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Vetala Panchavimshati
Collection of Indian tales / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Vetala Panchavimshati (Sanskrit: वेतालपञ्चविंशति, IAST: vetālapañcaviṃśati),[1][2] or Betal Pachisi ("Twenty-five (tales) of Betal"), is a collection of tales and legends within a frame story, from India. Internationally, it is also known as Vikram-Vetala. It was originally written in Sanskrit.
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One of its oldest recensions is found in the 12th book of the Kathasaritsagara ("Ocean of the Streams of Story"),[3] a work in Sanskrit compiled in the 11th century by Somadeva, but based on yet older materials, now lost. This recension comprises in fact twenty-four tales, the frame narrative itself being the twenty-fifth. The two other major recensions in Sanskrit are those by Śivadāsa and Jambhaladatta.
The Vetala stories are popular in India and have been translated into many Indian vernaculars.[4] Several English translations exist, based on Sanskrit recensions and on Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and Marathi versions.[5] Probably the best-known English version is that of Sir Richard Francis Burton which is, however, not a translation but a very free adaptation.[6]