The essay is called “Purusha-pariksha”, i.e. "Testing People" Vidyapati is an Indian poet and prose writer of the 15th century, who occupies an honorable place in the history of South Asian literature, but is relatively little known in Russia. Vidyapati created in a new language - Maithili, and in a classical language - Sanskrit. “The Test of Man” (“Purusha-pariksha”) is a collection of short stories (short stories, fairy tales, parables, anecdotes) in Sanskrit, written in prose with poetic inserts. This is a kind of “small encyclopedia” of Indian culture of the 15th century. This edition contains the first complete translation of The Trial of Man into Russian (with extensive commentary) and an accompanying article that analyzes the problems of interpreting the monument in the general context of understanding Indian literature and culture. CONTENTS: Vidyapati. TEST OF MAN. Translation by S.D. SerebryanyIntroduction (6).Part one. Stories about heroes (8).Part two. Stories about the wise (30).Part three. Stories about knowledgeable, learned and skillful people (47). Part four. Stories about the four purposes of human life (75). ADDENDUM about fraud. Translation by S.D. Serebryany (114).APPLICATIONS by S.D.Serebryany. Vidyapati and his book “The Test of Man” (“Purusha-Pariksha”) (117). Notes. Compiled by S.D. Serebryany (215). Conventional abbreviations (253). A brief dictionary of terms and names. Compiled by S.D. Serebryany (254).