The Ocean of Story

Tawney, titled The Ocean of Story, was published in 1924–28. Somadeva wrote his monumental work during the two periods of Ananta’s interrupted rule, which ended in 1077.

Another noteworthy collection is Kathasaritsagara (“Ocean of Rivers of Stories”), a series of tales assembled and recounted in narrative verse in the 11th century by the Sanskrit writer Somadeva. Most of those tales come from much older material, and they vary from the fantastic story of a transformed swan…

…these Sanskrit versions is the Kathā-saritsāgara (“Ocean of Rivers of Stories”) of Somadeva (11th century), which includes so many subsidiary tales that the main story line is frequently lost. Perhaps more faithful to the original—in any case far less distracting—is the Bṛhatkathāślokasaṃgraha (“Summary in Verse of the Great Story”), by…