvestre de SacyC. H. TawneyCharles WilkinsRamsay WoodBeast fableFrame story