The Pancatantra

by Visnu Sarma

  ‘A man gets what he is destined to have.’

  The princess now remembered him and added a line:

  ‘God Himself cannot violate this law.’

  Then the policeman’s daughter spoke yet another line:

  ‘Therefore, I grieve not; I am not dismayed.’

  Having listened to it all, the merchant’s daughter added a line that completed the verse:

  ‘What is ours can never be another’s.’

  After promising immunity to everyone concerned, the king arrived at the whole truth by piecing together the separate narratives of the events provided by each one of the persons involved. Finally, the king accorded great honours to Mister Justdesserts, giving him his daughter in marriage, with a grant of a thousand villages. Then a thought struck the king. Remembering that he was without a son and heir, he had Justdesserts anointed and appointed as the crown prince.

  Justdesserts lived happily ever after in the company of his whole family, enjoying all comforts and pleasures that life has to offer.

  ‘Now you see why I said to you: “A man gets what he is destined to have…” and the rest of it,’ said Goldy, concluding the tale. Again Goldy continued: ‘So, I reflected upon this carefully and was relieved of my obsession with the treasure that I had lost. What wisdom is contained in the following verse:

  (95) One sees with Wisdom, not with the eye;

  conduct, not birth, is the mark of breeding;

  contentment is prosperity;

  turning away from wrong is true learning.

  ‘Similarly:

  (96) All prosperities are his

  whose spirit is contented;

  to the sandal-shod foot

  the Earth is covered with skins.

  (97) A hundred leagues is not far

  to one driven by Desire.

  The contented man disregards Wealth

  even if it lies within his grasp.

  (98) O, dread goddess, Desire!37

  I humbly bow to you,

  O, Wrecker of Fortitude!

  Even Viṣṇu, Lord of the Triple World,

  was made a dwarf38 by you.

  (99) Nothing is beyond your power to do,

  Divine Consort of Dishonour!

  For you offer a taste of yourself

  to the most high-minded men, O, Desire!

  (100) I have borne what no one should have to bear:

  I have spoken words most distasteful to hear;

  I have waited at the doorsteps of strangers:

  Now pray desist; be at peace, Goddess Desire!

  (101) Of foul stinking water I have drunk;

  of clumps of mown grass I have made my bed;

  grievous parting from my beloved I have endured;

  with pain rising from deep down in my loins

  I have cringed and spoken humbly to strangers;

  Footweary I have trudged and even crossed the seas;

  a half-skull-bowl39 I have carried around:

  Is there anything else you’d have me do, O, Desire.

  Then, for God’s sake command me quickly

  and be done with me.

  (102) A poor man’s statement carries little weight

  though Logic and Authority40

  shape its truth and clarity;

  while words of the wealthy, harsh,

  lacking merit and meaning

  always command a respectful hearing.

  (103) Albeit baseborn a man with wealth

  is by the world most highly honoured;

  while a poor man of noble lineage,

  moon-bright, is spurned and scorned.

  (104) Wealth makes sprightly youths

  of men old and decrepit; lacking wealth

  those in the very flush of youth are viewed

  as already decrepit and old.

  (105) Since friend and brother, wife and son

  desert the man whose wealth is gone

  to return when he is wealthy again,

  it seems only wealth is next of kin.

  Having reflected in this manner as I went back home, Lightwing here came to me the moment I entered my residence, and mentioned the journey he intended making to this place. Therefore, I have accompanied him to visit Your Honour. Thus, I have related the causes of my depression to Your Honours. Indeed, it is truly observed:

  (106) Deer, snake and elephant,

  gods, demons and humans,

  all have their meal before it is noon;

  such is the way here in the three worlds.41

  (107) When the hour comes around and hunger calls,

  World-conquering monarch, or humble slave

  eking his life out in misery,

  must have his little bowl of rice.

  (108) If this is the way of the world what man sensible

  would do deeds most reprehensible,

  deeds whose outcome is sure to land him

  in a state most odious and wicked?’

  Slowcoach having listened to Goldy’s story of his life, now began offering him consolation: ‘Ah! My friend,’ he began, ‘you must not lose heart because you have been forced by circumstances to abandon your native land. Wise as you are, why do you allow yourself to become so disoriented? Consider:

  (109) Possessing mere book-learning men remain fools;

  the man who acts using his knowledge, he is wise;

  however carefully selected

  no drug can cure the sick

  by mere mention of its name.

  (110) Lives there a man of mettle, resolute,

  skilled, who thinks: ‘This is my native land

  and that is alien.’

  The land he resorts to he makes his own

  by the valour of his arms alone.

  Whichever forest the lion plunges into, armed

  with striking force of tooth and claw and tail,

  it is there he slakes his retainers’ thirst

  with blood of lords of elephants he slays.

  ‘Therefore, dear friend, we should always strive with energy. Where can wealth or pleasures find a home? Mark:

  (111) As frogs seek wells,

  as birds a brimming-lake,

  so too wealth and allies

  resort to a man with enterprise.

  ‘Besides:

  (112) Fortune of her own accord seeks as home

  a man of mettle, brave, prompt in action,

  expert in policy-expedients,

  firm in friendships, unhampered by misfortunes;

  imbued with a keen sense of gratitude.

  ‘Looked at another way:

  (113) If Fortune fights shy of a man, brave, wise,

  discreet, diligent, full of enterprise;

  who is not mean, wayward, disloyal

  or given to despair, then, she is the loser.

  (114) As a young woman proud of her beauty,

  heartily loathes an old husband’s caresses,

  so too, Fortune loathes the lazy man who flounders

  irresolute, trusting in Fate implicitly.

  (115) Learning can do little to help him

  who shies away from strenuous effort.

  Will a lamp placed right on a blind man’s palm

  help in recovering a thing lost?

  (116) Donors may become beggars

  and beggars may be choosers;

  slayers may by the weak be slain;

  and all through sheer misadventure.42

  ‘Your Honour ought not to take the following maxim to heart:

  (117) Teeth, hair, claws, men, when out of place

  do not shine to best advantage:

  ‘And from it draw the conclusion that is a coward’s conclusion :

  No one should abandon his native place.

  ‘To a man of mettle, there is not the slightest distinction between his own and a foreign land. As the saying goes:

  (118) Warriors and scholars

  and beautiful young women

  make a home for themselves

  whereve
r they go.

  (119) The man who mounts an enterprise

  with skill and expertise

  is always a master of wealth.

  But even so keen an intellect as Brhaspati’s43

  yoked to a listless enterprise,

  fails; and that is certain.

  ‘The fact that Your Honour lacks resources at this point in time does not however, make you an ordinary person; for you are richly endowed with intellect and spirit. For as we all know:

  (120) The man of mettle though he has no wealth

  still touches the topmost peak of high esteem;

  while the scurvy knave surrounded by riches

  sinks to the lowliest of places.

  No golden-collared dog gains the glory,

  opulent, of inborn leonine majesty

  that springs from fine innate qualities.

  (121) A man, compacted of courage and spirit,

  of perseverance and indomitable will,

  who views with the same indifferent eye,

  the great ocean and the pitiful puddle,44

  The Lord of the Mountains45 and the tip of an anthill—

  Fortune gladly resorts to such a man,

  not to someone craven and woebegone.

  ‘And further:

  (122) When enterprise is a man’s second nature,

  Mount Meru is not too lofty,

  The Abyss not too low,

  nor the great ocean impassable.

  ‘On the other hand:

  (123) Why grow proud from possessing wealth?

  why sink into despair

  when your greatness vanishes?

  Man’s rise and fall

  is like that of a ball

  bounced by the hand.

  ‘In all respects, youth and wealth are unstable as water bubbles; for:

  (124) Shadows of passing clouds,

  friendship of rogues,

  new grain, young women,

  youth and riches—

  Oh! How fleeting the enjoyment of these!

  ‘Therefore, the intelligent man takes charge of wealth that easily slips through one’s fingers and makes it yield fruit, either by giving it away or enjoying it himself; as is wisely observed:

  (125) Obtained by a hundred painful efforts,

  even dearer than one’s own life,

  riches have but one right way to follow;

  any other is the wrong course.

  ‘Moreover:

  (126) He who does not enjoy his wealth

  or gives it away is not its true owner.

  The jewel in your home, your daughter,

  waits for another; for she is his.46

  (127) The miser hoards his riches for others;

  some gather honey with great effort,

  for others to taste with delight.

  ‘In every case, it is Fate that decides all; as is well stated:

  (128) In battle, at the critical moment of attack,

  or in one’s home;

  in a blazing fire, in a yawning mountain chasm,

  or in the fathomless ocean;

  even as one lives in the midst of snarling serpents

  with wide-gaping jaws,

  what-is-not-to-be will not be,

  what-is-to-be will never be lost.

  ‘Your Honour is at this moment in good health and excellent spirits, in themselves priceless benefits. As the proverb expresses it aptly:

  (129) The Lord of the Seven Continents47

  beset by creeping greed

  is but a beggar; but the man who lives content

  is Lord of the Universe.

  ‘Besides:

  (130) No treasure equals giving to others;

  Is there any wealth equal to content?

  Where is the jewel to compare with good conduct?

  No gain on earth compares with health.

  ‘Nor should you worry as to how to live without wealth; for wealth is perishable; manliness is lasting. As it is wisely pointed out:

  (131) All of a sudden

  a noble man may fall;

  but his fall,

  like that of a ball,

  is upspringing

  But the coward who falls

  stays fallen—

  call it the flattened-out fall

  of a lump of clay.

  ‘But why speak at length; here is the crux of the matter; listen. Some are born to enjoy the pleasures that wealth buys, while others remain merely the watchdogs that guard it. How well the point is made in this verse:

  (132) A man might not enjoy the wealth he earns

  unless Fate has dealt him a share in it.

  Little Simple, the great forest entered

  only to become quite, quite bewildered.’

  ‘Oh! How was that?’ asked Goldy; and Slowcoach began the tale of Little Simple, the weaver.

  In a certain settlement there lived a weaver named Little Simple. All the time he was busy weaving, creating many different designs of cloth and dyed in rich shades, all eminently suited to be made into garments for princes and noble persons. But somehow, he was simply not able to get together the smallest bit of wealth over and above what was necessary to buy the bare essentials—food, clothing, shelter. While others in his trade, weavers of coarse cloth, were rolling in wealth.

  ‘Dearest’ he said to his wife observing their affluence. ‘Just look at these fellows; they weave the coarsest cloth and yet they rake in pots of money. This place does not offer me a decent living; so I intend moving elsewhere.’

  To which his wife replied, ‘Oh! Come, come, dear lord, it is not true to say that wealth may be gained by going to other places. For the saying is, as you know:

  (133) What is not to be can never be;

  what is to be comes effortlessly;

  what lies right on the palm of your hand

  is lost if you are not destined for it.

  ‘Moreover:

  (134) As a calf can find his mother

  among a thousand cows,

  so, a deed done in a previous birth

  closely follows the doer in this.

  ‘Besides:

  (135) As sun and shade are ever interwoven

  so, Doer and Deed cling to each other.

  ‘So you had better stay right here and carry on your business.’

  ‘Oh! My dearest wife,’ replied Little Simple, ‘What you say is simply not right. Nothing bears fruit without persistent effort. As it has been aptly said:

  (136) You cannot clap with a single hand;

  deeds don’t bear fruit without perseverance.

  ‘And again:

  (137) I grant you, food is right there at mealtime

  by the grace of Fortune.

  But for God’s sake, how do you eat it

  without raising your hand to your mouth?

  ‘Besides:

  (138) Perseverance, not wishes, gets work done;

  deer do not walk into the mouth of a sleeping lion.

  ‘Moreover:

  (139) A man may perform as best as he can

  yet, success eludes his reach;

  the man is not to blame,48 though;

  Fate muzzles his manliness.

  ‘It is imperative therefore, that I try my luck elsewhere.’

  With these words Little Simple set out for Prosperityville49 where he lived and worked three whole years until he had earned three hundred gold pieces; and then he decided it was time to come home again.

  Halfway, as he was travelling through a great forest, the glorious Sun lay down to rest. Fearful for his safety, Little Simple climbed up a stout branch of a banyan tree and fell asleep. In his dreams he heard two men, wrathful, with bloodshot eyes, railing at each other. And one was saying, ‘Hey, you there! Doer! Many a time have you prevented this fellow, Little Simple from acquiring any income over and above what is heeded to buy the bare essentials of food and clothing because he is not destined for anything more. You have never at any time given this man anything. Then why is it that
now Your Honour has chosen to freely grant him these three hundred gold pieces?’ To which the other replied, ‘Hey! You! Deed! I am under an obligation to give a person who exerts himself the return proportionate to his exertion. The final outcome,50 however, is in your hands. So, you deprive him of it.’

  Little Simple woke up at this point and looked for his bag of gold; it was empty. And he began to think, ‘Alas! Alas! All this wealth that I earned with so much trouble, is all gone, in a flash. Now, with all that labour gone to waste and nothing to show for it, how can I possibly show my face to my wife and friends?’ So he decided to return to Prosperityville and work some more. And in just one year he earned five hundred gold pieces. Taking it he set out for home, following another route.

  As the sun went down, he found himself at the foot of that very same banyan tree. ‘Oh! My god! What is this? What is this goddam Fate up to? For this same demonic banyan tree confronts me once again.’ He reflected thus. Then he saw those two same figures that he had seen before; and one spoke to the other saying. ‘Doer! What do you mean by bestowing five hundred gold pieces on this fellow, Little Simple? Don’t you know, sir, that he is not destined to receive anything over and above what is needed to provide him with food and clothing?’

  The other responded, ‘O, Deed! I am obligated to give to those who perservere in their exertions. But the final outcome is in your hands, Your Honour.’

  As soon as he heard these words; Little Simple hastily looked into his bag. It was empty. Plunged into the depths of despair, he reflected, ‘Alas! Alas! What use is my life without wealth? It is better that I hang myself right here from this banyan tree.’

  Having made his decision, poor Little Simple wove some sacred grass51 into a rope and having made a noose at one end, put it round his neck, climbed the branch, fastened the rope to it and was about to let himself drop when one of the figures appeared in the sky to say, ‘No, no, dear friend, Little Simple; don’t do it; it is a rash act indeed. I am the one who takes away your wealth, because I cannot suffer you to have even a cowrie52 over and above what you need for food and clothing. So, go home, my friend. But your meeting with me should have something in it for you and not remain unfruitful. So ask me for a boon, whatever you wish, to your heart’s desire.’

  Little Simple replied, ‘In that case, give me enormous wealth.’

  The figure asked, ‘Friend, what will you do with wealth that you can neither enjoy yourself or give away to others, since your portion does not include even a moiety above and beyond what is needed for food and clothing?’