The Pancatantra
Page 8
and success that gleams in the wise, as well.
(47) Men of merit who can pursue such a course,
and in the Assembly earn for it
high praise from the wise and virtuous elders,
should nurture that talent and preserve it.
‘And it is also said:
(48) If a man does not seek his master’s fall
let him speak unbidden;
this is the duty of the virtuous;
any other course is contrary to the Law.’
Wary objected, saying, ‘But, sir, it is so hard to gain the trust and goodwill of princes. You know the proverb:
(49) Princes are like serpents;
formed coil upon coil,
encased in smooth, sinuous scales;
cruel, tortuous in movement,
menacingly fierce, savage,
yielding only to magical arts.
(50) Princes are like mountains:
with ups and downs and hearts of stone;
not low, or vile,
but sought after by the low and vile;
ever-haunted by the murderous,
by those who delight to kill.
(51) Never put your trust in these:
creatures furnished with clawś, or horns,
men wearing armour, carrying arms,
women, and also flowing streams,
and the whole cursed lot of princes.’
To this Wily’s reply was, ‘True enough; you have a point, my friend; but:
(52) A person’s state of mind makes known
what manner of man he is;
entering it, one with experience
quickly gains control over that man.
(53) If the master gets angry, his man bends low,
sings his praises, extols his largesse,
hates his foes, dotes on those he favours:
that’s the sure way to win someone over
without recourse to magical arts.
‘Albeit:
(54) A man may excel in action,
in knowledge, or in eloquence;
know your man; tailor your approach
to suit different dispositions.
But once you find your man lacks strength,
for god’s sake, give him up at once.
(55) Words should be used wisely and well;
spoken where they would yield rich fruit.
Colours take the firmest hold
and brightest, on whitest cloth.
(56) If a man should undertake something, lacking
knowledge of resources and energies,
his best efforts will not shine forth, even as moonlight
on the Snow Mountain,6 though brilliant, does not.’
Wary responded simply, ‘If you are that confident, then go and seek an audience with His Gracious Majesty; and may good fortune attend you. Do as you think fit:
(57) But act with due circumspection
when you seek the king’s protection.
For, our own well-being depends
on the fortunes of your own person.’
Wily then bowed to Wary, took leave of him, and set out in the direction where Tawny was.
When Tawny saw Wily approaching, he ordered his doorkeeper with the words, ‘Put your staff of office aside, sir, here comes Wily, the son of our long-time minister, and he has free access to us. Usher him forthwith and offer him a seat in the Second Circle as is his right.’
Wily now entered. Bowing low to Tawny, he accepted the seat offered to him. Tawny extended his right forepaw that gleamed with claws resembling thunderbolts, and asked graciously, ‘Is all well with you, sir? We have not seen you for a long time.’
Wily answered, ‘Though we are not entrusted with any official duties in the services of His Majesty, yet I thought that I should present myself at court at the proper time. For it is not that there is no occasion when I cannot be of some service to His Majesty:
(58) Even a worthless bit of straw comes in handy
for the great ones to pick their teeth or scratch their ear;
what to say then of the service a person
endowed with speech and limbs can render, O King!
‘And let me add, my lord, that we who are the hereditary retainers of His Gracious Majesty, are duty bound to attend on our lord even in times of misfortune. There is no other way for us. A proverb also points out:
(59) Servants and ornaments are to be placed
each in the position right for them:
to say, ‘I can do this, so I shall,’ and fasten
a crest-jewel on the foot—that’s not done.
(60) A king may be of lofty lineage
descended of a long line of kings,
he may be possessed of immense wealth;
but he can never keep his retainers,
if their merits he recognizes not.
(61) If he makes them equal to others not their equals,
if he honours them less than their equals,
if he appoints them in stations beneath them:
In all three cases retainers leave the king.
‘And this too, is true:
(62) A fine gem fit to grace a gold jewel,
if mounted in a cheap tin setting,
does not scream, nor refuses to gleam.
It’s the jeweller who’s put to shame.
(63) A good judge of employees decides thus
‘This one’s intelligent; and loyal too:
that one’s disloyal; that other is dull!’
Retainers flock in droves to such a king.
‘Even now, His Majesty made a just remark, that he has not seen me at court for a long time. May it please him to know the reasons for my absence?
(64) Where no distinction is made
between the right hand and the left,
there, no gentleman will care to stay
an instant, if he has another way.
(65) Once retainers see the master treat
all alike and no distinctions make,
the persevering zeal for service there
of the diligent and skilled among them wanes.
(66) In a place where no difference is perceived
between a priceless gem with eye of fire
and a fragment of pale crystal,
how can a gem-trade flourish there?
(67) Princes without retainers,
retainers without princes,
the situation cannot hold;
a close relationship is theirs,
linked by mutual dependence.
‘The truth is, that the excellence of a retainer flows from the merits of his lord. And the saying goes:
(68) A horse, a weapon, a text, a lute,
a voice, a man and a woman—
they perform ill, or well,
according to who masters them.
‘And further, it is not right to show contempt for me, thinking, “He is a mere jackal.” For:
(69) Silk is spun by the humble worm;
gold is born of rock;
the holy dūrvā-grass springs from cow’s hair:
the lotus from mud;
the moon from the ocean,
the beetle from dung:
fire flashes out of wood,
the emerald from the serpent’s hood;
orpiment comes from the bile of a cow.
A person of merit shines
by the light of his own rising merits.
Of what consequence is his birth?
‘Moreover:
(70) A mouse might be killed though born in your home,
being the bringer of harm.
A cat, a stranger, might be welcomed with gifts,
being the bringer of good.
‘Another point to consider:
(71) What good is one incompetent though loyal;
what good is one out to get you though he’s strong;
know me to be strong and loyal as well:
and I do not deserve your scorn, O
King.
(72) Scorn not the wise who have understood highest truths:
Wealth, like straw is light, She can never shackle them.
Lotus-fibre cannot hold fast the bull-elephant
striding in glorious intoxication,
Spring’s fresh flow of rut darkening his cheeks.’
Tawny then remonstrated with Wily, ‘O, no, no, don’t talk like this; after all, you are the son of our long-time minister.’
Wily, somewhat mollified, spoke again, ‘I have something of importance to say to you, my lord.’
‘Well, my good chap, go ahead and tell me what’s on your mind,’ answered Tawny.
Wily, who had been leading up to this, replied, ‘Why is it that our gracious master, having set out to drink at the river, turned back and retired to this spot?’
Tawny, however, concealed his real state of mind carefully, and gave a nonchalant reply, ‘O that, that is nothing; nothing at all.’
‘O well,’ responded Wily, ‘If it is not something to be mentioned, why then, let us leave it alone.
(73) A man might confide some things to his wife,
some to his close friends, and some to his son;
these deserve his trust: but not reveal
all matters to everyone in sight.’
Thereupon, Tawny began reflecting, ‘Hm… this fellow appears trustworthy. I guess I can tell him what is on my mind. As the saying goes:
(74) A true and tested friend, a faithful wife,
a loyal servant, a powerful master,
disclosing his troubles to these
a man discovers great relief.’
‘Hey, Wily,’ Tawny addressed Wily. ‘Did you by any chance hear a tremendous sound in the distance?’
‘Yes, my lord, I did,’ answered Wily. ‘I did hear it; what of it?’
‘Well, my good fellow, I intend to leave this forest,’ said Tawny.
Wily replied, ‘Whatever for, my lord?’
‘Because,’ replied Tawny, ‘some extraordinary being has come into this forest: these prodigious sounds that we hear are made by him, no doubt. This being must possess a form and strength to match his voice; and valour to match his form and strength.’
‘O, my lord,’ replied Wily with a hint of a snort, ‘what! My lord afraid of a mere sound? As the proverb says:
(75) A bridge may be breached by water;
a secret too not well-guarded;
Friendship by intrigue may be broken
and a coward unmanned by words alone.
‘It’s not right that our lord should abandon in a trice, this great forest whose possession has been in his family for generations and which has been inherited by him. As it is aptly said:
(76) The wise man puts one foot forward
while he stands firm on the other:
he’ll not forsake his former home,
until he finds another.
‘Moreover, here in this forest, we hear a variety of sounds… so many… mere sounds, that’s all they are; they should not cause fear to anyone. We hear the rumbling of clouds, the whistling of wind in the reeds, we hear sounds of lutes and drums, big and small, sounds of conches and bells, of wagons and doors creaking, sounds of axes and saws and similar implements—all kinds of sounds are heard here. One should not be afraid of them. It is pointed out that:
(77) A king who summons up all his courage
to face the most savage of foes,
advancing, drunk with fury,
and will not yield, will never face defeat.
‘Again:
(78) The Creator may rage,
unshaken stand the brave;
summer may dry the lake,
the great river flows ever full.
‘Also:
(79) Joyous in prosperity,
not cast down in adversity,
steadfast in battle,
rarely does a mother bear such a son—
the ornament of the three worlds.
‘Further:
(80) A blade of grass bends low, powerless,
tosses about, light, lacking inner strength.
A man who lacks a sense of honour and pride,
is like a pitiful blade of grass.
‘Knowing this, my lord should muster up his courage and act firmly; not be afraid of mere sounds. His Majesty surely knows the story of the jackal and the battle-drum; as the jackal said:
(81) At first I thought it stuffed with food—
I entered it:
I found it but a thing of skin and wood.’
‘Ah!’ exclaimed Tawny, ‘What’s the story?’ Then Wily began the tale of The Jackal and the Battle-drum.
In a certain region there lived a jackal who had hardly found anything to eat for days. His stomach pinched by hunger, his throat dry, he wandered around searching for food and chanced upon a battlefield of kings in the depths of a forest. Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks—for he heard a great booming sound coming from somewhere in the vicinity. His heart pounded with fear; he was greatly troubled in mind. ‘O all you powerful gods’ he cried, looking up at the skies. ‘What kind of danger have I walked into unawares? I am as good as dead. I am done for right now, right this minute. What kind of sound is this? What sort of creature is making it?’ He stood still, listened again, and then decided to investigate the source of the sounds. He walked gingerly in the direction of the sound and he saw a huge battle-drum, as large as the peak of a hill. And he thought to himself, ‘Is this its natural voice? Or is someone causing this thing to sound?’
Now, when the tips of grass swaying in the wind brushed against the drum, it made the booming sound; at other times it remained silent. Sensing its helplessness, the jackal came close to it. Then out of curiosity he beat upon both sides of the drum. With intense joy he thought, ‘What luck! After all this time food is practically dropping into my mouth. I’m certain that this huge thing is chockful of delicious meat and fat.’
Having come to this conclusion, he picked a spot on the drum, and gnawed a hole in it. As the hide was thick and tough, he was lucky not to break his teeth. He peered inside the drum and slowly entered it; but alas, he found nothing. No meat, no fat; the thing was just hollow. He stood and viewed it quizzically and then said:
(82) ‘What an awesome sound it made,
I thought it was stuffed full of food,
until I went in and found,
it’s just a thing of skin and wood.’
The jackal clambered out and laughing at himself, said, ‘I knew it; I knew it all the time.’
‘Therefore I say to you, my lord, you should not be agitated by a mere sound.’
To which Tawny replied, somewhat petulantly, ‘That’s all very well, but just look at my retinue; seized with fear they simply want to take to their heels. How then can I screw up my courage, as you put it. Tell me.’
‘It’s not really their fault, my lord,’ replied Wily. ‘Like master, like servants. As the saying goes:
(83) A horse, a weapon, and a text,
a lute, a voice, a man and a woman,
they acquit themselves ill or well,
according to the one who uses them.
‘Calling up your valour and your manliness, my lord, just wait here at this very spot while I go and find out what sort of creature we have here; and return in a trice. After that we shall consider how to deal with it.’
Tawny was dismayed. ‘What!’ he exclaimed, ‘Are you saying, sir, that you would dare go there?’
Wily answered promptly, ‘Is it for a servant to hesitate when the master commands? As the proverb says:
(84) A loyal retainer has no fear;
he will enter a torrent tumultuous
or even the vast ocean, perilous,
if that is his lord’s command.
(85) The retainer who stops to consider
whether his lord’s command is dangerous,
or not, should never be considered
by kings, for a minister’s post.’<
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Tawny responded, ‘Well, my dear fellow, if that is how you feel, then go on your mission, and may good fortune go with you.’
Wily bowed low to his king and started on his way, taking the direction indicated by Lively’s bellowing.
When Wily had taken his leave, Tawny began to have second thoughts. Troubled greatly at heart, he reflected, ‘Alas! Alas! I am afraid I may not have acted wisely in this matter, putting my full trust in this fellow to the extent of disclosing my true state of mind. Who knows if Wily is not the sort of fellow who plays one against the other? He may well do me an ill turn if he bears a grudge for having been turned out of office previously. As the proverb points out:
(86) Even those who are from fine families,
if once honoured by the king and then slighted,
will at all times work towards his downfall.
‘Therefore, I think it is best in the circumstances, that I leave this particular spot and wait for Wily somewhere else… until it is clear as to how he may act. Who knows if the fellow might not lead that strange creature here to kill me. For it is said:
(87) The weak, if wary and mistrustful,
can easily withstand the strongest;
the strong who are foolish and trustful,
may be overthrown by the weakest.’
Having reached this conclusion, Tawny returned to another spot in the forest, where he waited all by himself, scanning the direction that Wily had taken.
In the meantime, Wily arrived at the place where Lively was romping happily. He took one look and exclaimed, ‘Good god, this is just a bull.’ Delighted by this discovery, Wily thought to himself, ‘Oho! What luck. As matters have turned out, I think I can have Tawny completely in my power… by practising the policies of peace and friendship, or war and enmity, using this creature. It is indeed shrewdly observed:
(88) Where the king finds himself in trouble,
the minister is in clover.
What wonder then if ministers wish to serve
a king dogged by adversity.
‘How true this is:
(89) As a man in perfect health
disdains all doctors and drugs,
so, a king free of troubles
thinks little of his ministers.’
Musing thus, Wily turned around and proceeded to where he had left Tawny waiting for him.
Seeing Wily returning at a distance, Tawny at once assumed his former stance and expression. When the jackal approached his king, bowed low and took his seat, Tawny enquired, ‘Well, sir, did you get a look at that creature?’