# Hari-Sarman — Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit character guide

> Hari-Sarman in Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit by S. M. Mitra.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** V Hari - Sarman, VIII

**First appearance:** 0012-x

## Snapshot

A cunning Brahman imprisoned for a theft he may or may not have committed, he turns a woman's love and a buried treasure into a performance of omniscience.

## Who they are

Hari-Sarman sits in prison while the king's gold and jewels remain missing, and Jihva's visits give him the clues he needs to seem all-knowing. He extracts the thief's identity from her, promises silence, then leads the king to the buried treasure without naming the man, winning riches and honors he may not deserve. His arc matters because the court's wise men suspect him, and their test of his powers becomes a contest between genuine insight and clever fraud.

## Relationships

### [Vidya](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters/vidya)

_family_

Hari-Sarman and Vidya are married, though their relationship is strained by greed and deception.

### [The Brahman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters/the_brahman)

_professional_

Hari-Sarman works as a servant or assistant to the Brahman, though he often schemes against him.

### [Jihva](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters/jihva)

_family_

Hari-Sarman and Jihva are married, but their relationship is marked by mutual deceit and greed.

### [Matri-Datta](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters/matri_datta)

_family_

Hari-Sarman and Matri-Datta are father and son, with Matri-Datta often suffering from his father's schemes.

### [Jihva](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters/jihva)

_family_

Hari-Sarman and Jihva are married, but their relationship is marked by mutual deceit and greed.

### [Vidya](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters/vidya)

_family_

Hari-Sarman and Vidya are married, though their relationship is strained by greed and deception.

### [Jihva](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters/jihva)

_family_

Hari-Sarman and Jihva are married, but their relationship is marked by mutual deceit and greed.

### [The Brahman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters/the_brahman)

_professional_

Hari-Sarman works as a servant or assistant to the Brahman, though he often schemes against him.

### [Vidya](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters/vidya)

_family_

Hari-Sarman and Vidya are married, though their relationship is strained by greed and deception.

## In the story

### [Hari-Sarman's Deception](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/chapters/i)

The lazy protagonist who decides to deceive a wealthy merchant to improve his family's fortunes.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/chapters/ii)

Hari-Sarman feels lonely, ignored, and miserable; he plans to steal something valuable to gain the merchant's attention.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/chapters/iii)

Decides to steal the mare and hide it in the forest to later claim a reward.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/chapters/iv)

Vidya's husband, who feels neglected and initially refuses to help, but later relents after an apology.

### [Hari-Sarman's Ordeal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/chapters/v)

Uses a map to recover a stolen mare, but later is imprisoned for failing to solve a palace theft.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/chapters/vi)

Imprisoned and feigning supernatural knowledge, he tricks Jihva into confessing.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/chapters/vii)

Cleverly manipulates Jihva to learn the thief's identity and location of the treasure, then reveals the treasure to the king while refusing to name the thief.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/chapters/viii)

The protagonist who narrowly escapes exposure by luck, then flees with his gains.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters/hari_sarman
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hindu_tales_from_the_sanskrit_se/characters