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Navaratnāḥ (Sanskrit dvigu nava-ratna, , ) refers to a distinguished assembly of nine learned and virtuous individuals who adorned the royal sabhā (court) of certain illustrious bhūpati-s (kings) in Bhāratavarṣa. These navaratnāḥ were revered for their unparalleled proficiency in various Shastra (sciences), Indian art (arts), and neeti (statecraft). Each ratna embodied excellence in a specific field—be it kāvya (poetry), Song (music), jyotiṣa (astronomy), Baidya (medicine), Logic (logic), or dharmaśāstra (law and ethics).
Though primarily known from Puranas and itihāsic traditions, the concept symbolizes the ideal of a king as a patron of jñāna (knowledge) and kalā (art). The most renowned navaratna councils are traditionally associated with Vikramaditya of Ujjain, Akbar of Hindustan, and Rājā Kṛṣṇacandra of Nadia district.
These ratna exemplified the zenith of classical Indian intellectual life, each representing mastery over a particular branch of śāstra, kalā, or Law. The most frequently cited names include:
These navaratnāḥ reflect an idealized vision of a sovereign as a patron of jñāna and kalā, upholding dharma through the counsel of sages steeped in both learning and artistry.
However, Jyotirvid-abharaṇa is a literary forgery of a date later than Kālidāsa, and was probably attributed to Kālidāsa to popularize it. V. V. Mirashi dates the work to 12th century, and points out that it could not have been composed by Kālidāsa, because it contains grammatical faults. Other scholars have variously dated the text to the 13th century (Sudhākara Dvivedī), 16th century (A.B. Keith), and 18th century (H. Kern).
There is no mention of such "Nāvārāṭṇās" 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. Varārucci is believed to have lived around 3rd or 4th century CE. The period of Kālidāsa is debated, but most historians place him around 5th century CE. Varāhamihira is known to have lived in 6th century CE. Dhanavantari was the author of a medical glossary (Nighantu); his period is uncertain. Amarasiṃha cannot be dated with certainty either, but his lexicon utilizes the works of Dhanavantari and Kālidāsa; therefore, he cannot be dated to 1st century BCE, when the legendary Vikramāditya is said to have established the Vikrama Samvat in 57 BCE. Not much is known about Śaṅku, Vetalabhatta, Kṣapanaka and Ghaṭakarpara. Some Jain writers identify Siddhasena Divakara as Kṣapanaka, but this claim is not accepted by historians.
Kālidāsa is the only figure whose association with Vikramāditya is mentioned in works earlier than Jyotirvidābharaṇa. Rājashekhara's Kāvyamimāṃsā (10th century), Bhoja's Śṛṅgāra Prakāśa (11th century) and Kshemendra's Āucitya-Vicāra-Carcā (11th century) mention that Vikramāditya sent Kālidāsa as his ambassador to the Kuntala country (identified with present-day Uttara Kannada). The historicity of these legends is doubtful.
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 Srī Rāmdās Library (Delhi) in the 1940s depicts the following people as the nine gems: ʽAbdul Raḥīm, Todar Mal, Mān Siṃha, Bīrbal, Miyan Kokultāsh, Ḥakīm Ḥumām, Abul Ḥasan, Abu'l-Faẓl, and Fāʿizī.
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