Navaratnas of Vikramaditya
Also called: Nine gems · Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Navaratnas, or "nine gems", are nine famous scholars. Tradition says they all lived at the court of King Vikramaditya. This king is often identified with Chandragupta II (c. 375–415 CE). The list comes from a much later text. It is a legend, not proof: these men did not all live at the same time.
Example
The nine are Kalidasa (poet), Amarasimha (author of the Amarakosha), Varahamihira (astronomer, Brihat Samhita), Dhanvantari (physician), Kshapanaka, Shanku, Vetalabhatta, Ghatakarpara and Vararuchi. Varahamihira, for example, is usually dated to the 6th century. That is later than Chandragupta II.
Don't confuse with
- Navaratnas of Akbar: these were nine Mughal courtiers of the 16th century, such as Birbal, Tansen and Abul Fazl.
- Chandragupta II's real court: Chandragupta II truly did gather poets, scholars and artists around him. But the exact list of "nine" is a later tradition.