Singhasan Battisi facts for kids

Singhasan Battisi is a famous collection of Indian folk tales. Its name means "thirty-two (tales) of the throne." These stories are about the legendary King Vikramaditya.

The main story tells how King Bhoja, who lived in the 11th century, finds a special throne. This throne once belonged to the ancient and wise King Vikramaditya. The throne has 32 beautiful statues on it. These statues are actually apsaras, which are like magical spirits or nymphs, who were turned into stone by a curse.

Each of these 32 apsara statues comes to life one by one. They tell King Bhoja a story about King Vikramaditya's life and adventures. Their goal is to show King Bhoja that he might not be worthy of sitting on Vikramaditya's special throne.

The original stories were written in Sanskrit and were called Siṃhāsana Dvātriṃśikā. Other names for this collection include Dvātriṃśat Puttalikā (meaning "Thirty-two Statue Stories") and Vikrama Charita ("Deeds of Vikrama"). Today, it's known by names like Singhastan Battisi or Sinhasan Battisi.

What Happens in the Story?

King Bhoja Discovers a Magical Mound

The story begins with King Bhoja and his royal group walking near a field. A Brahmin, a wise man, is sitting on a high mound in his field. He invites the King to try some fresh food from his farm.

As the King gets closer, the Brahmin leaves his seat to scare away some birds. When he's off the mound, his mood changes. He suddenly becomes unfriendly and tells the King to leave his field right away!

After scaring the birds, the Brahmin goes back to sit on the mound. Immediately, his kind and welcoming attitude returns, and he again asks King Bhoja to come and taste his produce. This strange behavior happens again, making King Bhoja very curious. He wonders why the Brahmin acts so differently when he is on the mound compared to when he is off it.

The Throne of Justice

King Bhoja learns that anyone who steps on this mound feels more generous, loving, and fair. Because of this, King Bhoja's soldiers dig up the mound. They find a magnificent throne hidden underneath!

This throne is identified as the famous one belonging to the ancient Emperor Vikramaditya. Vikramaditya was known and respected for being a very fair and just ruler. King Bhoja's advisors tell him that if he sits on this throne, he will also be able to make the best and fairest decisions.

The 32 Storytellers

The special throne is held up by 32 statues of Apsaras. When King Bhoja tries to sit on the throne, one of the statues comes to life. It explains to the King that just sitting on the throne won't make him a great judge. She tells him he needs other important qualities.

The Apsara then tells King Bhoja a story. This story highlights a specific quality that a good judge must have. After telling her tale, she flies away. This happens again and again. Each of the 32 Apsaras tells a story about a quality needed to be a truly just ruler, and then they fly off.

King Bhoja listens to all the stories. He starts to realize that he doesn't yet have all the important qualities needed to be worthy of sitting on Vikramaditya's throne. Some of these qualities include being selfless, completely honest, fair to everyone, and truly wanting to give justice.

Who Wrote the Stories and When?

The person who wrote the original Singhasan Battisi stories is not known. We also don't know the exact date they were first written. However, since the stories mention King Bhoja, who died in 1055 CE, we know they must have been created sometime after the 11th century.

Some of the oldest versions of the Sanskrit stories we have today were written down in the 13th and 14th centuries.

A historical book from 1695 CE, called Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh, suggests that a wise man named Pandit Braj wrote the stories. He was said to be the prime minister for King Bhoja.

How the Stories Spread: Translations

The Singhasan Battisi stories became very popular and were translated into many different languages.

• In 1581 CE, a scholar named `Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni translated the stories into Persian for the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. This version was called Nama - Khirad Afza, which means "Wisdom-enhancing book."
• Later, Lallu Lal and Kazim Ali Javan translated the stories into Hindi.
• In the early 1800s, William Carey helped publish a Marathi translation.
• A poet named Shamal Bhatt adapted these stories into narrative poems in the 17th century.
• Franklin Edgerton translated some popular versions into English, calling it "The Adventures of Vikrama."
• In the 15th century, Koravi Goparaju translated the stories into the Telugu language.

Singhasan Battisi on TV

The popular stories of Singhasan Battisi have also been made into television shows.

• A TV show based on the stories was shown on Doordarshan in 1985.
• In 2014, another TV adaptation was aired on Sony Pal.