The formation of ancient Indian folklore : A study of the Kashmiri version of the Brhatkatha

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The Brhatkatha of Gunadhya, thought to have originated between the 2^<nd> and 4^<th> centuries AD, plays a central role in Indian folklore. The original has been lost, but the story exists in a number of versions. This research is a comparative analysis of the only two complete extant versions, the Brhatkathamanjari of Ksemendra(1037) and the Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva(1063-1081); both are from Kashmir and derive from the Kashmir Brhatkatha, which is also lost. This research compares the structures of the main plot, and also the content of the additions made to both versions. It finds that while Ksemendra has produced a faithful simplified version of the Kashmir Brhatkatha, Somadeva has attempted a restructuring of the story that gives a prominent role to Prince Naravahanadatta while minimizing the changes to the plot.