Pancatantra

Part I. Mitrabheda

Story 1: The Lion & the Bull

“A lion and a bull became great and inseparable friends. A cunning Jackal separated them for
his greedy and malicious ends. This is how it happened,” said Vishnusarman.

In the southern part of the country, there was a city called Mahilaroopya. It had many
parks, palaces, temples and all urban facilities. In this city lived a merchant named
Vardhamana. He was very rich, but was also extremely virtuous1 and generous2. He knew
how to spend money wisely as much as he knew how to earn it easily. He used to say
“Earn well, spend well”. He never kept money un-invested for even a moment. Wealth
not used serves only as a burden, like a donkey carrying gold; the fool who does so simply
keeps it for his betters.

One day, he started for the city of Mathura, on the Jamuna, with costly goods carried in
double-bullock carts. One of these carts was drawn by two fine bullocks called Nandika
and Sanjivaka. These two bulls were well-fed and looked like white clouds. They had
golden bells attached to their necks which kept tinkling as they marched on.

The carts eventually reached a forest on the banks of the river Jamuna. This forest was
beautiful with all kinds of trees and many wild animals too. Here, the bull Sanjivaka
slipped on the muddy road, fractured his ankle and lay down helpless. The cart man went
and told Vardhamana about this mishap.

The kind-hearted merchant was grieved3. He halted the cart there for five nights and got
Sanjivaka treated but to no effect. As he had to be in Mathura urgently to keep his
engagements there, he left the poor bullock in the charge of the cart man and another
servant with a good supply of fodder4 and cash. He said to these men: “Look after him
well and restore him to health and bring him back to me. But if he should unfortunately
die, burn him decently and perform his last rites5 and return.” Then he left for Mathura
with the remaining carts and goods.

The very next day after he left, the two men got frightened at their being in that forest
alone, and leaving the bull behind went and reported to their master that it had died and
that they had buried it after performing it’s last rites.

1
Virtuous - having high moral standards
2
generous – ready to give more than expected
3
grieved - sad
4
fodder - food
5
last rites - funeral
But, as fate would have it, Sanjivaka recovered. In time he was able to get up and hobble6
about. He slowly made his way to the place where the Jamuna flowed through the forest.
There he fed freely on the rich forest grass by the riverbank and drank the life giving
water of the Jamuna. He soon became strong and healthy, equal in size and prowess7 to
Nandi, Lord Siva’s bull. He began roaming about that place bellowing8 in sheer joy of life.

In that forest there lived a lion named Pingalaka with his group of jackals and other
animals. One day he went to the banks of Jamuna to drink water. There he heard
Sanjivaka’s tremendous bellows and was very much afraid, not knowing which creature
was making that terror-striking sound. He hid his fear and returned to the banyan tree,
his den9, without drinking water.

There he stood thinking about the event. He was surrounded by his group of animals.
Among the animals surrounding the lion were two jackals called Karataka and Damanaka,
the sons of a former minister, but unemployed at that time.

Damanaka had observed the lion returning from the Jamuna without drinking water. He
took his brother Karataka aside and said to him: “My dear Karataka, look at our master,
Pingalaka. He went to the Jamuna to drink water. Why did he return so suddenly without
drinking water, and why is he looking so sad and perplexed?”

Karataka told Damanaka, "It is not wise to poke our nose into affairs that are not of our
concern.

‘He who pokes his nose where it does not belong,

Surely meets his end;
For that’s what happened to the monkey who meddled
With the wedge, my friend.’i

We have a food store. Why should we bother ourselves about this lion?"

Damanaka retorted, "Food is not the centre of our life. The elders have said:

One truly lives on whose life depends

the livelihood of the many.
Birds too fill their bellies full
with several beakfuls of food.

If a man does not hold dear the well-being

Of parents, kin, dependants himself,
What good is his living in the world of men?

6
hobble – walk with difficulty
7
prowess - skill
8
bellow – the sound made by a bull
9
den – a lion’s home
 A crow too lives long eating ritual offerings.

"True, but we are not ministers any more. The elders have always said that the stupid
person who offers uncalled-for advice to the king invites not only insult, but also deceit,"
said Karataka.

"No," Damanaka said, "anyone who serves the king with devotion is bound to earn his
favor in the long run. The one who does not, remains where he is. Those who understand
why the king is angry or generous will one day rise in office. It is necessary to be in the
good books of the king."

"Okay, what do you want to do now?" asked Karataka.

Damanaka replied, “You see our master is obviously frightened by something he saw or
heard.”

“How do you know that he is frightened?” asked Karataka.” “Is it not visible?” asked
Damanaka.

“I have inferred10 from the lion’s face that he is very frightened.”

“Well,” said Karataka, “How will you proceed?” “I ask a question about his return from
the river without drinking water. He will reply, and the talk will then proceed naturally,
even as a seed planted in fertile soil grows on,” said Damanaka. “Since you have made up
your mind, go and God bless you! But be very careful,” Then Damanaka bowed to his
elder brother and went to meet Pingalaka.

Pingalaka saw Damanaka approaching and he told his gate keepers “This is Damanaka,
my old counsellor’s son, let him come in.” So, Damanaka entered, bowed to Pingalaka and
sat down on the seat indicated11 to him.

Pingalaka said to him, “How is your health? Why have you not visited me in such a long
time? What made you come now?” Damanaka replied: “Though my master has not sent
for me, I thought it my duty to come. I have something very important to discuss with
you.” “Speak freely”, said Pingalaka. “My master set out to drink water from the river.
Why did he return suddenly without drinking?” asked Damanaka.

Pingalaka said to himself, “It is not good to tell this jackal about my fright,’' and, so, told
him, “Oh, it just happened so.” “My King,” said Damanaka, “if it is not a thing to be
revealed to me, then don’t reveal it.”

Pingalaka reflected: “This fellow seems to be shrewd12 and trustworthy. I will tell him
what I have on my mind, for by telling an honest servant, or a faithful friend or wife, we

10
inferred – concluded / worked out
11
indicated - shown
get relief,” Then he said to Damanaka, “O Damanaka, did you hear that booming voice on
the river bank, coming from a distance?” “Yes, Master, I did. What about it?” said
Damanaka.

“My dear fellow,” said Pingalaka, “I have resolved to leave this forest.” “Why?” asked
Damanaka. “Because,” said Pingalaka, “some terrible animal with a booming voice has
come into our forest. His power must correspond to his voice, and there appears to be no
use contending13 against him.”

“Good gracious!” said Damanaka. “Is my master frightened by a mere voice? Voices,
noises, and words should frighten only cowards14, and not strong men like your Majesty.
It will be highly improper if your Majesty leaves this forest which was won by your
ancestors and has been in the family for a long time. There is an old saying:
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.
Besides, many kinds of sounds are heard and not all are dangerous. We hear the sound of
thunder when the storm is raging. Master, steel your heart and ignore this sound. Your
majesty surely knows the story of the jackal & the battle-drumii”

“But,” said Pingalaka, “all my retainers are terrified and want to run away from the
forest.” “Master, they are not to blame,” said Damanaka “for, servants take the cue from
the master. Summon your manhood and remain here till I go and ascertain the nature of
the creature who makes this booming sound. Afterwards you can do as you consider
best.” “Go and find out,” said Pingalaka. “But, my dear fellow, are you bold enough to go
there?’

Damanaka bowed low and went in the direction from which the bellowing was being
heard. Meanwhile, Damanaka saw Sanjivaka who was making the bellowing noise and
discovered to his surprise that it was only a bull. He said to himself with great delight,
“Well, I am lucky, I shall soon get Pingalaka into my power by playing on his fears and
exploiting his worries.” He then went to where Pingalaka was. On seeing Damanaka,
Pingalaka said, “My dear fellow, did you see that terrible creature?” “I saw him,” said
Damanaka, “through my master’s grace.”
“Are you speaking the truth?” Asked Pingalaka.

“How can I tell a lie to my master?” asked Damanaka. “Whoever tells a lie to his king goes
to ruin in this world and to hell in the next, as kings are God’s representatives. So, please
believe me and do not get angry with me.”

12
shrewd – has good judgement
13
contending - fighting
14
coward – not brave
“I suppose you really saw him,” said Pingalaka. “I went and saw the creature, and
impressed him with your Majesty’s might and power, and the need for submission. I shall
bring him now into your gracious presence, and make him offer obeisances.”

When Pingalaka heard this, he was full of joy. “Go,” said he to Damanaka, “and bring the
fellow right now,” Damanaka went to Sanjivaka and said to him, “Come here, you wicked
bull. Our master Pingalaka wants to know why you were doing that impertinent15
bellowing within his hearing.”

Sanjivaka replied, “My good fellow, who is this Pingalaka you are talking about?” “What!”
said Damanaka, “You don’t even know our master Pingalaka! Hear and tremble. He is a
mighty lion, the lord of this forest and has a retinue16 of all kinds of animals. He holds
court under that spreading banyan tree. He is the lord of all the creatures who live in this
forest.”

When Sanjivaka heard this, he was frightened and said to Damanaka, “My dear fellow,
you appear to be a friend. So, if you must take me to him, at least get a safe conduct for
me from him.”

“Your demand is reasonable,” said Damanaka “Remain here. I shall get you your safe
conduct17.”

Then Damanaka returned to Pingalaka and said, “Master, that fellow is no ordinary
creature. He has served as the vehicle of Siva and he told me, ‘Great Siva has been pleased
with me and has granted me permission to graze freely in this forest.’” Pingalaka was
frightened at hearing this and said “I knew it, my dear fellow. Only with the favour of the
gods can a creature like this wander about this forest bellowing so fearlessly. But what did
you tell him?”

“Master,” said Damanaka, “I said to him, ‘this forest has been granted already to my
master, Pingalaka, by Siva’s warlike wife, Parvati. He is her vehicle. So, you have come
here only as a guest. You must meet my master; make your terms with him and live in
this forest in brotherly love, eating, drinking, working, playing and living here with his
permission.’ The creature promised to do so, begging of me to get a safe conduct for him
from your Majesty. That is a matter for your Majesty to give or withhold18.”

On hearing this, Pingalaka was delighted and said, “Splendid, my dear fellow, splendid. I
grant him a safe conduct. Bring him here at once.”

15
impertinent – not showing proper respect
16
retinue – group of advisors
17
safe conduct – permission to pass without harm or trouble
18
withhold – not give
Damanaka’s heart was glad as he went to fetch Sanjivaka. He went to Sanjivaka and told
him, “My friend, I have won my master’s favour for you. He has granted you a safe
conduct. You can come now without anxiety. But one thing you have to keep in mind.
You must always act in agreement with me; don’t act thinking that you have royal favor
and can slight me or act arrogant. For my part, I shall work under your direction
functioning as minister and shouldering the burden of administration. In this way we
shall enjoy the benefits of royal fortune. He who does not please the king’s servants, will
surely come to grief like Dantila.iii”

Afterwards Damanaka took him to Pingalaka and said: “Here is Sanjivaka, O King. The
future rests with you.”

Sanjivaka bowed respectfully and sat before Pingalaka in a humble and prayerful attitude.
Pingalaka extended his right paw which was plump, firm, massive, and adorned with
formidable claws. He then said to Sanjivaka cordially19, “Welcome. How is your health
and why did you come to this forest?” Sanjivaka told him the story of his separation from
Vardhamana’s caravan and the sequel.

Pingalaka then, said to him, “Have no fear, friend. Lead your own life in this forest freely.
But be always in my vicinity20, for there are many savage21 and unscrupulous22 animals in
this forest who may do harm to you if you go outside my view.” Sanjivaka said, “Very
well.” Then Pingalaka went to the Jamuna and drank his fill and roamed about the forest
as before, free from fear.

Days passed, and the mutual affection between Pingalaka and Sanjivaka increased daily.
Pingalaka was always consulting Sanjivaka. Sanjivaka was very intelligent. He found out
the secret dealings of Damanaka, Karataka and others and warned Pingalaka about them.
Pingalaka, therefore, kept Karataka, Damanaka and all other animals at a distance and
took only the advice of Sanjivaka. The two jackals were not even allowed entry to his
court and suffered hunger terribly. They took counsel together.

Damanaka said: “Karataka, my brother, we two seem to be utterly neglected. Pingalaka

takes such delight in Sanjivaka’s company and conversation that he neglects his business
of hunting, and we are left without anything to eat. What is to be done?” Karataka replied,
“In introducing this grass-eater to our master, you did a most foolish thing, O
Damanaka.” Damanaka replied, “You are right. The fault is mine and not our master’s. It
is a self-created evil, as is the story of Foolish sage, the jackal & barber’s wifeiv”. “What
are we to do now?” asked Karataka.

Damanaka replied, “We have to retrieve our master who has fallen into a vice. He has

19
cordially – in a warm and friendly way
20
vicinity - area
21
savage - fierce
22
unscrupulous - dishonest
adopted a completely vegetarian morality by making this grass-eating bullock his sole
friend and adviser. We must stop him from it.” “But how can you?” asked Karataka. “He
is so strong and you are so weak.”

“Intelligence is power. Where sheer prowess23 cannot succeed, a clever trick may
accomplish the end; the hen-crow by means of a golden chain brought about the deadly
black serpent`s deathv. Nothing in this world is impossible to an intelligent person. The
raging lion in the wild woods was laid low by a humble & clever rabbitvi” said Damanaka.

Then Karataka spoke, “The rabbit did succeed in luring the lion to death, but it is still
unwise on the part of a weak person to practice deceit24 based on the high and mighty and
hope to get away with it.” Damanaka replied, “Be that as it may: whether a person is
powerful or powerless, he still has to take a crack at what he thinks is worth attempting.
Fortune is surely his who constantly strives; it is cowards who wail, ‘O my fate, its my
fate.’ Strike fate a blow; show your manliness using whatever strength you have. What
does it matter if your efforts fail? Another point: the gods themselves befriend those who
are ready and persist in their efforts, as Lord Vishnu, His cakra and carrier Garuda came
at the weaver’s call to help him in his fightvii.”

Then Karataka said, “Well, since you are so confident, go to Pingalaka and put your plan
into effect. May God bless you!”

Damanaka went to Pingalaka, bowed low, and seated himself on the seat shown to him.
“Why have you not come to see me in a long time and what made you come today?”
asked Pingalaka. Damanaka answered, “I have come on business of the highest
importance for your Majesty’s safety and security.
It is easy to find men, O King,
Who always speak what is only pleasant to hear.
One willing to speak or listen to what is wholesome,
Though unpleasant- Ah! That man is hard to find!”

Pingalaka was impressed and asked: “What is this news you want to convey to me?”
Damanaka said “O king, Sanjivaka, who has crept into your Majesty’s confidence, has
proved a traitor. He
25
has told several people of his plan to kill your Majesty and seize your Majesty’s throne.
He intends to carry out his plan today. That is why I have come here to warn your
Majesty. It is my duty to do so, being your Majesty’s hereditary26 counsellor.”

“But,” asked Pingalaka, “Why should Sanjivaka turn against me so suddenly? I never did
anything to estrange him.”

23
sheer prowess – skill alone
24
deceit – hiding the truth
25
sieze – take over
26
hereditary – position based on birth
“Wicked fellows need no motive, O King,” said Damanaka. “Besides, I think that he was
always intending only treachery27.
A kinsman of honour most worthy,
A son or brother or friend dearly loved,
Who turn his face away from rectitude through folly
Deserves rejection by those who seek success.

Widely known in this world is this saying – women sing it too:

‘What use are rings of gold if they make your ears sore!’
This forest cannot hold two strong people like Your Majesty and that bull. He has, by his
cunning, wormed himself into your Majesty’s affections and is prepared to strike at the
very hand which fed him.” “But, I gave him a safe conduct. Why should he be ungrateful
to me?” asked Pingalaka.

Damanaka replied, “Does a scoundrel require provocation to fly into a great rage? Or a
saint need kindness to make him calm? Try your very best to honour a rogue, he will still
remain true to his nature. That which the grateful beasts - tiger, monkey, and snake
advised, the brahmana didn’t follow and therefore he was put in trouble by tricks of
ungrateful manviii.
That’s why it is said:
A man may sleep with his head in fire
or even rest on a couch of serpents,
but never should he hold in high regard
a good friend who is hell-bent on evil.”

Pingalaka asked, “Sanjivaka is grass-eater and we are flesh-eaters. What harm can he do
for us?”

Damanaka said, “He cannot himself cause harm, but can find someone who can and
incite28 him to do so. You are perpetually battling with numerous animals - wild bulls,
elephants, buffaloes, tigers; and wounds and scars cover your body. This bull, Sanjivaka,
is constantly at your side and scatters his dung and urine everywhere. Out of this mixture
worms will breed, they will contact your body, find weak points to enter and bore deep
inside. Therefore it is said, ‘Never grant asylum to any person, whose character is not
known to you’. It was the flea’s mistake that led to the bug’s deathix.

There is something else too, my Lord. Your majesty has forsaken his trusted and
hereditary servants; that is wrong. Whoever clasps strangers close to his heart, forsaking
those in his close counsels, will assuredly29 meet his death as the foolish blue jackalx did.”

27
treachery – being unfaithful
28
incite - encourage
29
assuredly - certainly
Then Pingalaka asked, “How am I to verify whether Sanjivaka really intends treachery?
And what is his fighting technique?”

Damanaka replied, “If he approaches your Majesty with his horns thrust forward, ready
to attack, you may understand that he is about to carry out his traitorous plan.”

After taking leave of the lion, Damanaka went to Sanjivaka. He appeared before him like
one bent down with sorrow. Sanjivaka asked him, “My dear fellow, why are you so
downcast?”
“How can any dependent of a king be but disheartened?’' asked Damanaka. “Those who
serve a king are always in dread of their lives and the lives of their friends. Friend, you
have not realized it yet!”

Sanjivaka said, “Do you mean to say that I am in danger, because I am close to the king?”
‘‘I am afraid you are,” said Damanaka. “Since you are my friend I will speak out plainly,
whatever the consequences30 are to me. Our master Pingalaka is angry with you for some
reason I cannot understand. He said to me today, I shall kill Sanjivaka and provide a feast
for all those who eat meat. Needless to say, I was dejected31 on hearing this. You must
now do what the crisis demands.”

This news came like a thunderbolt to Sanjivaka. He said, “What wrong have I done to our
master Pingalaka?”

“Friend,” said Damanaka, “it is the nature of kings to strike without cause, injure without
motive, to those whom they consider to be too powerful.”

Sanjivaka continued, “The fault is mine, I trust people too easily. One should never follow
an inopportune32 course or keep undesirable company or serve an insincere friend. That
is what happened in the story of the owl and the swanxi. The bird sleeping among lotuses
was slain by a flying arrow. Pingalaka was all honey at first. Now he is seen to be a poison
cup with honey on top. Woe unto me. I, a vegetarian like me, should never have made
friends with this lion who lives only on flesh.

I see now that by entering the sphere of power where crime operates, I have placed my
life at risk… How many there are among the sharp-witted, who, corrupt, earn their living
by fraud; who do good as well as ill, as in the tale of The Lion, the Camel, the Jackal, and
the Crowxii.”

Sanjivaka continued: “My dear fellow, I suspect that some rascal counsellors have
poisoned Pingalaka’s mind against me. A good king with a bad counsellor is worse than a

30
consequences – results of one’s actions
31
dejected - saddened
32
inopportune – badly timed
bad king with a good counsellor. A king, who is duped by evil counsel, becomes incapable
of wise deliberation as in the tale of the lion and carpenterxiii.

It is plain that some evil advisers have set up Pingalaka against me. The question is what I
am to do now. Indeed, there is nothing left but to fight. Fair words, gifts and intrigue are
of no use now. A fight alone is indicated. If I am slain in the battle, I go to heaven. If I
win, I lead a victorious and joyful life.”

When he heard this, Damanaka thought: “This fellow has plenty of vigour and very sharp
horns. He may even kill my master in the fight, if fate favours him. That should be
avoided at all events. I shall use my wits to turn his thoughts from fighting.”

He said to Sanjivaka, “My dear friend, it is no good fighting without estimating the
enemy’s strength. Whoever adopts a fighting stance before ascertaining the enemy’s
strength, runs the risk of death as the sea pitted himself against the ploversxiv. How can a
bull like you win in an open fight with a Lion like Pingalaka? So, drop the idea of
attacking him.”

“Tell me, friend, how am I to know whether Pingalaka will attack me or not?” asked
Sanjivaka.

“That is easy.” said Damanaka. “If he receives you sitting on his throne, that big slab of
stone, with limbs relaxed and with a gracious smile, he means no mischief. But, if you see
him with tail curled up, all his paws bunched and ears pricked up and watching you from
afar with alert eyes, then you must understand that he has made up his mind to spring on
you and finish you off.” Sanjivaka thanked him, and Damanaka left to meet Karataka.

‘‘What have you accomplished?” asked Karataka, Damanaka replied; “I have set them at
odds with each other.” “Have you, really?” said Karataka. “You will presently see the
outcome of my efforts,” said Damanaka. “I have snapped the strong friendship between
the lion and the bull.”

“But, selfish profit is too low a thing to aim at,” said Karataka. “This body, full of filth and
worms, is not such a precious thing that we should cater to it at all costs. It is said:
Worms, ashes, dung; such is the body’s final state—
To pamper this body by another’s pain –
Ah! What sort of statecraft do you call this.
Besides, your duplicity may end in your death as in the story of ‘The Humbug’s fatexv.
Don’t proceed with this dangerous intrigue.”

Then Damanaka replied, “Nonsense! A ton of your theory is not worth an ounce of my
practice. The carcass of that dead bull will feed us for many months. But keep all this a
secret as the cunning jackalxvi did till the object was accomplished.”
When Damanaka had gone, Sanjivaka said to himself: “What am I to do now? Shall I go
elsewhere? No, that will be useless. Some other merciless creature, like the tiger or
leopard, will attack me and finish me off. This is a wild forest. There is no safety
anywhere in it, now that the lion has become my enemy. My best course, therefore, will
be to approach the lion and beg of him to spare my life.” So, he went towards where
Pingalaka was seated.

He saw him with his tail raised, paws bunched, eyes alert, just as Damanaka had warned,
and so even from a distance, put out his horns as if for a fight. Pingalaka perceived in him
just the signs that Damanaka had warned him against and made a sudden spring on him
and tore at his body with his formidable33 claws.

Though Sanjivaka was wounded, he succeeded to pierce the belly of Pingalaka with his
horns and get away from him to a short distance. He stood there in a fighting posture
ready to pierce again.

Karataka saw both of them ready to fight once more and intent on killing each other. He
rebuked Damanaka and said to him, “You fool, you have done a wicked thing by making
these former friends enemies. You have brought trouble and confusion into this peaceful
forest. You are no statesman.
Intelligence without manly vigor
May be rated as mere womanishness;
While bravery exercised with unfairness
Is doubt not, nothing but sheer brutishness.
You think you are learned. What is the use of learning if it does not make persons less
selfish, less passionate, more loving, more self-controlled and more virtuous? All other
learning is only a vain attempt at gaining name and fame. I pity our master for acting on
the advice of fools like you. Of course, it is partly our master’s fault, in listening to you. It
is said:
Monarchs who pursue counsels of base34 men
and stray from the path enjoined by sages,
enter that cage of evils thronged by rivals
from which no door of deliverance can open.
Foolish kings are satisfied with flatterers like you. Their prosperity and glory leave them.
What is the use of giving good advice to a fool like you? Good advice is thrown away
upon you as on the stupid monkeyxvii.

What is the use of educating a fool like you? Education imparted to him will be as useless
as light hidden in a tightly sealed jar. But why blame you? You are born like that. Your
nature is like Dustabuddhi in the story of villainy comes home to roostxviii. You fool by

33
formidable – inspiring fear
34
base - wicked
your thoughtless action you have not only imperiled your own future, but the future of
our entire family, including myself.
In salty oceans rivers have their end;
In women’s feuds kinship bonds break and end;
In gossip of backbiters secrets do end;
In wicked minded sons do families end
What else can be expected from a fool like you? Where the tongue is double, you may be
sure that there will be trouble, as a snake with a forked tongue always brings trouble.
Such is your folly that even the story of mice eating ironxix can be believed.”

Karataka continued "You did all this because you could not bear to see the favour
bestowed on Sanjivaka by Pingalaka. No wonder they say envy is a potent source of evil in
this world. Cowards hate heroes, misers hate generous people, cripples hate healthy men,
dishonest hate the honest. But what is the use of my telling all of this? Instruction does
good only to those who can grasp it. Indeed living with a fool like you brings danger.
There is much truth in the story about two birds brought up by a saint and a hunter
respectively and radically became different in character and outlookxx.”
Karataka went on: “Your defense is that you did all this as a friend of the lion. But, let me
tell you, a wise foe is better than a foolish friend, it is far better for the lion to have a wise
foe than a foolish friend like you. This was taught in the story of how the robber died for
his victims and the monkey killed his friend, the kingxxi.
A virtuous man will never perform
an act the world will be quick to blame.
In direst straits he will do no harm
by doing that which will stain his fame.
Remember, wrong is wrong, wherever it is found, and right is right wherever it is found.
Also:
Do only that which is right to do:
even as the breath struggles in the throat.
What is not right, do not attempt to do;
even as the breath struggles in the throat.”

Pingalaka and Sanjivaka renewed their fight, blinded by rage. Ultimately, Pingalaka killed
Sanjivaka, though he also sustained some minor injuries. After he had killed Sanjivaka,
Pingalaka, on viewing the gory corpse of his former friend, was swept by a wave of pity.
He exclaimed to himself, “Ah, me! What have I done! He was my second self and best friend.
In killing him, I have half killed myself.”

i
Refer Story 1.1: The monkey & the wedge
ii
Refer to Story 1.2: The Jackal & the battle drum
iii
Refer to Story 1.3: The Fall & rise of merchant
iv
Refer to Story 1.4: Self created evil: Foolish sage & the jackal
v
Refer to Story 1.5:The crow & the serpent
vi
Refer to Story 1.6: The foolish lion & the clever rabbit
vii
Refer to Story 1.7: Weaver as Vishnu
viii
Refer to Story 1.8: Grateful beasts & ungrateful man
ix
Refer to Story 1.9: The bug & flea
x
Refer to Story 1.10: The blue jackal
xi
Refer to Story 1.11: The owl & the swan
xii
Refer to Story 1.12: The Lion, the Camel, the Jackal, and the Crow
xiii
Refer to Story 1.13: The Lion & the carpenter
xiv
Refer to Story 1.14: The plovers & the sea
xv
Refer to Story 1.15: The humbug`s fate
xvi
Refer to Story 1.16: The cunning jackal
xvii
Refer to Story 1.17: The unwanted advice
xviii
Refer to Story 1.18: Villainy comes home to roost
xix
Refer to Story 1.19: Mice eats the iron
xx
Refer to Story 1.20: Upbringing brings character
xxi
Refer to Story 1.21: Wise foe better than foolish friend
Story 1.1: The Monkey and the Wedge/ The Meddling1 Monkey
In Story 1, when Damanaka had observed the lion’s returning from Jamuna without drinking
water, he said to his brother Karataka: “My dear Karataka, look at our master, Pingalaka. He
went to the Jamuna to drink water. Why did he return so suddenly without drinking water,
and why is he looking so sad and perplexed?” Karataka told Damanaka, "It is not wise to poke
our nose into affairs that are not of our concern. We have a food store. Why should we bother
ourselves about this lion?"

‘He who pokes his nose where it does not belong,

Surely meets his end;
For that’s what happened to the monkey who meddled
With the wedge, my friend.’

Once a merchant started to build a temple in his garden. There were many masons
and carpenters employed by the merchant to do so. These workers would take
time-off for lunch every day.

One day, when the workers had left for their usual lunch break, a group of
monkeys approached the building site and began playing with the instruments
being used. One of the monkeys noticed a wedge that was fixed into a partly sawed
log of wood to prevent it from closing up.

Curious to know what it was, the monkey began furiously tugging at the wedge. At
last the wedge came off, not before trapping the legs of the monkey into the rift of
the log. Very soon, not able to get his legs out of the closed wood, the monkey
died.

1 Meddling – to interfere with something which is not one’s concern
Story 1.2: The Jackal and the Drum
In Story1, when Pingalaka had become fearful of the strange tremendous bellowing sounds at
the river, Damanaka said, “Voices, noises, and words should frighten only cowards1, and not
strong men like your Majesty. It will be highly improper if your Majesty leaves this forest,
which was won by your ancestors and has been in the family for a long time. Besides, many
kinds of sounds are heard and not all are dangerous. We hear the sound of thunder when the
storm is raging. Master, steel your heart and ignore this sound. Your majesty surely knows
the story of the jackal & the battle-drum”

A hungry jackal ended up at an abandoned2 battlefield while in search of food.

Here, he encountered loud and strange sounds and he thought "I must run away
from this place before the person who is making such sounds gets me".

However, soon after, he realized, "It will not be proper for me to run away without
knowing the cause of the sounds. Whether it is fear, or happiness, one must know
the reason behind it, otherwise there will be no regret. Let me look for the source
of these scary noises".

Warily3, the jackal marched in the direction of the sounds and found a drum
there. It was this drum, which was making the sounds whenever the branches of
the tree above brushed against it.

Relieved, the jackal began playing the drum and thought that there could be food
inside it. The jackal entered the drum by piercing its side. He was disappointed to
find no food in it. Yet he consoled himself saying that he rid himself of the fear of
sound.

1 Not brave
2 Abandoned – no longer used
3 Warily - carefully
Story 1.3: The Fall and Rise of a Merchant

In Story 1, after gaining the favor of safe conduct from Pingalaka, Damanaka went to
Sanjivaka and said, “My friend, I have won my master’s favor for you. He has given you a safe
conduct. You can come now without anxiety. But one thing you have to keep in mind. You must
always act in agreement with me; don’t act thinking that you have royal favor and can slight
me or act arrogant1. For my part, I shall work under your direction functioning as your
minister and shouldering the burden of administration. In this way we shall enjoy the benefits
of royal fortune. He who does not please the king’s servants will surely come to grief like
Dantila.”

Once, there lived a wealthy merchant named Dantila, in the city of Vardhaman. He
organized a lavish2 reception for his wedding ceremony, which was attended by
the king and the queen, along with the ministers and all the rich and influential
people of the city. Gorambha, a lowly sweeper in the royal household, was also
present in the reception. Gorambha was occupying a seat that was reserved for the
nobles of the king. When Dantila noticed this, he was angered, and he ordered his
servants to throw him out of his house.

Thus insulted, Gorambha thought to himself, "I am a poor man and so cannot give
a fitting reply to such a wealthy person as Dantila. I must somehow see that the
king stops his favors to him." Then he started on a plan to take revenge on Dantila.

One early morning when the king was still asleep, Gorambha pretending to sweep
the king's bedroom began loudly murmuring, "Oh, how arrogant is Dantila! How
bold this Dantila is that he dares to embrace the first queen of our King". Hearing
this, the king demanded to know whether what Gorambha was murmuring is true.
‘Did Dantila embrace the queen?’

"Oh, your majesty, I don't remember nor do I know what I was saying because I
was drowsy having spent the entire night gambling," the sweeper told the king.
Not satisfied with his reply, the king thought that it was possible that the sweeper
had seen Dantila, who had equal access to the royal household as Gorambha,
embracing the queen. He remembered wise men saying that men were likely to
talk in their sleep about what they did, saw and desired in the day. Women were
chaste because men were not within reach or they were afraid of prying servants.
Convinced that Dantila had indeed embraced the queen, the king barred Dantila
from entering the royal household.

The merchant began grieving his fate though he had not done any harm to the
king or his relatives, even in his dreams. One day, as Dantila was trying to enter
the king's palace, the king’s men barred3 him. Seeing this Gorambha told them,
"You fools, you are barring the great Dantila who has won the king's favors. He is

1 Arrogant – proud of one’s own importance
2 Lavish - opulent
3 barred - prevented him from emtering
powerful. If you stop him, you will meet with the same fate as I did at the hands of
Dantila."

The merchant thought that it would do him good to make Gorambha happy and
win his confidence. One evening he invited the sweeper for lunch and presented
him with expensive clothes and told him, "Friend, I never intended to insult you.
You had occupied a seat I had set apart for the learned. Kindly pardon me."

Pleased, the sweeper promised to win back the king's favour for Dantila. The next
day, Gorambha repeated the same drama of pretending to talk irrelevantly, raving
that the king was eating cucumber in the rest room. "What nonsense are you
talking? Did you ever see me doing such things?" the king demanded to know.
"No, your majesty. I do not know nor do I remember what I was saying because I
was drowsy having spent the entire night gambling," the sweeper said.

The king then realized that if what the sweeper had said about him was not true
what he had said about Dantila also could not be true. A person like Dantila could
not have done what Gorambha had told him. The king also found that without
Dantila the affairs of the state had suffered and civic4 administration had come to a
standstill. The king immediately summoned5 the merchant to his palace and
restored to him all the authority he had enjoyed before he fell out of king's favour.

4 civic – that related to the city or town
5 summoned – called for
Story 1.4: Self-created evils
The Foolish Sage and the Jackal
In Story 1, on the advice of Sanjivaka, king Pingalaka kept the two jackal brothers – Karataka
& Damanaka at a distance. Both jackals felt neglected. Karataka replied, “In introducing this
grass-eater to our master, you did a most foolish thing, O Damanaka.” Damanaka replied,
“You are right. The fault is mine and not our master’s. It is a self-created evil, as is the story of
Foolish sage, the jackal & barber’s wife”.

In a secluded part of the country, away from the haunts1 of men, there was a
monastery. A monk called Devasarma lived there in solitude worshiping a deity of
lord Siva. Many pious people used to give numerous fine clothes as presents to his
monastery. Deep down in the heart of Devasarma, there was the call of2 gold,
though he had taken the vow of renunciation and become a monk.

One day, he took all the fine clothes stealthily3 to a distant town in disguise and
obtained a lot of gold by selling them. He placed this gold into a cloth bag that he
had specially stitched and then with the bag under his arm, he returned to his
monastery.

Thereafter he would never trust anybody. Night and day he kept the bag under his
arm and would never leave it even for a moment. As it is aptly4 said,
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.

Ashadhabhuti was a wicked and unscrupulous cheat ever intent on robbing other
people’s wealth. One day, he saw the bag of gold hidden under Devasarma’s arm
and thought ‘How can I get this bag of gold? The monastery is built of solid granite
all round. So a burgling hole is out of the question. The windows are too high for
entry. So, the only course for me is to go to him in the guise of a disciple and by
sweet words gain his confidence. Once he begins to trust me, he will be in my
hands, and the gold will be mine. Indeed it is aptly said:
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.

My idea is therefore to lull him into false confidence by extreme outspokenness5

and then to cheat him despite his moral tracts.’ Having resolved thus,
Ashadhabhuti went to Devasarma and saying “I bow to the immortal Siva”
prostrated humbly before the monk. Then he said, with humility, “Venerable6 Sir,
worthless is this ocean of existence. Youth rushes away with the speed of a

1 Haunts – frequent visits of
2 call of – desire for
3 stealthily - secretly
4 aptly - suitably
5 outspokenness – expressed with boldness
6 venerable - respected
mountain torrent7. Pleasures are as fleeting and unsatisfying as the shades afforded
by the rainless clouds of autumn. Wife, sons, relatives, and servants are like dream
folk devoid8 of all reality. What is the way by which I may cross this ocean of
existence and attain salvation?”

Hearing this, Devasarma said to him, with respect, “My son, yours is a noble soul
since you have even in your early years become detached from the snare9 of
material existence. As the saying goes:
The senses age first, then the body,
In those blessed with virtue & piety;
But in those who possess neither,
Body ages, senses never.
You ask me for some advice to cross this ocean of material existence. Hear my
words: Whether a man is of high caste or low caste, a caste man or outcaste, let
him only grow the sacrificial plaited hair and repeat the invocation to Siva, he will
become the equal of the high caste Brahmin adorned with sacred ashes. Uttering
the sacred six syllables, OM NAMA SIVAYA (bow to the immortal Siva/ the sacred
invocation to Siva), let him personally put a flower on the deity of Siva, and he will
forever be free from rebirth.”

On hearing this, Ashadhabhuti caught hold of Devasarma’s feet and said, with deep
humility, “Venerable Sir, bless me by teaching me this sacred prayer with its
proper method of repetition.” Devasarma replied, "My son, I shall do so. Only, you
should never come inside the monastery at nighttime. Detachment from all
worldly ties is required of monks and is properly praised in them. Solitude at
nights is essential for such detachment. So for both our sakes, you should observe
this rule. Learned men have said that,
Ascetics come to grief through greed;
And kings, who evil counsels heed;
Children through petting, wives through wine,
Through wicked sons a noble line;
A Brahman through unstudied books,
A character through haunting crooks;
A farm is ruined through neglect;
And friendship, lacking kind respect;
Love dies through absence; fortunes crash
Through naughtiness; and hoarded cash
Through carelessness or giving rash.

So, after initiation into the prayer you should sleep in the grass hut outside the
gate.” Ashadhabhuti replied, “Venerable Sir, I shall implicitly10 obey your order.”

That night, before retiring to bed, Devasarma initiated Ashadhabhuti into the
prayer and formally enrolled him as a disciple. Ashadhabhuti pleased the monk
very much by daily massaging his arms and legs and by bringing the requisite11

7 torrent – a strong and fast-moving stream
8 devoid – free from
9 snare - trap
10 implicitly - completely
11 requisite - necessary
leaves, flowers, etc. for worship. Even so, Devasarma showed not the least
tendency to take the bag of gold from under his arm and entrust it to
Ashadhabhuti.

As time passed, Ashadhabhuti thought ‘When will this man ever come to trust in
me? Probably never. So, shall I stab him with a knife in open daylight? Or, shall I
administer poison to him? Or, shall I beat him to death as we do cattle?’ While
Ashadhabhuti was thinking thus, the son of one of Devasarma’s lay disciples came
to the monk from some village with an invitation and said “Venerable Sir, agree to
come to my house tomorrow for the Pavitram investment ceremony (A ceremony
at which the members of a sect meet together and put on rings of darbha grass).”

So, next morning, Devasarma started with Ashadhabhuti for the village. When
they had proceeded some way, they saw a river in front of them. Devasarma took
off his upper cloth, etc., removed the bag of gold from his arm and hid it in the
bundle of clothes. Then he bathed and performed his prayers. Feeling an urgent
need to ease himself, he said to his disciple “Ashadhabhuti, I shall return in a
minute after easing myself. Please guard carefully this bundle of clothes and
especially the bag of gold which belongs to Siva,” and went. Ashadhabhuti waited
till Devasarma was out of sight and then grabbed the bag of gold and took to a
headlong12 flight.

Devasarma thought of the many good qualities of his disciple and sat to ease
himself with absolutely no misgiving or mistrust. He saw a herd of rams graze
close by. Two rams began to fight. With great fury they rushed at each other, their
foreheads crashing with loud reports13, and blood dripping on the ground
profusely. Again they would move back only to meet once more in deadly conflict.
A jackal, seized by a violent desire to lick the blood that had fallen on the ground,
stood in between the two rams when they had moved back for preparing for
another crash, and began licking the blood. Devasarma saw this and said to
himself, ‘This jackal is an idiot. He will surely be caught and crushed to death in
the next crash between the rams.’ As predicted by him, the rams again rushed at
each other. The foolish jackal, held fast by its inordinate14 love of the blood it was
drinking, did not move away and was crushed to death.

Seeing this, Devasarma said, “The jackal should not have got caught in the fight of
rams.” Then grieving a little for the fate of the foolish jackal, he slowly went
towards the spot where he had left his disciple. Ashadhabhuti was not to be seen.
In a great hurry, Devasarma washed himself and rushed to the spot. The bundle of
clothes was there, but not his bag of gold. Then, saying, ‘Ah me, I have been
robbed,’ he swooned and fell on the bare ground. In a few minutes, he recovered
consciousness, rose and began to sob and shriek aloud “Oh, Ashadhabhuti, where
have you gone after cheating me? Do reply to me.” Lamenting like this several
times and in different ways, he followed Ashadhabhuti’s footsteps in the hope of
seeing him. “And! by Ashadhabhuti” he muttered to himself on the way.

12 headlong – in a rush
13 reports – loud explosive sounds
14 inordinate - excessive
Story 1.4.1 Reap what you sow/ the drunkard’s unchaste wife and
barbers wife.

Devasarma reached a neighboring town by sunset and saw a weaver and his wife
on their way to a liquor shop.

He told the weaver “My good man, I have come to you as a guest at sunset. I do
not know anyone here. Please accept me as a guest and perform the duties of a
host. A householder who welcomes a guest at sunset and offers him hospitality15
attains to great benefit. Earth, water, grass mat, sincere welcome and sweet words
for a guest are never wanting in a good man’s house.

(The earth is for scrubbing the bare feet, which become dirty with walking, the
water is for washing them, the grass-mat is for sitting, the sincere welcome is to
show heartiness, and the sweet words are inquiries after health).

Besides,
By a gentle welcome, the sacred fires are gratified
By the offering of a seat, Indra is pleased,
Krishna by giving water to wash the feet
And the Lord of Beings (Brahma) by the offering of food to eat.

The weaver heard this and told his wife “Darling, take this guest home, wash his
feet, give him food and bedding, and remain there looking after his comforts. I
shall bring you plenty of meat and liquor.” Then he went on his way. His wife,
who was an adulteress16, took charge of Devasarma. With her face was covered in
smiles due to thinking of her paramour Devadatta and this unexpected
opportunity of meeting him, she started for her home.

Having reached her home, the weaver’s wife gave a broken cot without a bed to
Devasarma and said to him “Venerable17 sir, I shall come back at once after
conversing with a female friend of mine who has just come to town from her
village. Please watch this house carefully till I return.”

Then she put on her best clothes and ornamentations18 and went to meet
Devadatta. But on the way she met her husband coming from the opposite
direction, his limbs powerless through intoxication, his feet tripping at every step,
his hair disheveled19, and with a pot of toddy20 in his hands. Seeing him, she ran
speedily back home, cast off her best clothes and ornaments, and resumed her
former clothes. The weaver saw his wife running back with the fine clothes and
ornaments although he pretended not to have seen her. He had heard stories about
her immorality before and he was filled with uncontrollable anger.

15 hospitality – friendly reception
16 adulteress – a married woman who has sexual relations with men other than her husband
17 venerable - respectable
18 ornamentations - jewelry
19 disheveled - untidy
20 toddy - alcohol
Entering his house, he called his wife and said “Oh, wretch, oh, prostitute21, where
were you going?” She replied, “Since I left you, I did not go anywhere. Why do
you talk such drunken nonsense? Well it has been said that drink brings about
confusion of mind, falling on the ground, and talking unbecoming language. He
who has anything to do with drink, his arms shake, he drops his clothes, his face
becomes devoid of grace, and he sings a lot.

Hearing this insolent reply, and noting her sudden change of dress, the weaver
said, “Rascal, I have been hearing for some time tales of your misdeeds. Today I
have also verified for myself the truth of these stories. I shall punish you duly for
this.” He then rose, brought a strong stick, beat her all over the body, tied her with
strong cords to a pillar, and went to sleep owing to the effects of his drink.

Soon afterwards, his wife’s friend, a barber woman who was also a bawd, came to
the house after ascertaining that he had gone to sleep. She said to the weaver’s wife
“Friend, Devadatta is still waiting for you at the place of assignation22. Go there
quickly.” The other replied, “See my state. How can I go? Go and tell my love that
in my present state I am unable to go and enjoy with him.” The barber woman said
“Friend, do not say so. This is not befitting a devoted admirer of love like you.
Difficulties should not keep you from your lover.”

The weaver’s wife replied, “That is so. But how can I go, bound as I am with strong
cords and with this ruffian of a husband nearby?” The barber woman said “My
dear, your drunken spouse23 will wake up only when stirred up by the rays of the
sun. So I shall untie you and you can go and enjoy with Devadatta. In order to
provide, against the off chance of his waking up before you return, you can tie me
up in your place. Even if the drunken fool were to wake up, he cannot
distinguish24 in the night between you and me. Now, go and come back quick.”
Then she did as she proposed, and the weaver’s wife went to Devadatta.

Soon after she had left, the weaver woke up with his anger abated. He said in a
drunken voice “Oh disobedient25 one, if you promise never more to leave the
house on such errands from today and never more to speak to me insolently26, I
shall release you.” The barber woman did not reply out of fear that her voice will
betray her. The weaver repeated his offer. Still, the barber woman replied not.
Then the weaver fell into a rage and fetching a sharp knife, cut off her nose saying
“Prostitute, remain forever deformed like this. I am not going to please you
anymore.” Again, he went into a drunken sleep.

Devasarma who had no sleep owing to his hunger and thirst and the loss of his
gold, saw the whole episode from start to finish.

The weaver's wife returned some time later after having enjoyed to her heart’s
content with Devadatta. She asked the barber woman “Friend, is everything well

21 prostitute – someone who engages in sexual acts for money
22 assignation - meeting
23 spouse - husband
24 distinguish – recognize the difference
25 disobedient - naughty
26 insolently - rudely
with you? Did my villainous27 husband wake up after I left?” The other replied
“Everything is well with me except my nose which is gone as a result of your
villainous husband’s waking up. So, quickly release me and let me reach home
before he wakes up again and cuts off my ears also.”

The weaver’s wife released the barber woman and took her place. Then she called
out to her husband in scorn “Oh, big fool, how can you injure or mutilate such a
chaste woman like me? Hear, oh guardians of the Universe. Sun, Moon, Fire, Air,
Sky, Earth, Water, Heat, Death, Day, Night, and Both Twilights, and Eternal
Dharma, all of you know every deed of all mortals. If I am a chaste woman, restore
my nose to its former state. If, on the other hand, I have even in my mind
embraced a man other than my husband, turn me to ashes.”

A second after she cried out again to her husband “Oh, villain, behold! Owing to
the merit of my resplendent28 chastity my nose has been restored to its former
state.” The weaver hurriedly took a burning wood in order to burn her to ashes in
case her nose were not restored, and looked at her. To his utter astonishment he
saw her nose in its former state though there was a big pool of blood on the
ground to prove that he had really cut the nose. He at once untied her bonds,
embraced her rapturously29, addressed her in a hundred endearing30 terms,
begged her pardon a thousand times and endeavored31 his best to please her.

Devasarma saw all this with great surprise and said to himself: “Women know all
the arts and tricks of the most artful devils Sambara, Namuchi, Bali, and
Kumbhinasi. They laugh with him who laughs, weep with him who weeps, and,
with suitable words of infinite sweetness, win over any opponent they like. As
said,
Falsehood & daring, folly & deceit,
Uncleanness of body & spirit too,
Excessive greed and lack of compassion,
These vices are inborn in women.
Women play men who are too much attached to them just as if they are crows
with clipped wings.

Women smile and shed tears for securing their objects, they cause people to trust
them but never trust in return. The lions with bushy manes and terrible faces, the
elephants shining in the splendor of their strength, men renowned for wisdom and
for their bravery in war, all become puppets in the hands of the female of the
species. Who created this eternal mystery?” Thinking in this strain, the monk
passed the weary32 night.

Meanwhile the barber woman reached her own home with the severed nose in
hand and thought ‘What shall I do now? How can I cover up this gaping pit which
was once my nose?’ Soon it was dawn, and her husband, who had been at the

27 villainous – guilty of wicked behaviour
28 resplendent – splendid
29 rapturously – with great pleasure
30 endearing – inspiring affection
31 endevaoured - tried
32 weary - tiring
palace for the night, came and wanted urgently to go into the town to shave some
of his clients. Standing at the door, he said ‘My dear, quickly bring my shaving kit.
I must go and shave some townsfolk.’ His wife, who was always a ready-witted
woman and had her wits doubly sharpened by the loss of her nose, stood inside
the house and threw simply one razor towards him. The barber was furious that
when he had demanded for the whole kit she should have given only one razor
and that too by throwing it towards him. So he threw back the razor at her. At
once, the woman threw her arms up in the air, screamed aloud, and rushed out of
the house shouting ‘Help! Help! I, a virtuous woman, have had my nose cut by this
villain of a husband. Save me! Save me!’

Hearing her cries, the police rushed to the place, beat the barber severely, bound
him securely, took him, his wife and her severed nose to the judges, and said ‘My
lords, this barber has causelessly mutilated his wife, this jewel among women. Do
unto him what is proper.’ The judges asked the barber ‘Why have you done this
barbarous33 act to your own wife? Did she commit adultery or plot against your
life or commit any act of theft? What was her fault?’

The barber, who did not know the truth and could not explain anything, stood
dumb with astonishment and inborn34 stupidity and said nothing. The judges then
perused the relevant observations in the legal text books regarding the demeanor
of a silent accused and said “One law giver says ‘A criminal who is conscious of his
own guilt has an altered tone, a pale face and a wandering vision, and loses all the
luster of his face.’ Another authority says, ‘He comes to the court of justice with
faltering steps, his face is pale, beads of perspiration stand on his forehead, and he
speaks in words broken by sobs. He is trembling all over, his gaze is on the
ground. By these signs wise judges ought to know the guilt.’

It is said ‘He who has a cheerful face and is serene, gives straightforward answers,
is angry at being unjustly put up, has the ring of honest indignation35 in his voice,
and is proud and undaunted in his gait, is an innocent man.’ By these tests this
man is seen to be guilty. As he has mutilated an innocent woman, let him be done
to death by spearing. Take him away.”

Then the barber was led to the place of execution. Devasarma, who had heard the
news and seen the poor man being led to the place of execution, rushed to the
judges and said “My lords, this innocent rustic36 of a barber is about to be
unjustly37 put to death. This is the veritable truth. Hear my words (he explained
how he reached the weavers home): The jackal lost by the fight of rams, I lost by
Ashadhabhuti, and the barber woman by meddling in others' affairs; all of us three
have brought our calamities on ourselves.” The judges asked him “Venerable Sir,
how so?”

Then Devasarma related all the three stories in detail and said “The jackal came to
grief owing to its love of blood and foolish miscalculation of the nature of rams; I

33 barbarous - uncivilized
34 inborn – natural to the person
35 indignation – annoyance at being wrongly accused
36 rustic – simple countryman
37 unjustly – without good cause
came to grief owing to my love of gold and foolish miscalculation of the nature of
Ashadhabhuti, and the barber woman came to grief owing to her love of intrigue
and foolish miscalculation of the nature of the drunken weaver.”

The judges heard the stories with wonder and joy, and ordered the barber to be at
once released. Then they said “A Brahmin, a child, a woman, a hermit, and a man
afflicted by a dreadful disease should never be executed but only be mutilated
though the offence committed be very grave.

So say the lawgivers. This barber woman cannot therefore be executed. She has
had her nose cut by her own deed. So the King’s punishment is that her ears also
should be cut off.”

After this had been done, Devasarma, his grief over the loss of his gold having
been conquered by the sight of the fate of the jackal and the barber woman,
returned to his monastery with a contented heart. Prostrating before the deity of
Lord Siva, he said with tears in his eyes “Oh Lord, by your grace, I am the least of
the three sufferers. For his love of blood, the jackal lost his life; for her love of
intrigue, the barber woman lost her nose and ears; for my no less heinous love of
gold, you in your mercy have let me off with the simple loss of my gold. I bow to
you, Lord Siva. Never again shall I seek a calamity for myself by loving gold.”

Story 1.5 The Crows and the Serpent
In story 1, when the two jackals felt neglected by the king Pingalaka, they were thinking how to get the
king’s attention back. Damanaka said, “Intelligence is power. Where sheer prowess cannot succeed, a
clever trick may accomplish the end; the hen-crow by means of a golden chain brought about the deadly
black serpent’s death”

Once upon a time, there stood a huge banyan tree on the outskirts of a small village. In
the tree there lived a pair of crows with their young ones. One day, a snake came to live in
a hole at the bottom of the tree. The crows were not happy at the arrival of the snake.

After a few days, the female crow hatched a few more eggs, and some more baby crows
were born. When the crows went out in search of food, the snake crawled up the tree and
ate the babies. When the crows came back, they could not find their babies. They
searched high and low, but they could not find them any where. The crows were full of
grief at the loss of their young ones.

After a few months, the female crow hatched some more eggs. This time female crow
stayed in the nest while the male crow went out in search of food. The snake was greedy
and, ignoring the presence of the female crow, he crept up the tree and attacked the
babies. The female crow who was keeping a watchful eye on her babies, tried to fight with
the snake, but she was weak. Hearing the shriek of the female crow, other crows came to
help her, but the snake had already eaten the young ones and slithered back into his hole.

This killing became the feature of their life. Every time the crows laid their eggs, the
snake crawled up the tree and ate all of the baby crows. So the crows were never able to
raise their young. The crows were sad, but they did not know how to get free from this
killer snake.

One day, the female crow said, “Dear husband, we have to leave this tree at once.” The
male crow consoled1 her by saying that the tree had been their home for many years and
that they should continue to reside2 there. He considered3 asking a wise fox for help, in
order to get rid of the snake. With this thought, both of them went to the place where the
wise fox lived. The fox welcomed her friends and said, “Both of you seem to be very sad.
What has happened?”

The crows replied, “We have a big problem. We are disturbed by a snake; he is eating up
our eggs and our young ones. We seek your help in this matter.” They narrated the whole
story to the fox. The fox was intelligent; she thought for a few minutes and then told them
her brilliant4 plan. She said, “Listen carefully and do as I say. In the morning, go to the
river bank where the ladies of the royal family will be bathing. They keep their ornaments

1
Consoled – comforted, reassured.
2
Reside – live.
3
Considered – thought.
4
Brilliant – very good.
in a tray on the river bank. The guards keep a watch on the ornaments from a distant
place.”

The fox suggested that the crows pick up a necklace from the tray and fly away making a
loud noise. The guards would chase them to the tree, where the crows were told to drop
the necklace into the hole of the snake. To get the necklace, the guards would have to kill
the snake to save themselves and take the necklace. The crows liked the plan and said that
they would execute5 it the next morning.

So, the next morning, the crows were ready with their plan. The crow couple flew to the
river bank; the female crow picked up the necklace and flew off. While the male crow
shrieked loudly to attract the guards’ attention. The guards ran after the crows waving
their sticks and swords. Soon, they reached the banyan tree where they saw the crows
drop the necklace into the snake hole.

As the guards were trying to take the necklace out with the help of a stick, the snake came
out of the hole. The snake hissed at them. The Guards killed the snake with their sticks
and swords. They took the necklace and left that place. The crows were happy to see that
the snake had been killed. They thanked the fox for her help. Thereafter, the crow couple
lived happily with their young ones in the banyan tree.

5
Execute – carry out this instruction.
Story 1.6 The Foolish Lion and the Clever Rabbit
In story-1, when the jackals plan to get back the attention of their king, Damanaka says,
“Nothing in this world is impossible to an intelligent person. The raging lion in the wild woods
was laid low by a humble & clever rabbit.”

Once upon a time, in a dense forest, there lived a cruel lion who was the King. His name
was Bhasuraka. He was very powerful1, ferocious2 and arrogant3. He used to kill the
animals of the forest to satisfy his hunger. The animals of the forest became fearful4. They
were worried that, after sometime, none of them would be left alive. They discussed this
problem amongst themselves and decided to hold a meeting with the lion. They wanted to
come to an agreement with the lion that would put an end to the problem.

One day, all the animals of the forest gathered under a big tree. They invited the King to
attend the meeting. In the meeting, the representative5 of the animals said, “Your Majesty,
we are very happy that you are our King. We are even more happy that you are attending6
this meeting.” The King thanked them and replied, “What is the matter? Why we have
gathered here?”

All the animals looked at each other to see who would have enough courage to tell the
King their fear. One of the animals stood up and said, “Sir, it’s natural that you have to
kill us for your food. But killing more animals than what is required7 is not a good
approach. If you carry on killing the animals without any purpose8, very soon a day will
come, when there will be no animals left in the forest for you to eat.” The King roared,
“So what do you want?!”

One of the animals replied, “Your Majesty, a king should be like a cowherd, who takes

1 Powerful – strong.
2 Ferocious – fierce.
3 Arrogant – proud; thinking of your self.
4 Fearful – afraid.
5 Representative – Leader of a group.
6 Attending – coming to; being present at.
7 Required – needed.
8 Purpose – reason; use; cause.
milk from the cows, but leaves enough milk for feeding the calves; which increases the
herd. So the King should take the milk of wealth from his subjects9 in moderation10,
leaving the people enough to maintain11 themselves. Then he will be pursuing12 a
righteous13 path.”

The animal continued, “We have already discussed the problem amongst ourselves and
have come up with a solution. One animal will come every day to your den, so that you
can kill and eat it for your meal. This will also save you the trouble of hunting.” The lion
replied, “Fine. I agree to this proposal14, but make sure that the animal must reach to me
in time, otherwise, I will kill all the animals of the jungle.” The animals agreed to this
proposal.

From that day onwards, every day an animal was sent to the lion to become his food. The
lion was very happy to have his food come to him without the effort of hunting.

Once, it was the turn of a rabbit to go to the lion’s den. The rabbit was old and wise. He
did not want to go, but the other animals forced him.

He said to himself, “I must find out some way to kill this wicked lion, and save my life and
the lives of other animals in the forest. Nothing is impossible for the wise.” Just then, he
saw a well near the footpath. He went over to the well and looked inside. Seeing his own
reflection in the clear water at the bottom of the well, he thought for a moment, and then
continued to walk on his way. Walking slowly, he took his time to get to the place where
the lion was staying. He reached the lion’s den a little later than the usual time.

The lion’s meal time had passed, and he was getting impatient that no animal had come.

9 Subjects – people in the kingdom.

10 Moderation – balanced; equal; not taking too much.
11 Maintain – buy the things they need to live.
12 Pursuing – following.
13 Righteous – truthful and honest.
14 Proposal – idea; plan.
He said to himself, “Tomorrow morning I shall kill all the animals.” Just then, the rabbit,
walking slowly, came and stood before him. The lion became extremely furious15 when he
saw that the animals had sent a small rabbit for his meal.

The lion roared in anger, “Oh wretch16, you are such a thin creature, and you have come
very late. So, for these two faults, I shall kill and eat you now, and shall kill all the animals
of the forest tomorrow morning.” The rabbit, with folded hands, explained with
hesitation, “Your Majesty, I am not to be blamed for that. Actually, six rabbits were sent
as your meal today, but five of them were killed and devoured by another lion. He also
claimed to be the King of the forest. I have somehow escaped and reached here safely.”

The lion King roared in great anger and said, “Impossible, there cannot be another king of
this forest! Tell me. Who is he? I will kill him. Take me to the place where you saw him.”
The intelligent rabbit agreed and took the lion towards the deep well, filled with water.
When they reached near the well, the rabbit said, “This is the place where he lives. He
might be hiding inside this big hole.”

The Lion looked into the well and saw his own reflection. He thought it was the other
lion. The lion King was furious and started roaring with all his might. The roar echoed
back twice as loud from the well. Thinking that this rival lion was roaring back at him,
the King wanted to fight the other lion. The foolish Bhasuraka jumped into the well. He
crushed his head against the rocks and drowned in the deep well.

The wise rabbit, with a sigh of relief, went back to other animals and narrated17 the whole
story. All the animals became happy and praised the rabbit for his wit18. Thus, the
jubilant19 rabbit saved all the animals from the proud lion, and they all lived happy ever
after.

15 Furious – angry.
16 Wretch – poor soul.
17 Narrated – told; spoke.
18 Wit – clever and quick thinking
19 Jubilant - happy
Story 1.7: Weaver as Vishnu
In Story-1, Karataka questioned on whether it is wise for a weak person to use deceit against a
strong one and hope to get away with it. Damanaka replied, “Be that as it may: whether a
person is powerful or powerless, he still has to take a crack at what he thinks is worth
attempting. Fortune is surely his who constantly strives; it is cowards who wail, ‘O my fate, its
my fate.’ Strike fate a blow; show your manliness using whatever strength you have. What does
it matter if your efforts fail? Another point: the gods themselves befriend those who are ready
and persist in their efforts, as Lord Vishnu, His cakra & carrier Garuda came at the weaver’s
call to help him in his fight.”

Once upon a time, in the city of Pundravardhana in Bengal there lived two
intimate1 friends, a weaver and a carpenter. They were both experts at their
occupations and earned princely2 incomes. They lived in costly and beautiful
mansions and spent money lavishly. They worked only for nine hours per day,
from 6 a.m. till 3 p.m. At 3 p.m. every day, after taking all steps to make their
appearance as attractive as possible, they would meet together and wander in the
crowded streets of the village. At 6 p.m., when the sun had set and twilight had
come, they would return to their houses. In this way they passed the time merrily.

One day, they attended the annual3 village festival, which was a grand affair.
People had come from far-flung places to pay their respects to the deity. One of
the visitors was the young princess of their kingdom. All eyes were on her as she
alighted4 from the elephant. Her long dark hair flew in the wind, while her lotus-
shaped eyes took in all the happenings around her. Everyone seemed to be
enraptured by her beauty, but the weaver fell in love with her the moment he set
eyes on her. He could not take his eyes off her all day long. It was only when she
left, that he turned to go back home.

The weaver was unable to get the princess out of his heart, and spent the night lost
in her thought. Even the rising sun did not succeed in weaning him away from his
dreams, and his friend was surprised by his behavior. “My friend, what is it that
pains you?” asked the carpenter, in concern. “My friend, I have fallen in love! This
is the source of my unhappiness, for I know that I can never gain her hand!”
replied the weaver, sadly. The carpenter continued to question his friend till at
last, he learned the whole story. He could not bear to see his friend grieve in this
manner, and so he decided to help him.

He thought,
‘He is no friend whose anger you fear;
Nor is he a friend on whose words you hang
For fear you know not where you stand;
He is a friend, whom you can trust,
As you can trust your mother;
What are others but mere acquaintances5?’

1 Intimate - close
2 Princely - large
3 annual – every year
4 alighted – came down
5 acquaintance – someone you know but not a close friend
“My dear friend,” he said, “Do not give up so easily. I assure you that I shall help
you marry the princess.” The weaver was thrilled hearing his friend’s words, but
he was also doubtful of success.
‘The man who discloses his grief
To a faithful wife, a loyal servant
A sincere friend, or sensitive master,
Is bound to find relief’.

“She lives in a palace surrounded by guards, and is the daughter of the king! How
can I, a mere weaver, get to meet her, let alone marry her?” The carpenter replied,
“We may be ordinary men, but we are devout, and intelligent. If we use our
intelligence, the Lord will surely help us achieve our goals. So, do not worry, but
get ready and weave wonderful clothes for yourself so that you can meet the
princess!”

Heartened6 by his friend’s assurance, the weaver got to work, and wove the most
beautiful and expensive clothes he had ever made, in his mind. Meanwhile, the
carpenter was busy at work too. Some days later the carpenter brought to his
friend a Garuda shaped monoplane made of various colors and operated by a
steering rod. Such an aerial7 vehicle had never been seen before.

He taught his friend how to use the bird, and said, “Friend, using this bird, you
can easily fly high over the houses in our kingdom and reach the palace. No one
can obstruct you, and you can easily reach the palace, without bothering about the
guards who maintain a watch over the princess. Go late at night, so that no one
will observe you, but just in case someone does catch a glimpse, he will think you
are the Lord Vishnu, and thus you shall be safe. Just in case, dress yourself as Lord
Vishnu, which will help you in concealing your identity, as well as winning the
hand of the princess.”

Then the carpenter said, “The King Suprativarma and his whole family, especially
the princess Sudarsana, are great devotees of Narayana. There is also a tradition in
the family that Narayana appeared in person to a former King and conferred8 great
boons. So, dress like the conventional pictures of Narayana, have the conch, the
discus, the mace, an uplifted arm, and ascend this monoplane Garuda. Descend on
the terrace of the beautiful upstairs where I have ascertained that the princess
sleeps alone. Use befitting words to attract her, pretending to be Narayana and
marry her according to Gandharva style.”

The weaver was so happy with the plan that he hugged his friend and thanked
him, and began preparations for his nighttime jaunt9. He wore the wonderful
clothes he had made for himself, and adorned himself with jewelry fit for a God,
and prepared to meet his love. Bowing before the Lord, and asking for His
blessings, he set off towards the palace.

6 heartened – more confident
7 aerial - flying
8 conferred - gave
9 jaunt – a short pleasure trip
Easily avoiding the palace guards, the weaver made his way on his mechanical
Garuda to the princess’ apartments. The princess was stunned to see the Lord in
front of her, but even more surprised when he said, “O Princess, I have fallen in
love with you and have arrived here to marry you. Please consent10 to be my wife!”

The princess replied, with all due modesty, “O Lord, I am honored by your words,
but I am just a mortal girl. How can I marry you? Besides, the goddess Lakshmi is
your rightful consort. How can you approach me thus?” The weaver was well
prepared for just such a question, and replied with a smile, “My dear, it is you who
are my wife, born in this form due to a curse. I have sheltered you from other
suitors for so long, but now it is time for me to make you my wife.”

The princess blushed and replied, “In that case, my Lord, please talk to my father
and take his permission. I shall marry you at once with his blessings.” The weaver
interrupted her, “My dear, it is not easy for mortals to set eyes on me. They have
to perform severe penances for just a glimpse of me. I cannot grant your father
this boon without due cause. Marry me at once in the Gandharva style, or I shall
curse your family!”

The princess did not want to be the cause of her family’s doom, and she was also
thrilled by her good fortune in being the wife of Lord Vishnu. Agreeing to the
terms laid down by the weaver, she married him in the Gandharva style at once.
The weaver spent the night happily with his wife and left at dawn. Thereafter, he
visited the princess every night and left before sunrise.

Meanwhile, the princess’ attendants suspected that the princess was meeting a
man. However, since they did not see any man near the palace, they were
confused. At last, one of them went to the king and voiced his suspicions.

The king was very angry when he learnt of the intruder, and he and his wife
questioned the princess in detail. Unable to lie to her parents, she blurted out the
truth – “My dear parents, you have no cause to worry, but instead, you should
rejoice, for it is no common man who has chosen your daughter as his life partner.
It is Lord Vishnu himself, who comes to me every night. If you do not believe me,
you can hide in my apartment and see Him for yourself tonight!”

The king and queen were so happy to hear this that they hid themselves that night
and saw the weaver appear on his mechanical Garuda. The king was thrilled to see
that it was the Lord Himself who had wed his daughter.

Delirious with joy, the king said to the queen, “There is nobody in this world so
fortunate as you and I. We are the parents of the incarnation of Lakshmi, and Lord
Narayana is our son-in-law. All our dreams have been realized beyond our wildest
expectations. With the prowess of our son-in-law I shall conquer the whole
world.”

Sometime after this, the messengers of the mighty Vikramasena, the lord of the
entire south, master of lakhs of villages, came to levy the usual annual tribute from

10 consent - agree
Suprativarma. The King, proud of having got Narayana as his son-in-law, did not
give them the usual respect. They were enraged at this and told him, “Oh King, the
day for payment has passed by, and yet you have not paid the customary tribute
due from you. You seem to count on some supernatural help or other. By this your
conduct, Vikramasena, whose anger is like that of the raging fire, the howling
wind, the deadly cobra, and the irresistible god of death, will be angry.” The King
in contempt11 showed his back to them.

The angry messengers returned to their lord and related the whole incident,
exaggerating12 the insult a thousand fold13. Vikramasena was furious at this and
went with his entire feudatory14 Kings and innumerable elephants, cavalry,
chariots, and infantry, to Suprativarma's country. He swore in rage, “Whether he
enters the mighty ocean or seeks refuge in the lofty Meru15 Mountains protected
by Indra, this sinner of a king shall certainly be killed by me.” Making hurried
marches, he reached Suprativarma's country and began to ravage and kill without
mercy. Those few who escaped slaughter went to Pundravardhana and raised
angry howls at the gates of the king's palace. However, all this not in the least
perturbed16 the king.

Soon Vikramasena reached Pundravardhana and besieged the town. The ministers,
priests, and big men of the city approached Suprativarma and said, “Sire, the
mighty enemy has begun the siege of the town. Why is your majesty still
unperturbed?” The king replied with a smile, “Remain with contented and glad
hearts. I have discovered an excellent way to slaughter the enemy. Tomorrow
morning you yourselves will know this will be accomplished.” After this, the King
made proper arrangements for the defense of the ramparts of the town. Then he
called Sudarsana and said to her in sweet words instilled with respect “Daughter,
counting on your husband's strength I have begun this fight with our enemies. So
when he comes to visit you to-night tell him the facts in such a way as to make
him destroy our enemies tomorrow morning.”

The princess obediently relayed her father’s message to her husband when he
arrived that night. Now the weaver was in a quandary17. But he bravely assured his
wife, “My dear, why are you afraid of these mortal enemies? I shall crush them in a
moment; do not fear! I shall appear in the battle and kill your enemies with my
Sudarshan Chakra.” The princess was comforted when she heard his words, and
the king was pleased when he heard the news. He made arrangements for facing
the enemy the next day.

The weaver meanwhile was in a fix. He did not know what to do. In a moment of
recklessness, he had assured the princess that he would appear and slay the
enemies. But what if the army recognized him as a simple weaver, and not Lord
Vishnu? What if he was killed? On the other hand, if he did not appear on the

11 contempt – showing the person he is not worth his attention
12 exaggerating – make sound worse than it was
13 thousand fold – by a thousand times
14 feudatory - supporting
15 Meru - the divine mountain where Indra is said to reside
16 perturbed - disturbed
17 quandary – uncertain what to do in a difficult situation
battlefield, or just disappeared from the land, the attackers would surely kill the
king and take the princess captive. He could not allow that! Even if she was safe,
he could never see her again, and that was unbearable! Such thoughts tormented18
him all through the night, and finally, he came to a decision – he would go ahead
and fly over the battlefield in his disguise. Is it not aptly said:
In danger or dire straits, or in misery,
The great & noble should ever courage display
Raised high by daring, undaunted,
They surmount hardship with hardihood

If he was killed, so be it. But there was just a chance that the army might mistake
him for the genuine Lord and flee at once. He would give it a try, and trust the
Lord to help him out of the mess.

When the weaver had thus finally decided on battle, the divine Garuda said to the
real Lord Narayana in Vaikuntha “Lord, in the city of Pundravardhana on the
earth, a weaver has married a princess by assuming your form. Vikramasena, the
able king of the entire south, has come to destroy the Pundravardhana king root
and branch. The weaver has resolved today to help his father-in-law. What I
submit is this. If this weaver is killed in this fight, the rumor will spread in the
world of men that Lord Narayana was killed by Vikramasena, the lord of the
south. Hearing this, sacrifices and other such ceremonies will not be performed
thereafter. The atheists will destroy the temples, monasteries, and other places of
resort of your devotees. Your special devotees, the Tridandi19 sannyasis will also
give up their vows and revert20 to laymen. This is the state of affairs. The rest is for
you to decide.”

The Lord replied, “Oh, Garuda, king of birds, you have said well. He shall slay this
proud king for extorting his unjust tribute and for destroying a noble royal line
ever devoted to Me; you and I will have to help the weaver to some extent.

The lord then instructed Garuda thus: “I shall enter the body of the weaver
tomorrow and possess his chakra too. You must enter the mechanical contraption
that he calls his vehicle, and must help me defeat the enemies.”

Accordingly, the next morning, when the weaver got himself ready for battle, he
found himself infused with a new strength. Even his vehicle flew more like a real
bird than ever, and he confidently entered the battleground, where he fought the
army with ease, and killed the enemy king with his discus. The army scattered
with the death of their king, and onlookers were stunned to hear that it was the
Lord himself who had aided their king! Meanwhile, as the Lord left the weaver’s
body to go to His abode, the king and others recognized in him, the weaver of the
kingdom! At first, the king was wild when he realized that his son-in-law was not
Lord Vishnu, but a humble weaver. But then, when the weaver related his story,
the king realized that his son-in-law was not just an honest and clever man, but he
was also an ardent devotee of the Lord, since the Lord himself had come to his aid.
He decided to get his daughter married to him at once.

18 tormented – caused severe mental distress
19 tridandi – carry 3 sticks meaning they control their thoughts, words and deeds
20 revert - convert
The weaver thus became a prince, and in time, the King. He ruled wisely and well,
and always had complete faith in the Lord.

Story 1.8: The Grateful Animals and the Ungrateful Man
In Story 1, when Damanaka was complaining about Sanjivaka as being evil & ungrateful to
king Pingalaka, he said, “Does a scoundrel require provocation to fly into a great rage? Or a
saint need kindness to make him calm? Try your very best to honor a rogue, he will still
remain true to his nature. That which the grateful beasts - tiger, monkey, snake advised, the
brahmana didn’t follow and therefore he was put in trouble by the tricks of an ungrateful
man.”

In a certain place there lived a Brahmin whose name was Jadschnjadatta. He was
an idle and poverty-stricken Brahmin with numerous1 children. His wife, seeing
that there was no food to give their children for the whole day, told him in anger:
“Oh, you idle, heartless man. Do you not see how our children are tormented2 by
hunger, while you stand by without caring! Why are you sitting idle3 not thinking
of their welfare? Be a man, go far, earn something, and come back again as soon as
possible.”

Exhausted from her complaints, he set forth on a long journey. After a few days he
found himself in a great forest. Tormented by hunger he began to look for water
when he saw a deep pit covered over with leaves. At the bottom of the pit he saw a
tiger, a monkey, a snake, and a man; and they saw him as well.

Perceiving4 that he was a man, the tiger said, “Oh, you honorable one, remember
that it is a great virtue to rescue a living being, and pull me
out, so that I can return to the circle of my dear friends, my wife, and my family!”
The Brahmin said, “The mere mention of your name brings fear to all living
creatures. Should I not also be afraid of you?”

The tiger replied, "Repentance5 is possible for the murderer of a Brahmin, for
drunkards, hooligans, thieves, and promise-breakers, but not for those who are
ungrateful. I swear with a three-fold oath that you have no cause to fear me.
Therefore have mercy on me and pull me out!" The Brahmin thought to himself,
"Death would bring salvation6, if suffered while saving the life of another living
being," and he helped the tiger out of the pit.

Then the monkey said to him, "My good man, help me out too!"
Hearing this, the Brahmin pulled him out.

The snake said, "Oh, consecrated7 one, pull me out too."

The Brahmin replied, "Just saying your name causes one to tremble, much less
touching you!"
The snake said, "We do not act arbitrarily8. We only bite if we are provoked into
doing so. I swear with a three-fold oath that you have no cause to fear me."

1 numerous – a large number of
2 tormented - suffer
3 idle – avoiding work
4 perceiving – being aware
5 repentance – sincere regret
6 salvation – deliverance from harm or loss
7 consecrated – one who is sacred
After hearing this, the Brahmin pulled the snake out.

Then they all said to him, "The man down there embraces every kind of sin. Take
note of this, and do not help him out. Do not trust him."

Then the tiger spoke up again, "My den is in a crack in the cliff on the north side
of the many-peaked mountain that you can see. You must come to me there so I
can repay you and not be in your debt in a future life." Having said this he
departed for his home.
Then the monkey said, "I live next to a waterfall in the vicinity of the tiger's den.
You must visit me there!" And with that he went on his way.
The snake said, "If your life is ever threatened, just think of me!" And he went on
his way.

Then the man in the pit cried out repeatedly, "Oh, Brahmin, help me out!"
Overcome by pity, the Brahmin finally pulled him out too.
"I am a goldsmith," said the rescued man, "and if you ever need any gold-work
done, just bring it to me." Then he too went on his way.

The Brahmin wandered about without finding anything to eat. Tormented by

hunger he turned towards home, but then remembered what the monkey had said
and went to him instead.
The monkey gave him fruits as sweet as ambrosia9, saying, "Whenever you have
need of fruit, just come back to me."

Then the consecrated one said, "You have done well. Now show me the way to the
tiger."
The monkey led him to the tiger's den. Recognizing him, the tiger gave the
Brahmin a gold necklace along with other ornaments in payment for his good
deed.
The tiger explained: "A horse bolted away with some prince. The prince was
thrown off and killed outright near me. I took all these gold ornaments that were
on his body and have been carefully keeping them for you. So take these and go
wherever you like’. Take them and go in peace!"

The Brahmin remembered the goldsmith and thought, "He will know who I am,
and will help me sell this gold." The goldsmith received him with every courtesy:
foot-washing, refreshment, and so forth, then said, "Just let me know what I can
do for you." The consecrated one said, "I have brought gold that you should sell
for me." The goldsmith said, "Show me the gold!"
The Brahmin showed him the pieces, and the goldsmith recognized them as work
that he himself had done for the king's son. "Just wait here," he said, "while I show
the gold to someone."

Then he went to the palace and showed the gold to the king.
"Where did you get this?" asked the king.
"There is a Brahmin in my house who brought it to me."

8 arbitrarily - randomly
9 ambrosia – food of gods
The king thought, "He is the villain who killed my son. He shall pay for that!"
The king had his watchmen bind the Brahmin, with the order that he was to be
pierced at the break of day. As he was being bound, the Brahmin remembered the
snake, and in that same instant the snake appeared before him, and said, "How can
I serve you?"
The consecrated one said, "Set me free."

The snake replied, "I shall bite the king's favorite wife. Neither the incantations10
of the greatest sorcerers11 nor the medications of the best physicians shall free her
from the poison. It will only go away when you touch her with your hand. And
then you shall be set free."

After saying this, the snake bit the queen. A cry of despair arose at the palace, and
the entire city was in shock. Sorcerers, healers, magicians, and physicians all tried
to cure her, but their efforts had no effect on the poison.

Answering the call of the public drummer, the consecrated one said, "I can free
her from the poison." Thus the Brahmin was taken from prison and led to the
king, who said, "Free her from the poison!" The Brahmin went to the queen, and
with a mere touch of his hand he freed her from the poison. Seeing his wife alive
and well once again, he approached the Brahmin with honor and respect: "Where
did you get the gold?" he asked.

The consecrated one related to him everything that had happened, from the very
beginning. Now knowing the truth of the matter, the king had the goldsmith
thrown into prison and he appointed the Brahmin as his minister and gave him a
thousand villages.
The Brahmin summoned his family and lived happily with his friends, taking
pleasure in good works and enjoying the fruits of a virtuous preexistence12.

10 incantations - spells
11 sorcerers - magicians
12 virtuous preexistence – previous life of high moral standards
Story 1.9: The Bug and the Poor Flea
In story 1, when king Pingalaka doubted on how bull Sanjivaka could harm him, Damanaka
said, “He cannot himself cause harm, but can find someone who can and incite him to do so.
You are perpetually battling with numerous animals - wild bulls, elephants, buffaloes, tigers;
and wounds & scars cover your body. This bull, Sanjivaka, is constantly at your side and
scatters his dung and urine everywhere. Out of this mixture worms will breed, they will
contact your body, find weak points to enter and bore deep inside. Therefore it is said, ‘Never
grant asylum to any person, whose character is not known to you’. It was the flea’s mistake
which led to bug’s death”

There once lived a bug named Mandavisarpini in the king's ornamental1 bed. It
made itself a small home in the folds of milk-white linen. One day, it observed a
flea enter the king's bedroom, and instructed the flea to leave before somebody
noticed it, for it was a wrong place.

The flea, whose name was Agnimukha, said, “Oh venerable sir, it is not proper for
you to ask a guest to leave even if he is a wicked person. You must welcome him,
ask him about his health, say words that comfort him and request him to take rest.
That is how good hosts treat their guests. Besides, I have tasted the blood of a
variety of men and animals. Never did I taste royal blood. The king’s blood is a
compound of rich foods and is bound to taste rich. Please permit me to relish this
delicacy2.”

The flea continued, “Everything we do in this world, we do in order to quench our
hunger. I have come to you in search of food. It is not proper for you to siphon3
off the king’s blood all alone. You should share it with me as well.”

The bug told him, “Oh, flea, I suck the blood of the king when he is fast asleep.
You are impatient. You have to wait till I finish my job. After me, you can have
your fill.” The flea agreed.

It is said:
He who has no sense of time and place,
And of what is right and proper;
Who does not know a thing beyond himself
Who acts without due deliberation;
He is a fool who reaps no reward.

Meanwhile, the king entered his bedroom to sleep. But the impatient flea began
feasting on the king's blood even before he went to sleep. Stung by his bite, the
king rose from his bed and asked his servants to look for what was in the bed that
caused him discomfort. The king’s men pulled the linen off the bed and examined
it closely. Before they could kill him, the flea sneaked into a recess of the bed.
However, the servants found the poor bug and killed him at once.


1 Ornamental - decorative
2 delicacy - fineness
3 siphon - draw
Story 1.10 The Blue Jackal
Once, there was a jackal who lived in a forest, his name was Chandaraka. One day
Chandaraka was very hungry, so he went to a nearby village to find some food.

Chandraka met a group of dogs and they started chasing him. The jackal became
frightened and ran away in fear.

Chandraka ran into a washer-man’s house to hide. The washer-man had a tub full of blue
colour, which he used to colour clothes.

The jackal slipped and fell into the tub full of blue colour.
Soon the dogs stopped barking and the jackal came out of the tub. His whole body was
blue. The jackal came out of the house and quickly ran back to the forest.

When Chandraraka reached the forest, the other animals did not know who this blue
animal was.

The lion, the elephant, the tiger, and all the other animals of the forest became scared and
ran away from that place.

The jackal planned to trick the other animals and asked, “Why are you running away?
There is no need to fear. I am a special creation of God. He has chosen me as your king
and named me Kakudruma. He told me to rule this forest. Therefore you can all live
safely.”

The innocent animals believed the cunning1 jackal and accepted him as the king. The
jackal appointed the lion as his minister2, the tiger as his chamberlain3 and the wolf as the
gatekeeper4.

The new king Kakudruma told all the jackals in the forest to leave, so that the other
animals would not find out that he was a really a jackal.

Now, the animals would hunt for food and bring it to the king. After taking his share, the
king would give the rest of the food to the other animals. So the blue jackal had a very
nice life.

One day when the blue jackal was talking to the other animals, a herd of jackals passed by
howling very loudly. Suddenly the blue jackal forgot that he was a king and not an
ordinary jackal. Unable to control his nature, Kakudruma howled at the top of his voice.

Seeing that they had been fooled by a jackal, the angry animals jumped on the blue jackal
and killed him.

1
Cunning – deceitful; not telling the truth
2
Minister – a brahmana who helps the king to run the country.
3
Chamberlain – someone who manages the household of the king.
4
Gatekeeper – someone who controls who is allowed through a gate or an entrance.
Story 1.11: The Swan and the Owl
In Story 1, when Damanaka was complaining about the lion king to the bull Sanjivaka, he said,
“Friend, it is the nature of kings to strike without cause and injure without motive, to those
whom they consider to be too powerful.” Sanjivaka continued, “The fault is mine, I trust people
too easily. One should never follow an inopportune1 course or keep undesirable company or
serve an insincere friend. That is what happened in the story of the owl & the swan. The bird
sleeping among lotuses was slain by a flying arrow.”

In a certain forest, there was a vast lake. A swan lived in that lake and spent his
days happily, sailing on the sunny waters and eating all kinds of delicious food.
One day, an owl went to that place. The swan asked him, “Where do you come
from and why did you come to this lonely place?”
The owl replied: “I come from Lotus Grove on the banks of another delightful lake
like this. I came here on hearing about your innumerable virtues2. They say that
contact with the virtuous3 will take away all sin, like a bath in the Ganges washes
away all sin. So I want to dwell with you for some time and purify myself.”
“Live here as long as you like,” said the swan, pleased at this flattery. The owl did
so, and the two spent several days happily with each other. Then the owl left for its
own place, telling the swan, “If you feel any affection for me, you must visit me
and be my guest.”
Some days after the owl left, the swan said to himself: “Why don’t I have a change?
I shall go and visit my friend, the owl, and see new places and eat new food.”
So one fine morning, he went to Lotus Grove. However, he could not see the owl
anywhere. He searched for him and found him sleeping in a ugly hole inside a
mountain cave. He called out to him, “My dear friend, please come out. I am your
friend, the swan, come to pay you a visit.”
The owl replied, “You know I can’t see by day and so cannot stir out during the
day. We shall meet after the sun has set and the night has come.” So, the swan
waited till the night came. The owl then went to him and both exchanged notes
about each other’s health.
Then the swan, being tired and it being night, slept outside the cave.
A caravan had stopped by the side of that lake for the night and at dawn it was to
resume its journey. A conch was sounded to wake up all the members. Startled by
it, the owl uttered a loud hard hoot and promptly went into its hole inside the
cave. The swan remained at its place outside the cave. The owl’s hoot, an evil
omen, so disturbed the members of the caravan, that the leader directed an expert
archer, accompanying the caravan, to shoot by sound the animal which had
uttered the inauspicious hoot. The archer did so and killed the swan, which thus
paid the penalty for making friends with the unsuitable owl.

1 Inopportune – badly timed
2 innumerable virtues – unlimited qualities
3 virtuous – having high standards
Story 1.12: The Lion, the Camel, the Jackal, and the Crow
In story 1, when the bull Sanjivaka believes the words of the jackal Damanaka about the lion
king, he said, “I see now that by entering the sphere of power where crime operates, I have
placed my life at risk… How many there are among the sharp-witted, who, corrupt, earn their
living by fraud; who do good as well as ill, as in the tale of The Lion, the Camel, the Jackal, and
the Crow.”

Once there lived a lion named Madotkata who was served by a leopard, a jackal
and a crow. One day they sighted a camel named Kradanaka who had lost his way
and wandered into the jungle. Unable to recognize this unusual animal, the lion
summoned1 his assistants to find out the details of this animal.

The crow said that the camel was a domestic animal; fit to be killed and eaten.
Refusing to eat Kradanaka, the lion said:

“I shall not kill someone who came seeking hospitality. According to our elders,
you cannot even kill an enemy who came trusting you. He who kills so, commits
the sin of killing one hundred Brahmins. Assure him of safety and bring him to
me.”

The three assistants brought the camel to the presence of the lion. The lion asked
the camel to relate his story, Kradanaka told him how he was part of a trade
caravan and how he had lost his way. The lion told the camel, “Kradanaka, why do
you go back to your village and become once again a beast of burden2? Remain
with us without any hesitation and feast on this tender grass.” Thereafter, the
camel stayed on to live happily with the lion and his three assistants.

One day, the lion was locked in a battle with an elephant. The tusker gored3
Madotkata and badly injured him. He became too weak to hunt. Without food he
was in no position to do anything. Then, the lion asked the assistants to go out and
look for some animal for his meal. “Bring the animal here. I will kill him somehow
and provide food for you all,” said the lion.

The leopard, the jackal, and the camel looked everywhere for an animal but could
not find any. The jackal told the crow aside:

“Friend, what is the use of wasting time like this? We have Kradanaka, the camel,
our lord's loyal friend. Let us kill him and survive.” “That is fine. Yet we cannot
kill him because our lord has assured him protection,” said the crow.

“Leave it to me. I shall convince Madotkata to kill the camel. Wait here. I will meet
the lord and get his permission,” said the jackal and left to meet the lion.

The jackal told his lord, “Oh, lord, we went to every nook and corner of the forest.
We could not find a single animal. We are tired, weak and hungry. Since my lord
is also in the same condition, I humbly suggest that we make a meal of this camel.”

1 summoned – called upon
2 beast of burden – animal used for carrying loads
3 gored – made bleed
Highly annoyed, the lion said, “You sinner, if you repeat these words, I shall first
kill you. I have given him my word. How can I kill him? Haven't our elders said
this?
No gift of cows, no gift of land,
Nor any gift of food holds pre-eminence;
Of all the gifts in the world, say the wise,
The foremost is the gift of safety of life.”

“You are right, my lord. It is a sin to kill him who has your word. But if the camel
voluntarily offers himself as food, it is no sin to accept the offer. If he does not
volunteer, you can kill anyone of us. You are hungry and close to your end. If we
are not of use to you at this time, what value do our lives have? If anything
undesirable happens to our lord, we will immolate4 ourselves.”

“This seems to be more reasonable,” said the lion.

The jackal told the other two assistants, “Friends, our lord is in a pitiable
condition. There is now no one to protect us from others. Instead of aimlessly
searching the forest for food, let us offer our bodies to him. That will deliver us
from the burden of debt. The servant who is witness to the helpless death of his
master will go to hell.”

After the jackal’s plea, all of them called upon the lion with tears in their eyes.
“What's the matter? Did you find an animal?” asked the lion.

“No, my lord. We searched every place, every inch of the forest. We are not lucky.
We found nothing. But I request the lord to have me for his meal. That will mean
two birds with one shot. The lord will survive and I will go to heaven.
As long as there is life in him
A servant who simply looks on
While his master’s life is endangered,
Will surely find himself in hell.
He who lays down his life to save his lord will have no rebirth,” said the crow.

It was now the turn of the jackal to show his loyalty. He said, "My friend, crow.
Your body is too small to slake the hunger of my lord. It amounts to starving him
and that is a sin. Get out of my way. I have to submit a plea to my lord.”

Addressing the lion, the jackal said, “Lord, I request you to have me for your meal
and ensure me a place in heaven. The lord has rights of life and death over his
servants. Therefore, it is no sin in exercising his rights.”

The leopard intervened and said, “You jackal, you are no great personality. Let me
plead with the lord.” Addressing Madotkata, the leopard said, “Oh lord, let me
give away my life to save your life. Please permit me to earn a permanent berth5 in
heaven. My sacrifice will win fame for me on earth.”

4 immolate – offer as sacrifice
5 berth – given place

All this set Kradanaka thinking, ‘All these servants of the lord have said what they
wanted to say. Still, the lion did not kill anyone of them. Let me also offer to be the
lord's food today. I am sure my friends will support me.’ He then turned to the
leopard and said, “What you have said is right and proper. But you are a
carnivorous6 animal and belong to the same species as the master does. How can
he kill you? Let me offer myself.”

The camel then came forward and requested the lion to have him for that day's
meal. At once, the jackal and the leopard pounced on him tore him to pieces and
all of them had a sumptuous7 feast.

6 carnivorous – eats meat
7 sumptuous - splendid
Story 1.13: The Lion and the Carpenter
In story 1, after believing that the lion Pingalaka has planned to kill him, the bull Sanjivaka
told to the jackal Damanaka, “My dear fellow, I suspect that some rascal counselors have
poisoned Pingalaka’s mind against me. A good king with a bad counselor is worse than a bad
king with a good counselor. A king, who is duped by evil counsel, becomes incapable of wise
deliberation as in the tale of the lion & carpenter.”

In a certain city close to a forest, there lived a carpenter. He used to go into the
forest, taking his wife and lunch with him, and cut logs. In that forest there lived a
lion, with a jackal and a crow as his fast friends.
One day, the lion, going alone, met the carpenter. The carpenter was frightened to
death but he resolved to use good words and a gift to save his life. So, he bowed
low to the lion and said, “Friend, you must eat the dinner which my wife, your
brother’s wife has cooked for you and brought here.”
“My good fellow,” said the lion, deeply touched by this unexpected hospitality “I
do not eat vegetarian food. Still, I shall taste it, as I am moved by your offer and
have come to like you.” The carpenter then gave the lion his lunch, which
consisted of all kinds of dainties1 prepared with rice, sugar, butter and spice. The
lion ate the lunch with relish. In order to show his gratitude, he promised absolute
safety to the carpenter while working in the forest. The carpenter, in turn, was
pleased with this and told the lion, “Come here every day and have lunch with us.
But, please do not bring any of your retainers2.” The lion agreed. He got such a
nice lunch every day that he gave up the practice of hunting.
The jackal and the crow, who lived on the leavings3 of the lion’s catch, became
extremely hungry because of the lion’s leaving off hunting. They asked him,
“Where are you going every day and returning with a full belly and your face
wreathed4 with smiles?”
The lion evaded5 at first but finally told them, “A carpenter friend of mine comes
to this forest every day. His wife cooks the most delicious things and offers them
to me.”
The jackal and the crow then said, “What, the wretch6 is making you a vegetarian
and desist from hunting.
You will soon become, like a dog, his servant, instead of remaining the king of
beasts. We two will go and kill that wretched carpenter, and have enough meat to
keep us fat for a long time.”

1 Dainties – good things to eat
2 retainers – servants (who have served for a long time)
3 leavings - remnants
4 wreathed - covered
5 evaded - avoided
6 wretch - unfortunate
The lion said, “Look here, I guaranteed his safety. I cannot allow you to kill him.
However I shall get some delicious food, from him, for you too. Come along with
me.”
So, the three started for the place where the carpenter was working. The carpenter
noticed them from a distance and he and his wife promptly climbed up a tree.
The lion went up to the tree and said, “My dear fellow, why have you climbed up
the tree? I am your friend, the lion. Surely you are not afraid of me.”
However, the carpenter and his wife stayed where they were and the carpenter
replied: “You may be right. But the sight of your friends has terrified us. The
hungry mouth of the jackal and the open beak of the crow are not reassuring.
Your friends may turn you against me. So I will not come down.”