The Pancatantra

by Visnu Sarma

  Time passed in this way. Lively and Tawny spent a good deal of time together and became the best of friends, their mutual affection growing daily. Now, Lively possessed great intelligence and had developed profound wisdom, having studied and mastered many branches of learning. He spent much time and patience instructing Tawny so that in a short while, even a blockhead like the King of Beasts became wise and intelligent. From a creature of the woods practising the wild ways of the jungle, Tawny became civilized, versed in urban ways and manners. Why go on and on? The two friends were so close that they spent all their time together, talking and discussing between themselves, in private and unattended. All the other animals were kept at a distance and shut out of their private confabulations. Our two jackals did not even get a look-in. Lacking the strength of the lion and his skill in hunting and foraging, the animal community, including our two jackals, were unable to forage for themselves as needed. Not getting sufficient food they became lean and pinched with hunger; miserable, they gathered at one spot. As the saying goes:

  (110) As birds abandon a withered tree,

  so too, retainers leave a king,

  though lofty and of noble descent,

  whose service is barren of benefits.

  Then again:

  (111) Even retainers of noble birth

  and unimpeachable loyalty,

  who are held in high honour at court,

  are certain to leave the service of a king

  who breaks the thread of their livelihood.

  On the other hand:

  (112) Retainers will never abandon a king

  even if he sternly takes them to task,

  if only he pays them well and pays in time.

  All things in this world live off one another, using many different strategies to do so, some peaceful, others not so peaceful. Think:

  (113) Rulers live off their lands,

  physicians off the sick;

  merchants live off consumers,

  the learned off fools;

  (114) Thieves live off the unwary,

  almsmen off householders;

  harlots off pleasure-seekers,

  and workers off the whole world.

  (115) Snares of many sorts are carefully set;

  day and night they lie in wait, watchful,

  surviving by sheer strength—fish eating fish.

  The two jackals, Wary and Wily, deprived of their master’s favour, lean and pinched by hunger, began to consult with each other. Wily, as usual, began, ‘Sir Wary, it seems we are persons of no consequence at court. Moreover, Tawny hangs enamoured on each word that Lively utters; and to such an extent that he neglects his own affairs. As for the other royal retainers, they are all scattered, each one gone his own way. What’s to be done?’

  ‘I think you should speak to our master,’ answered Wary. ‘Even if your words fall on deaf ears, the master should be admonished so that he can draw back from the wrong course he is on. For as the wise observe:

  (116) A king should receive wise counsel from his ministers,

  even if the counsel is not well-received,

  as Ambikā’s son received from wise Vidura

  to turn him away from wrong policies.

  ‘And again:

  (117) An elephant in rut runs amok

  and the keeper is to blame; a king

  rushes into error maddened by pride,

  the world points the finger at the prime minister.

  ‘And remember, my friend, it was you who brought this grass-eating creature to the notice of our master; and so doing, you were really carrying live coals in your bare hands.’

  Wily answered, ‘Yes, you are right: the fault is mine, not our master’s. As the proverb points out:

  (118) The jackal caught in the duel of rams;

  Red Planet’s clever trap,

  the woman who acted as a go-between:

  the ruin of all three was of their own making.’

  Wary asked, ‘How did that happen?’ And Wily began the tales of The Holy Man and the Swindler and The Weaver’s Unfaithful Wife.

  In a certain region there was a sanctuary built in a secluded place; in it lived an ascetic named Worshipful.7 In course of time, he had amassed a goodly fortune by selling the many finely-woven cloths presented to him by various persons for whom he had at one time or another performed sacrifices. Not trusting anyone, Worshipful kept his worldly wealth tied in a knot at one corner of his lower garment and tucked securely at the waist. Night and day he guarded it this way; indeed, it is aptly said:

  (119) A trouble to acquire; a trouble to protect;

  a trouble if it’s lost; a trouble if it’s spent;

  money is nothing but trouble,

  alas! From beginning to end.

  Now a rogue named Red Planet8 who lived by robbery had been watching the ascetic. He noticed the treasure secured in a knot at the waist and thought to himself. ‘This treasure, now, how can I steal it from this holy man? The sanctuary has solid stone walls… that I cannot break into; the door is so high that there is no way I can climb and enter within. So… the only way to relieve the holy man of his treasure is to become his pupil, and worm my way into his confidence. Once that is done and he begins to trust me implicitly, I’ll have him in my power. For it is aptly said:

  (120) One without ambition does not hold office;

  one fallen out of love does not care to adorn himself;

  one who lacks learning displays no eloquence;

  one who is blunt in speech is never a cheat.’

  Having deliberated over the matter, the swindler approached the ascetic. Intoning the words, ‘Om, salutations to Śiva,’ he prostrated himself before the ascetic and spoke with the utmost reverence, ‘Holiness! Vain and unprofitable is human existence; youth rushes past like a mountain torrent; life is no better than a fire built with mere straw; what are pleasures but shadows cast by clouds? Our relationships with children and wives, with kin, friends and servants—all a dream. All this I have understood only too well. Tell me what I have to do to cross this sea that we call existence.’

  Listening to Red Planet speak in this manner, Worshipful responded in earnest tones, ‘My son, you are indeed blessed; so young in years, and such indifference to worldly things. As the saying goes:

  (121) He whose youth is calm and passionless,

  he is truly a saint, that’s my view;

  once the senses have lost their edge,

  who in the world is not at peace?

  ‘Moreover:

  (122) The senses age first, then the body,

  in those blessed with virtue and piety;

  but in those who possess neither,

  body ages, senses never.

  ‘You have asked me about the ways and means of crossing this sea of mundane existence. So, come, listen to what I have to tell you:

  (123) A tiller of the soil, an outcaste with matted hair,

  or any other man duly initiated

  with Śiva’s mystical names and vows; whose body

  is marked with sacred ash becomes a twice-born pure.

  (124) Uttering the six-syllabled chant mystical

  let him place one single flower on Śiva’s sacred symbol,

  and he is never born again.’

  When Red Planet heard these words, he clasped the ascetic’s feet and spoke in a reverential tone to him, ‘Your Holiness! Be gracious enough to initiate me into the sacred vows.’

  Then Worshipful answered saying, ‘My son, I am only too willing to bestow this favour on you. But remember, you should never enter my sanctuary at night, the reason being that it is a command laid upon ascetics who have renounced the world that they should not consort with anyone. This applies to me and to you as well. For it is said:

  (125) A king is ruined by bad advice;

  an ascetic by company;

  a child by fond indulgence;

  a Brāhmana by lack of learning;

  a noble line by evil sons;

 
virtuous conduct by serving the base;

  friendship from want of regard;

  investment by mismanagement;

  affection from long absence;

  and a woman by drink;

  a farm too from neglect;

  wealth through misdirected charity.

  ‘Therefore, after taking your vows, you should sleep in a thatched hut at the gates to the sanctuary.’ Red Planet readily agreed, saying, ‘Your Holiness, your word is law, for it is my sole means of transport to the other shore.’

  So at bedtime, Worshipful duly administered the rite of consecration and accepted the swindler as his pupil. On his part, Red Planet massaged his preceptor’s hands and feet, brought his writing materials and placed them ready at hand, and performed sundry little services that supremely gratified the ascetic. But at no time did Worshipful let go of his treasure tucked at his waist.

  And so the days went by until Red Planet became somewhat restive and began to seriously reflect on the possibility of ever getting his hands on the ascetic’s treasure. He told himself, ‘Damn it; there seems to be no way I can make this holy man put his trust in me. What should I do then? Shall I knife him in broad daylight? Or simply butcher him as I would an animal?’

  As he continued pondering over the options that he had, chance presented itself in an unexpected manner. One fine day, there arrived at the sanctuary, the son of one of Worshipful’s old pupils, with an invitation. ‘Your Holiness,’ said the young visitor, ‘I have been sent here to invite you to our house on the occasion of the investiture of the sacred thread for a young member of our family.’

  As soon as he received this invitation, Worshipful set out with Red Planet accompanying him. On the way they came across a river. Removing the treasure from his waist and hiding it in the folds of his patched robe, Worshipful bathed and worshipped the deities; and then he addressed his pupil, ‘Listen, Red Planet, I am afraid I have to step aside to answer the calls of nature. You watch over my robe and this crystal symbol of Lord Śiva.’ So saying he went some distance. No sooner was his preceptor out of sight then Red Planet grabbed the ascetic’s robe and ran away post-haste.

  In the meantime, Worshipful, whose suspicions had been put to rest by the exemplary qualities of his pupil as he had carefully observed them, sat without a care in the world attending to his bodily needs. And as he sat, he saw a flock of ewes nearby and in their midst there was a pair of rams fighting. The rams would withdraw in great fury and then rush charging at each other, heads bent, forehead clashing against forehead, while streams of blood flowed profusely. A jackal passing by noticed this, and seized by a craving for flesh, he came trotting in and stood right in the middle of the fight between the two rams greedily lapping up the blood.

  As he watched this little scene, Worshipful thought to himself, ‘Dear, O dear, how stupid can this jackal be? If he happens to get caught at the very moment the two rams go for each other, will he not be crushed to death instantly? I haven’t the least bit of doubt on this score.’

  At the next deadly encounter of the two fiercely-butting rams, this is exactly what happened. The jackal, lusting after fresh blood was caught between the two heads as the rams charged and was killed instantaneously. ‘Ah,’ remarked Worshipful, ‘The jackal was killed in the crossfire….’ Feeling a bit sorry for the poor dumb animal, he got up and returned to where he had left his treasure in his pupil’s care.

  As Worshipful came slowly picking his way back to the river bank he could see that Red Planet was not there. Washing himself and performing a purificatory rite in a hurry, he saw that his little treasure was gone. ‘Alas, alas! I have been cheated,’ he cried aloud and fell senseless on the ground. After a few moments, regaining consciousness, he rose from the ground, sobbing and breathing heavily, ‘Ho there, ho, Red Planet, where are you? Where have you fled after cheating me like this? Reply, give me an answer.…’ Lamenting in this manner and muttering repeatedly, ‘And we too, cheated by Red Planet… and we too…’ Worshipful went along slowly, step by step, lamenting his fate all the while.

  As he walked along, Worshipful noticed a weaver going with his wife to the nearby town to drink in the tavern. He stopped them saying to the weaver, ‘My good man, listen, here I am a guest approaching you at sundown. I do not know a single soul around here. So carry out the duties enjoined on you and let me have your hospitality. For it is said,

  (126) A stranger at dusk must not turn back unwelcomed;

  householders who honour and serve a guest

  brought by the setting sun, themselves

  take on an aura of divinity.

  ‘Moreover:

  (127) Water, a pile of straw, and a place to sleep,

  kind words of welcome, these four things

  are never found wanting in the houses

  or mansions of the good and virtuous.

  ‘And:

  (128) By a gentle welcome the sacred fires are gratified,

  by the offering of a seat Indra is pleased,

  Kṛṣṇa by giving water to wash the feet

  and the Lord of Beings by the offering of food to eat.’

  The weaver heeding these words, turned to his wife and said, ‘My love, take this guest to our home. Give him water to wash his feet, offer him food to eat and a bed to sleep on; then wait for me. I shall be on my way to the town and will return presently with plenty of meat and drink for you.’

  The wife agreed and walked back home accompanied by the ascetic. Her face glowed with happiness; for being a woman of easy morals, she had a certain man in mind, her lover by the name of Devadatta,9 whom she planned to meet. How wisely is it observed, that:

  (129) A cloudy day in the dark half of the month,

  with city streets hard to negotiate,

  and the husband travelling in distant lands—

  Happy times for a man-hungry woman!

  (130) Amorous women greedy for stolen raptures

  care a straw for the marriage-bed richly-spread

  and the arms of a tender, loving husband.

  Also:

  (131) Ever-hankering after another man,

  the slut is always willing to accept

  the world’s censure, and her family’s fall,

  even a prison cell and life imperilled.

  Reaching her house, the weaver’s wife dragged out an old broken-down cot and giving it to Worshipful said, ‘Hey there, Holiness, I am just stepping out to pass the time of day with my good friend who has just returned from her village. I’ll be back soon. Meanwhile you may stay here in our home, but please be careful.’ Having said this, she went to her room, dressed herself in fine clothes, adorned herself and set out to meet her lover, Devadatta. But it turned out that at that very moment, her husband was on his way home, reeling drunk, his hair untied and floating wildly, stumbling at every step he took and holding a pitcher of liquor in his hands. The woman saw him and at once rushed home, quickly removed all her finery and appeared dressed as before. But the weaver had already noticed her walking rapidly somewhere dressed in all her finery. In addition, rumours about her character that were doing the rounds had already reached his ears. Deeply troubled at heart, he entered the house in a rage and questioned her, ‘Hey! You whore, you wicked slut; where do you think you were off to?’

  She replied coolly, ‘Nowhere; since I left your side and came home I have not stirred from the house. What utter nonsense you talk! Completely stoned, is it? For it is said, and aptly too:

  (132) Delirium, trembling, tottering, falling down,

  a constant patter of incoherent babbling,

  these are the sure signs of foul fevers, life-threatening,

  and of drunkenness as well.

  ‘Also:

  (133) Weakness of hands, casting off one’s raiments,

  angry flashes, waning of brightness, loss of power:

  these are tell-tale signs of a drunken state,

  and displayed by the setting sun as well.’

  The weaver
listened to her railing and having already marked the change in her dress, now lashed out, ‘You whore! Scandalous reports about your character have been reaching me for a long time now. Today I have direct proof of it and I shall punish you properly for it, that’s for sure.’ With these words, he cudgelled her roundly till her body grew limp; then he took some strong rope, tied her fast to the pillar, and drained of energy by intoxication, fell into a drunken sleep.

  At this juncture, in came the woman’s friend, the barber’s wife, and making sure that the weaver was drowned in sleep, she spoke urgently to the woman, ‘Listen, my dear friend, Devadatta is at the usual place expecting you. Go to him, go quickly.’

  The weaver’s wife retorted, ‘Look at the state I am in; how on earth can I go and meet him? You go to my lover, explain the situation and say this to him: “In the state I am in at present how can I possibly come to meet you!”’

  To which the barber’s wife replied, ‘Now, now, dear friend, how can you talk like this? Is this the way to talk for a free-spirited woman who goes her own way? As you must have heard:

  (134) Those who like a camel resolve to reach out

  for the luscious fruit inaccessible,

  who persevere until it lies in their grasp,

  their lives, I hold, are praiseworthy indeed.

  (135) ‘Further:

  When this world is rife with many different rumours,

  and the other is uncertain at best;

  when you have snared another woman’s husband,

  best count your blessings and enjoy your youth.

  ‘To clinch the matter:

  (136) Though luck may not be on her side,

  though ill-favoured her man might be,

  a loose woman will still lie with her lover

  in secret, whatever it might cost her.’

  The weaver’s wife observed drily, ‘That’s all very well indeed, but tell me, where can I go tied as I am with strong ropes; and on top of it, here lies my vicious husband right here.’

  The barber’s wife suggested a way out. ‘Listen to me, this drunken sot lies dead to the world; he will not wake up until touched by the sun’s rays. So, let me take your place; I’ll untie the bonds that hold you. You go and have a good time with Devadatta, but come back quickly.’