Brihatkatha and the Lost Source of Vetala Narratives

Record summary

The lost Brihatkatha, traditionally attributed to Gunadhya, is frequently treated as an important predecessor behind later Sanskrit story collections, including material associated with Vetala tales. It matters because transmission history can explain why accounts of spirits, corpses and uncanny encounters appear in multiple forms without proving an underlying event. The original Paisaci work does not survive, and reconstruction depends on later adaptations such as the Kathasaritsagara and Brihatkathamanjari. The existence and broad influence of the tradition are established subjects, but precise source relationships remain scholarly questions.