NavaratnÃÂḥ (Sanskrit dvigu nava-ratna, , ) refers to a distinguished assembly of nine learned and virtuous individuals who adorned the royal sabhà(court) of certain illustrious bhà «pati-s (kings) in BhÃÂratavará¹£a. These navaratnÃÂḥ were revered for their unparalleled proficiency in various à ÂÃÂstra-s (sciences), kalÃÂ-s (arts), and neeti (statecraft). Each ratna embodied excellence in a specific fieldâÂÂbe it kÃÂvya (poetry), saá¹ gëta (music), jyotiá¹£a (astronomy), vaidyaà ÂÃÂstra (medicine), tarka (logic), or dharmaà ÂÃÂstra (law and ethics).
Though primarily known from purÃÂá¹Âic and itihÃÂsic traditions, the concept symbolizes the ideal of a king as a patron of jñÃÂna (knowledge) and kalà(art). The most renowned navaratna councils are traditionally associated with VikramÃÂditya of Ujjayinë, Jalaluddin Akbar of Hindustan, and RÃÂjàKá¹Âá¹£á¹Âacandra of NadëyÃÂ.
The court of VikramÃÂditya, the legendary ruler of Ujjayinë, is celebrated in traditional accounts for its assemblage of nine illustrious scholars, collectively known as the navaratnÃÂḥ. Their names are preserved in works such as the JyotirvidÃÂbharaá¹Âa, attributed to KÃÂlidÃÂsa, though the text's authenticity is debated among scholars.
These ratna exemplified the zenith of classical Indian intellectual life, each representing mastery over a particular branch of à ÂÃÂstra, kalÃÂ, or nëti. The most frequently cited names include:
Another popular tradition mentions the astronomer Brahmagupta and the magician VaitÃÂlika, instead of Ghaá¹Âakharapara and VetÃÂla-Bhaá¹Âá¹Âa, among the nine scholars.
These navaratnÃÂḥ reflect an idealized vision of a sovereign as a patron of jñÃÂna and kalÃÂ, upholding dharma through the counsel of sages steeped in both learning and artistry.
However, Jyotirvid-abharaá¹Âa is a literary forgery of a date later than KÃÂlidÃÂsa, and was probably attributed to KÃÂlidÃÂsa to popularize it. V. V. Mirashi dates the work to 12th century, and points out that it could not have been composed by KÃÂlidÃÂsa, because it contains grammatical faults. Other scholars have variously dated the text to the 13th century (SudhÃÂkara Dvivedë), 16th century (A.B. Keith), and 18th century (H. Kern).
There is no mention of such "NÃÂvÃÂrÃÂá¹Âá¹ÂÃÂs" in earlier literature. D. C. Sircar calls this tradition "absolutely worthless for historical purposes".
There is no historical evidence to show that these nine scholars were contemporary figures or proteges of the same king. VarÃÂrucci is believed to have lived around 3rd or 4th century CE. The period of KÃÂlidÃÂsa is debated, but most historians place him around 5th century CE. VarÃÂhamihira is known to have lived in 6th century CE. Dhanavantari was the author of a medical glossary (Nighantu); his period is uncertain. Amarasiá¹Âha cannot be dated with certainty either, but his lexicon utilizes the works of Dhanavantari and KÃÂlidÃÂsa; therefore, he cannot be dated to 1st century BCE, when the legendary VikramÃÂditya is said to have established the Vikrama Samvat in 57 BCE. Not much is known about à Âaá¹ ku, Vetalabhatta, Ká¹£apanaka and Ghaá¹Âakarpara. Some Jain writers identify Siddhasena Divakara as Ká¹£apanaka, but this claim is not accepted by historians.
KÃÂlidÃÂsa is the only figure whose association with VikramÃÂditya is mentioned in works earlier than JyotirvidÃÂbharaá¹Âa. RÃÂjashekhara's KÃÂvyamimÃÂá¹Âsà(10th century), Bhoja's à Âá¹Âá¹ gÃÂra PrakÃÂà Âa (11th century) and Ká¹£hemendra's ÃÂucitya-VicÃÂra-Carcà(11th century) mention that VikramÃÂditya sent KÃÂlidÃÂsa as his ambassador to the Kuntala country (identified with present-day Uttara Kannada). The historicity of these legends is doubtful.
According to popular tradition, the court of the Mughal ruler Akbar had nine intellectuals called the NavarÃÂá¹Âá¹Âas or the nine gems. As in VikramÃÂditya's case, this tradition has no historical basis. According to historian G.S. Sardesai, Hindu pÃÂá¹Âá¸Âits in the court of Shah Jahan or Dara Shikoh - JagannÃÂthrai or KavindrachÃÂrya - may have started this tradition.
Since this tradition is historically inaccurate, the names of the nine gems varies between sources. Some of the names included in various lists include:
For example, a painting kept at the Lala Srë RÃÂmdÃÂs Library (Delhi) in the 1940s depicts the following people as the nine gems: ýAbdul Raḥëm, Todar Mal, MÃÂn Siá¹Âha, Bërbal, Miyan KokultÃÂsh, Ḥakëm ḤumÃÂm, Abul Ḥasan, Abu'l-FaáºÂl, and FÃÂÿizë.
RÃÂja Ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âacandra was a ruler of Bengal, who ruled over 1727 to 1772. According to legend, his court had 9 famous scholars, who are mentioned as âÂÂNabaratnasâ (à ¦¨à ¦¬à ¦°à ¦¤à §Âà ¦¨). These included
Many famous emperors in India had courtiers labeled in similar ways. For example, the valuable members of the court of Ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa Deva RÃÂya were termed Aá¹£á¹Âadiggajas, the eight scholars. Laká¹£maá¹Âa Sena the ruler of the Sena Empire had Pañcaratnas (meaning 5 gems who were Govardhana, à Âaraá¹Âa, Jayadeva (author of Gëta Govinda), Umapati, Dhoyi in his court). Aá¹£á¹ÂapradhÃÂn maá¹Âá¸Âal was the title given to the council of Chhatrapati à ÂivÃÂjë MahÃÂrÃÂj.