The Pancatantra

by Visnu Sarma

  ‘O, yes, my lord, I did,’ replied Wily. ‘By the grace of Your Majesty, I did see him.’

  ‘Is that the truth?’ rasped out Tawny.

  ‘O, my lord, could I possibly speak otherwise in His Gracious Majesty’s presence? Is it not truly said, my lord:

  (90) Even the smallest lie spoken before a king

  has the gravest consequences;

  the ruin of the speaker’s parent and teacher,

  and that of the gods as well.

  ‘For it is said:

  (91) Blended of essences of all the gods,

  a king is formed; so sages sing.

  Look upon him, therefore, as a god;

  never speak an untruth to a king.

  ‘It is also said:

  (92) A king who is incarnate of all the gods,

  is… mark this… yet a god with a difference;

  you taste his pleasure, or, his displeasure,

  right now and here… of the gods, hereafter.’

  Tawny, a little restive, replied, ‘All right, I guess you did see this creature. Anyway, the great and noble do not vent their anger on the lowly and weak. As you must have heard:

  (93) A hurricane does not uproot the pliant grass

  that bends low before its fury;

  it snaps only proud, lordly trees;

  A man of might lets his valour speak

  only to others of equal might.’

  Wily answered, ‘I knew this; I knew already that my lord would speak such words. Now to cut the matter short, let me inform His Majesty that I shall lead the strange creature into his presence, presently.’

  Hearing this Tawny felt supremely happy; his face blossomed with delight like a lotus. Wily left straight away and once again bent his steps where Lively was and called out to him in a peremptory tone of voice.

  ‘Hey there! You rascally bull. Come here, come here at once. Lord Tawny wishes to know why you keep up this bellowing, without ceasing and without a hint of fear.’

  Lively looked at him, uncomprehending, and asked quite innocently, ‘My good friend, who is this Tawny that you are talking about?’ Hearing that, Wily, putting on an air of outraged surprise, exclaimed, ‘Not know who he is! What, you mean to tell me that you don’t as yet know of our Lord Tawny?’ And he added with utter disdain, ‘Well, well, you’ll know soon enough—when you reap the consequences of your ignorance. Let me enlighten you. Celebrated by the name Tawny, he is a great lion; he is the King of Beasts. Possessed of enormous strength and power that are his sole wealth, his heart swelling with pride, his head held high, he stays even now there within the vast circle of that banyan tree, holding court.’

  No sooner had Lively heard these words than he felt he had breathed his last. Drowned in the depths of despair, he spoke faintly, ‘My good friend, you appear to be a kindly sort of person; and you do have a way with words. If you must absolutely take me there to your lord, at least do me this favour; ask your master to be gracious enough to grant me a safe-conduct.’

  ‘Right you are,’ said Wily, ‘Well spoken, my friend… I see evidence of prudence here; and mind you, what you ask is eminently just. For as the wise remark:

  (94) Earth’s true extent may be compassed

  that of the seas and mountains too;

  but the world of a king’s mind and thoughts—

  that is beyond anyone’s reach,

  anywhere, at any time.

  ‘You stay right here, while I go to our lord; and after binding him by a promise, I shall return and escort you there.’

  Wily then went straight to where Tawny was waiting for him. ‘My lord, this is no ordinary creature. He is the sacred mount of the great Lord Śiva Himself. When I questioned him, my lord, what do you think he said… ?’ Tawny was definitely uncomfortable. And Wily spoke in low, awed tones.

  ‘“The Supreme Lord, highly pleased with me, has graciously granted me the right to graze here on the emerald-green meadows bordering the Yamuna. What more is there to say? The great Lord has bestowed this forest on me, as a playground.” That’s what he said, my lord.’

  Tawny’s mane quivered; he spoke trembling with fear, ‘I know it now. Without the favour of the gods no creature can roam freely, fearlessly, in this lonely forest, grazing in the meadows, and bellowing with impunity.… But what did you say to him?’

  Wily looked deprecatingly and then he said, ‘What did I say to this creature, my lord? I told him a thing or two, without mincing words. “Now look, my dear chap,” I said, “Tawny is the special mount of the fierce, warrior consort of Lord Śiva. This great forest is Lord Tawny’s domain. And understand this—you have come here as his guest. Tell you what; you must meet him in brotherly affection; spend time with him, eat, drink, work and play with him; do things together in one place as friends….” He agreed to everything that I said, but, he made a request, “See that you get a safe-conduct for me from the master.” Now my lord should decide what is best in the circumstances’

  Tawny was delighted, ‘Splendid, splendid, my wise servant; you have spoken to him as if you knew my inmost thoughts. I grant this chap a safe-conduct. Now, hurry along, man, and bring this fellow straight here: but… listen… not until he has also bound himself to me by some strong oath; take care; for it is aptly said:

  (95) A kingdom is held firm by ministers,

  who are tested and true, straight, resourceful,

  accomplished and endowed with inner strength,

  as a temple is well-supported by pillars

  straight, strong, well-polished and firmly-grounded.

  (96) Wisdom shows herself in actions;

  a minister’s in forging friendships;

  a physician’s in healing life-threatening illness.

  Who is not wise when everything goes right?’

  Wily mused as he went to fetch Lively, ‘Aha.… Things are turning out well for me; our lord and master is gracious to me now; he has been won over by my words. No one can be more fortunate than I am at present.

  (97) Sweet as nectar is the fire’s warmth in winter;

  sweet as nectar is the sight of one’s beloved;

  sweet as nectar is royal favour;

  sweet as nectar is food cooked in milk.’

  Approaching Lively, Wily addressed him deferentially, ‘My good friend, I have spoken about you to our master; and he is pleased to grant you a safe-conduct. So you need have no fear; approach him in all confidence. But there is one thing that you have to keep in mind. You must always act in agreement with me; don’t you get out of step thinking that now that you have the royal favour, you can slight me and act haughty. For my part, I shall work under your direction functioning as minister and shouldering the whole burden of administration. In this way, we shall both enjoy the benefits of royal fortune. You see how it is:

  (98) A sinful game… by unjust means

  men make royal wealth their own;

  one drives the quarry from its lair,

  another strikes it down.

  (99) Whoever is too haughty to pay

  a royal attendant his honour due

  will find his footing insecure

  and fall from favour as Fine Tooth did.’

  ‘Really?’ queried Lively; ‘And how did that happen?’ Upon which. Wily began the tale of Fine Tooth and the Palace Sweeper.

  There was a city known as Prosperityville where lived a great merchant by the name of Fine Tooth, who was the governor of the city. He managed the administration of the city and the king’s personal affairs so well that the citizenry was very well satisfied. As a matter of fact, no one had seen or ever heard of so clever and efficient an administrator. What usually happens is this:

  (100) Look after the ruler’s interests,

  and you earn the people’s hatred;

  work then for the people’s interests,

  you are shown the door by princes.

  In such a conflict, it is hard to find the man

  who deals out an even hand to ruler and ruled.


  While he was holding this high position, Fine Tooth, at one time had occasion to celebrate his daughter’s marriage. He invited with all ceremony the whole citizenry, the king and his retinue and the royal household, received them with great honour and after treating them to a sumptuous banquet, bestowed rich gifts, fine garments and the like, on them. At the close of the festivities, Fine Tooth personally escorted the king and the royal household back to the palace, and offered the customary courtesies.

  Now, there was one Bellowing Bull, a royal attendant, who served as the sweeper of the king’s personal chambers. Though it was time for him to have gone home, that day, Bellowing Bull stayed on and occupied a seat that he was in no way entitled to, right in front of the seat reserved for the High Priest. When Fine Tooth noticed this inappropriate act, he caught Bellowing Bull by the scruff of his neck and threw him out. From that very instant, the humiliation he had suffered rankled so deeply in Bellowing Bull’s mind that he could not sleep a wink at night. He brooded; he revolved plans in his mind to somehow or other topple Fine Tooth from royal favour. At other times he despaired of his ever being able to accomplish this, and told himself, ‘Ah! Why am I letting this thing consume me to such an extent that my body is wasting away? There is nothing that I can do to harm this man. How excellently the proverb puts it:

  (101) If you cannot get your own back

  why in the world would you shamelessly

  rant and froth at the mouth; I ask you.

  The chick pea may hop up and down frantically;

  but will it crack the frying pan?’

  After some time, early one morning, Bellowing Bull was busy cleaning the floor near the royal bed, while the king was lying suspended between sleeping and waking. As he worked, he muttered, ‘O gracious gods! Just look at Fine Tooth’s impudence! He holds the Royal Consort in his arms.’

  No sooner had the king heard these words than he sat bolt upright and cried out, ‘Hey, hey! Bellowing Bull! What are you babbling there? Is this the truth? What? Our crowned queen! Embraced by Fine Tooth!’

  ‘Oh! Pardon, my lord,’ replied the sweeper. ‘I really don’t know what I was saying. I am addicted to the vice of gambling, I must confess. All night I was awake playing dice. Though my hands are employed in the customary job of cleaning, I am so overcome by sleep that I can hardly keep my eyes open.’

  The king grew jealous. He thought to himself, ‘This fellow has free access everywhere in the palace.… So has Fine Tooth.… Who can tell? This fellow might have sometime or other witnessed our queen in the arms of Fine Tooth.… For it is said, that:

  (102) What a man watches or does

  or yearns for during the day

  he does the same at night in his sleep.

  He talks about it; he acts it out.

  ‘And again:

  (103) What a man keeps hidden deep in his heart,

  a good thought, or an evil, it will out,

  when he babbles in his sleep or in his cups.

  ‘Moreover:

  (104) The fool who thinks and tells himself:

  “How enamoured my love is of me,”

  he is eternally in her thrall,

  a pet bird, at her beck and call.’

  The king lamented thus, in many ways, for many days, until finally he withdrew his favour from Fine Tooth. Why spin a long tale? The king forbade Fine Tooth’s entry to the palace.

  Seeing that he was no longer high in the king’s favour, Fine Tooth began reflecting on his situation. ‘Alas,’ he said to himself, ‘How true are these statements:

  (105) Which man does Fortune not render proud?

  Which seeker after pleasure sees his troubles end?

  Whose heart is not shattered by a woman?

  Who indeed can claim he is beloved of kings?

  Who does not fall into the clutches of Time?

  Which cringing suppliant is held in high esteem?

  Which man once caught in the subtle snares

  of the wicked, escapes unharmed?

  ‘And again:

  (106) Whoever saw or heard of these:

  cleanliness in a crow,

  truth in a gambler,

  forbearance in a serpent,

  spent passion in a woman,

  daring in a feeble fellow,

  discernment in a drunkard

  or friendship with a king?

  ‘What’s more, I have done no harm to the king; nor to anyone else for that matter. I have not acted in an unfriendly manner; no, not by a single word; and not even in my dreams. Why, then, why has the Lord of the Earth turned his face away from me?’

  And Fine Tooth kept turning these thoughts over and over in his mind. Then, one day, noticing him at the palace being refused entry by the guards posted there, the sweeper, Bellowing Bull, laughed derisively, calling out loud to the palace guards, ‘Hey there! Hey, hey, you guards! Take care. This is Fine Tooth himself; the man who was used to granting or denying favours to one and all. See that you fellows don’t receive the same treatment I did… caught by the throat and thrown out on my ear.’

  Light dawned on Fine Tooth. ‘Ah! I see it all now quite clearly; whatever was done came about through Bellowing Bull’s mischief.… Oh! How wise is the observation:

  (107) A man may be a base-born churl;

  he may even be a fool;

  lacking honour on top of it all;

  but… if he serves the king,

  he receives honour wherever he goes.

  (108) Or, he may be a coward,

  a mean contemptible fellow;

  but… if he’s the king’s attendant,

  he’ll not stomach the least affront,

  not from any man on earth.’

  Bewailing his lot, Fine Tooth went home, disconcerted and his mind in a welter of anxious thoughts. That evening, he sent for Bellowing Bull. He presented the man with a pair of fine silken garments and then spoke courteously to him. ‘Look, my friend, you should not think that I threw you out of the Royal Hall of Audience through sheer anger. I acted as I did only because I saw you seated in front of the royal priest, in a seat you were not entitled to. I punished you for misconduct.’

  Bellowing Bull accepted the fine garments as if they were the cloths of heaven. Highly gratified, he said to Fine Tooth: ‘I forgive you, great merchant; and note this, it will not be long before you see the returns for the great honour you have paid me today; and that will come in the form of the restoration of royal favour and other honours.’

  With these words, Bellowing Bull rejoicing in his good fortune returned home. Seeing him leave, his face beaming with joy, Fine Tooth thought to himself,

  (109) ‘A scurvy knave and a pair of scales,

  they have one thing in common:

  a trifle lifts them high up

  a trifle dashes them down.’

  A few days later, while cleaning the floor near the royal bed at dawn, as the king was lying half asleep and half awake, Bellowing Bull muttered: ‘Our King, what fine judgement he displays… he eats cucumbers sitting on the toilet.’

  Hearing this, the king sat up in amazement, ‘What! Hey you! You rascal! Bellowing Bull! What is this nonsense? It is only because you are a menial working in my home that I refrain from throttling you, right now, this very instant. When have you ever seen me do such a thing… the thing you say you saw me do?’

  ‘O, my lord,’ replied the sweeper, humbly, ‘Pardon, my gracious lord; a thousand pardons. I am an inveterate gambler; all night the dice kept me awake. Though I was cleaning the floor, I felt so drowsy that I must have dropped off to sleep. What I was mumbling in my sleep, I can’t say: I don’t know what it was, Gracious Majesty; pardon this wretch whom sleep has overpowered.’

  The king fell to thinking: ‘From the day I was born, I have not done such a thing… eating cucumbers, indeed, while answering the calls of nature. If this confounded dunderhead can babble such errant nonsense about me, what if.… What if the thing he said about poor Fine Tooth is also
sheer rubbish? I am sure of it. How could I have treated him the way I did, stripping the unfortunate man of his position and honours. It is inconceivable that a man like him would ever be guilty of what this blockheaded sweeper alleged he was guilty of. And what’s more; in the absence of Fine Tooth the affairs of state as well as the city’s administration have all fared badly.’

  The king then thought over the matter very carefully, looking at it from all angles. He then decided to send for Fine Tooth, presented him with fine garments and jewels from his own person, and reinstated Fine Tooth in his official position with all honours.

  ‘That’s why, my friend, I say to you,’ concluded Wily, ‘he who out of pride offends those who serve a king, pays for it.’ To which Lively replied, ‘My good friend, what you say is true. Let us do it the way you suggested.’

  Lively being agreeable to the arrangement, Wily escorted him to Tawny’s court and presented him, saying:

  ‘Your Majesty, here is Lively; I was talking to you about him. I have brought him here; now it is for His Majesty to decide what should be done.’

  Lively bowed with great reverence to the King of Beasts and stood respectfully before him. Thereupon, Tawny extended a massive paw furnished with claws gleaming like thunderbolts and with the utmost courtesy enquired after Lively’s health. ‘Is all well with Your Honour,’ he asked, ‘And how is it that you have come to live in this lonely and inhospitable forest?’

  Lively then responded, recounting in detail all the events that happened after his separation from the merchant-prince, Vardhamāna. Tawny listened attentively and then said, Friend, don’t be afraid; protected by the might of my arm, you may now live without fear or hindrance in our forest. But I’ll mention this to you; it is best if you live, move and divert yourself not too far from me; for this forest is full of dangers; it swarms with ferocious beasts.’

  Lively folded his paws, nodded and answered, ‘As my lord commands.’ The interview over to the satisfaction of both parties, Tawny made his way down to the river, drank his fill of the delicious water of the Yamunā, plunged into her cool waters and lazed a while; then he entered the deep woods to roam as his fancy took him.