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During the period of Kathasaritsagara it seems that many arts and sciences developed. People had a sense of beauty and loved and enjoyed life. Reading and Writing Reading and writing was commonly known. The various kinds of writing materials and other things are mentioned 381 in the Kathasaritsagara We have reference to pata (canvas), coloured 383 384 382 385 pencils (varnavartis), ink (masi), seal (mudra) and 386 birch-bark (bhurjapatra). We have reference to engraving. 387 Trading of pictures was known. The writer (lekhaka), the record-keeper (kaya stha 388 the messenger with a letter (lekhahara) is mentioned. 378. Nirnaya Sagar 1.6.40. 379. Ibid. 9.3.38. 380. Ibid. 1.6.46. 381. Ibid. 17.4.24, 12.16.14. 382. Ibid. 17.4.24. 383. Ibid. 1.8.3. 384. Ibid. 17.6.35. 385. Ibid. 12.6.130. 386. Ibid. 18.5.166. 387. Ibid. 9.6.68. 388. Ibid. 18.4.330,334, 12.5.323, 12.34,349.

folios 260 Letters were written and then sealed (mudra) and sent 389 through the messengers or the ambassadors. Love-letters, false-letters, letters regarding court intrigues and 390 royal grants are referred to. 391 The book (pustakam) of Gunadhaya in the 'pothi' form, with its pages (patrakam) is mentioned. A stanza was written on the border of a garment by princess 392 393 Hamsavati. A wife is seen writing a letter to her husband. Thus it seems that ladies were experts in writing letters. 394 Love letters were written at times in poetic language. Letters written in apabhramsa (prakrit) language are also mentioned.) At one place we get a reference to a letter addressed by a king of Konkana to King Chandraprabha of the Vidyadharas from which we know the mode in which kings addressed each others. It begins with the words 395 'Shriman' and runs 'Sadaramidam bodhayeta'. Words such as 'Yushmabhi', 'vayam' are used to show respect. 389. Nirnaya Sagar 18.4.334, 12.35.134. 390. Ibid. 18.5.62, 7.8.54-166. 391. Ibid. 1.8.19. 392. Ibid. 12.4.100, 101. 393. Ibid. 18.5.57. 394. Ibid. 7.9.263. 395. Ibid. 18.4.334.

261 Mathematics We do not get much information from the stories about mathematics. We have already seen that students 396 were taught writing and arithametics. The numerical system seems to be in vogue since we have many references to numerical figures and fractions. 397 The strength of the army, the numerical and fractional figures mentioned in 398 connection with the various kinds of weights and measures, the various kinds of presents given to the bride-groom 399 by way of dowry, suggest its use. There were calculators (ganakas) in the employment of the kings. Trivikrama, the king of Pratisthana has 400 mentioned them as subordinate assistants to others. Astronomy and Astrology These sciences seem to be well advanced. The popular belief that Rahu carrying away digits of the moon and the belief that eclipse were caused by the swallowing of the sun and the moon by Rahu and Ketu are 401 mentioned. The eclipse of the sun is mentioned 402 (Suryaoparatha samaya). It was believed that the moon 403 delays his arrival when the circle of the sun is eclipsed. 396. Nirnaya Sagar 1.6.32. 397. Ibid. 17.2.9, 12.35.108,109. 398. Ibid. 1.6.46, 12.8.73, 4.2.96, 9.4.171, 10.5.277. 10.5.378. 399. Ibid. 8.1.131,132, 18.4.78, 8.1.76,78. 12.36.185,195, 7.9.214,215, 8.1.131,132, 8.1.76,78. 400. Ibid. 12.12.49. 401. Ibid. 3.4.169. 402. Ibid. 9.4.150. 403. Ibid. 14.2.41.

aw 262 People knew that the moon received its light from the 404 sun. The polar star (dhruva) around which the planets 405 move in an orbit is also mentioned. The divesion of the 406 day and night into 'prahara' is mentioned at many places. The sun around which the various planets move in a fixed 408 407 e orbit is mentioned. Metor (ulca) is also mentioned. Chaturdasi, trayodashi, astami, uttarayana have 409 410 been mentioned as special days for religious rites and bathing at holy places. The various months are mentioned. Valuable presents such as garments gold etc. and other things were given (mahadanam) to the servants by is 411 the kings on the occasion of sun-eclipse. Jyotish or astrology played an important part in the life of the people. People consulted fortunetellers or the mahurtikas. The kings had their own royal astrologers (ganakas) which are often mentioned in 412 the stories from Kathasaritsagara They were consulted on every important development in the palace. The birth of a child, the marriage of a member of the royal family, the starting 404. Nirnaya Sagar 3.5.8. 405. Ibid. 3.4.5. 406. Ibid. 12.30.28, 12.19,24, 9.3.73, 10.7.94,15.12.131. 407. Ibid. 3.4.5. 408. Ibid. 4.1.72. 409. Ibid. 17.5.152, 19.6.85, 5.2.128, 13.1.152, 10.10.30, 17.1.115, 10.6.129, 4.2.133. 410. Ibid. 12.34.188-199. 411. Ibid. 9.4.156-159. 412. Ibid. 9.1.190, 6.5.70.

263 of an expedition, the coronation ceremony, the coronation of the crown-prince were special occasions on which these astrologers are invariably consulted.