Kupamanduka Explained

Kupamanduka/ Kupamanduka-nyaya (कूपमण्डूक) is a Sanskrit language expression, meaning "frog in a well".^[1] In Sanskrit, Kupa means a well and Manduka means a frog. The phrase is used for a small-minded person who foolishly imagines the limits of his knowledge to form the limit of all human knowledge (much as a frog might imagine the well in which it lived to be the largest body of water possible, being completely unable to conceive of anything as vast as an ocean). Equally, if such a frog looked up from its well, and saw but a small circle of sky, it might imagine this tiny disc to be the entirety of the heavens, unaware of the existence of other beings existing beyond the walls of the well and able to see the whole sky bounded by the true horizon.^[2]

Amartya Sen opines that its meaning carries a caution in opposition to insularity.^[3] Kupamanduka denotes a propensity to bigotry and intolerance and the inability to be positive,^[4] or paranoia.^[5] Mohammad Bakri Musa likens it to the Malay language phrase katak di bawah tempurong (frogs under a coconut shell). The story of the Koopamanduka is often told to children in India and forms a part of many folktales.^[6] A similar idiom (chengyu), by Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou is also used in Chinese folklore.^[7]

Examples of usage

• "But due to the acute paucity of scientific psychological publications in India, we often suffer the disadvantages of a kupa manduka (frog in the well) existence."^[8]
• "Arrogance and infinite faith in their own wisdom are attributes of the kupa manduka,..."^[9]
• "I think it is not that we see ourselves as a kind of flourishing Kupamanduka, a well-frog confined to a little well but a culture, a civilization, a people that has soared in the world, interacted with the world and not been afraid of interaction."^[10]

See also

• Allegory of the cave
• Frogs in culture

Notes and References

1. Web site: Kupa-manduka-nyaya: the logic of the frog in the well (Books) - Vaniquotes. www.vaniquotes.org. 29 December 2020.
2. News: Frog in the well. https://archive.today/20130628023953/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-08/faith-and-ritual/29730836_1_horizon-frog-objective-truth. dead. 2013-06-28. Pattanaik. Devdutt. 2011-09-08. The Times of India. 25 June 2013.
3. Book: Amartya Kumar Sen. The argumentative Indian: writings on Indian history, culture and identity. 25 June 2013. 1 July 2005. Allen Lane. 978-0-7139-9687-6. 85–86.
4. Book: Mohammad Bakri Musa. Malaysia in the Era of Globalization. 25 June 2013. 2002. iUniverse. 978-0-595-23258-1. 459.
5. Book: Giuseppe Zaccaria. International Justice and Interpretation / Internationale Gerechtigkeit Und Interpretation: Yearbook of Legal Hermeneutics. 25 June 2013. 2001. LIT Verlag Münster. 978-3-8258-5766-0. 25.
6. Book: Ramanujan. A.K.. Folktales from India (The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library. 13 January 1994. Pantheon books. New York. 0679748326.
7. Book: Tsai. Irene. The Frog in the Well (Chinese - English bilingual book) (Chinese Edition) (English and Chinese Edition). 28 July 2008. CE Bilingual Books LLC. Hong Kong. 978-0980130515. 1st.
8. Book: Proceedings of the Indian Science Congress. 25 June 2013. 1959. Indian Science Congress Association.. 206.
9. Book: Shaukat Ullah Khan. Saffronisation of education: instruments and strategies : an analytical critique of NCERT's national curriculum framework for school education syllabus & textbooks (history). 25 June 2013. 2004. Institute of Objective Studies. 978-81-85220-58-1.
10. News: TWO WINTER CONCLAVES - Having a Travelling Indians' Day is perhaps not a bad idea. https://archive.today/20130628023937/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050222/asp/opinion/story_4410015.asp. dead. June 28, 2013. Desai. Ashok V.. 2005-02-22. The Telegraph. 25 June 2013.