The Niti and Vairagya Satakas of Bhartrhari

This volume comprises two of the three famous Satakas (collection of one hundred stanzas) of the famous poet philosopher Bhartrhari. The first of them, the Niti Sataka, is proposed to guide people in their daily life and it lays emphasis on the moral virtues such as self-respect, perseverance, benevolence and moral courage etc. The second,Vairagya Sataka, exhorts the readers to turn away from worldly pleasures and seek mental calm in the solitude of the forest. It is edited by M.R. Kale who has added a simple commentary in Sanskrit, an English translation and copious notes. The introduction discusses the date and authorship of the Satakas, the identity of Bhartrhari and Bhatti, the teachings and the literary estimate of the work.