बाल साहित्य का स्वरूप एवं संवर्धन के आयाम (The Nature and Development Dimensions of Children's Literature)

Abstract

True children's literature is the expression and philosophy of children themselves. A child is inherently endowed with divine qualities from birth, and perhaps traits like bias, malice, deceit, and hypocrisy are not favored. Undoubtedly, a child is a pure creation of God. According to the belief of Sant Nakt Pravar Goswami Tulsi Das Ji, only a pure-minded person is most dear to God.

While ancient treasures of children's literature like Panchatantra, Hitopadesha, Kathasaritsagara, Singhhasan Battisi, etc., might not be explicitly focused on children's literature independently, their fulfillment happened through these works. The renowned author and perhaps the first psychologist of children, Manichi Pundit Vishnu Sharma, who was the creator of Panchatantra, had the objective of imparting education through entertainment. In the stories of Hitopadesha, the author's thoughts are focused on the right time to acquire knowledge, which is childhood. Just like a line drawn on a new utensil never fades away, similarly, the impressions on a child's mind during childhood persist throughout life. This research paper is a brief exploration of the nature and development of children's literature.