https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i3.027
The Paradox of the Feminine: Re-reading the Hitopadesa
ANJANA REBECCA ROY
Research Scholar
St. Berchman’s College, Changanacherry
DR. NEETHU MARY TOMY
Associate Professor
Department of English
St. Aloysius College, Edathua, Alappuzha
Abstract: Hitopadesa, a seminal Sanskrit collection of fables in verse and prose, stands as one of the most widely read and translated works of Indian didactic literature, believed to have been composed by Narayana Pandit. Like many other fable collections, Hitopadesa is used to teach children niti or right conduct. However, it also attempts to transmit the male-chauvinistic ideals of the social world from which it emerged. Across generations, these same ideals continue to be conveyed to children through such texts.
In many of the stories, women are portrayed through a lens of misogyny, depicted either as sources of distraction for men or as deceptive and untrustworthy individuals. Numerous verses function as warnings to men about women, reinforcing patriarchal assumptions. Overall, the text reflects the patriarchal structures of its time, where women are primarily defined through their relationships to men—as wives, daughters, or objects of desire. While Hitopadesa is traditionally regarded as a manual of niti (political ethics and worldly wisdom), its treatment of women often reveals a striking duality. This paper re-reads the text with the aim of bridging the gap between its didactic prescriptions and its narrative realities.
Keywords: Children’s Literature, Hitopadesa, Gender Bias, Fables and Folktales, Male Chauvinism
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