Meaning of panchtantra stories

The Panchatantra is a collection of Indian animal stories. Therefore, "Mitra Bheda" (Loss of Friends),
"Mitra Laabha" (Gaining Friends), "Suhrud Bheda" (Causing Discord Between Friends), "Vigraha"
(Separation," and "Sandhi") are the five principles or practices that are portrayed by the
Panchatantra (Union).
Who gave the concept of panchtantra?
Vishnu Sharma was an Indian scholar and author who wrote the Panchatantra, a collection of fables.
Fable : A short story that teaches a lesson and that often has animals as the main characters.
Origin And History Of The ‘Blue Jackal’ Story

The Panchatantra is a collection of stories originally written in Sanskrit by the Hindu scholar Pandit
Vishnu Sharma, more than 2500 years ago. It is said that he wrote the Panchatantra to teach his
disciples. These stories are well known for their moral values and have been translated into many
languages, including English.
Story Characters
The main character of this tale is the jackal. He tried to act cunning with his fellow jungle mates but
could not hide his real identity for a long time and ended up being beaten up by them.
The ‘Blue Jackal’ Story For Children
Once upon a time, in a faraway jungle, lived a jackal. One day, he was walking in the jungle in search
of food. Suddenly, he reached a quiet village and started roaming around.
When the dogs in the village saw him, they surrounded him and tried to attack him. Not knowing
what to do, he started running to save his life.
‘Come here, you jackal! Where do you think you are going? This is our area, and we won’t allow
anyone else to wander here’, shouted the dogs as they ran behind the jackal.
To save himself, the jackal ran into a nearby house, which belonged to a washerman. In the backyard
of the house, he saw two large tubs filled with blue dye. He looked here and there and, without
thinking anything, jumped in the tub to save his life.
After a while, he came out of the tub, not realising his body was all blue. When the dogs saw him,
they did not recognise him and were terrified, and they started running away, thinking it was some
strange creature that could harm them.
Confused about what was happening, he left for the jungle. When he reached the jungle, he saw the
strange reactions of his jungle mates. Some started running after seeing him, while others started
talking about things behind his back.
He still did not understand what was happening. After some time, he went to the nearby river to
drink water. Suddenly he saw his reflection in the water and realised what was happening.
Oh!’ exclaimed the jackal. ‘This is why everyone is behaving so strangely.”
That was when a cunning idea struck his mind.
Immediately, he stood on a huge rock and gathered all the animals.
‘Oh, my fellow mates! Please don’t be afraid of me’, announced the jackal. ‘The creator of this
universe, Brahma, has crafted me with his own hands. He has asked me to be the king of this jungle,
as there is no suitable king here. I am here to protect you all and be your caretaker. Live happily in
my kingdom!’
All the animals believed him and obeyed all the instructions he gave them.
He asked the monkeys to bring fresh fruits and the tigers and lions to bring meat for him. Everyone
was engaged in obeying his orders and serving him.
The very first thing he did after becoming the king was that he chased away all the jackals from the
jungle. He was afraid they might recognise him, which would cause him trouble.
This went on for a few days, and he was living the best of his life.
Suddenly one day, while surrounded by the other animals, he heard the voice of jackals howling in a
distance. Hearing the sound, he could not control himself.
He stood up and started howling too.
That was when the animals realised what was happening, and a cunning jackal had been fooling
them for so many days.
Meanwhile, he realised his foolishness and ran for his life. However, he couldn’t escape from so
many angry animals and met an unfortunate end.

Moral of The Story

The moral of the story is that people cannot hide their true selves for a long time.
In the given story, it was the jackal’s instinct to howl, and he could not control himself from doing so
and ended up losing his life.
Similarly, in life, we come across many people who are not what they pretend to be. However, one
day or the other, their true selves come out to the public, and the results are beyond imagination.
We should always try to stay away from such people.
This story also teaches that a life full of lies is very short-lived.
The jackal lied to the animals about being sent by the creator of the world and lived the life of his
dreams. Eventually, when his truth was exposed, he was not forgiven by all the other animals.
In life, we should always try to speak the truth as lies may give us comfort for a shorter period, but
as soon as the truth is revealed, it causes problems.

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Satyakama: The Seeker of Truth

Chandogya Upanishad
One day a young boy came to the ashrama of Sage Haridrumata Gautama and said, “Revered Sir, I
desire to live under you as a Brahmacharin. Please accept me as your student.”

The sage asked, “Dear boy, of what gotra or lineage are you?”

The boy replied, “Sir, I do not know of what gotra I am. I asked it of my mother. She said: ‘I also do
not know of what gotra you are. I used to serve many people and I got you in my youth. So I am not
sure of what lineage you are. However, I am Jabala by name and you are Satyakama’. So, Sir, I reveal
myself to you as Satyakama Jabala.”

On hearing it, the Rishi Haridrumata Gautama smiled and said, “No one who is not a Brahmin can
speak thus. Dear boy, bring the sacrificial fuel. I shall initiate you as a Brahmacharin, for you have not
deviated from truth.” Thus was Satyakama Jabala initiated into the life of a Brahmacharin.

After a few days, Rishi Haridrumata Gautama sorted out four hundred lean and weak cows and said
to Satyakama, “Dear boy, take these cows to the forest and graze them.”

Satyakama bowed down with submission and while driving the cows said, “Sir, I shall not return till
these cows multiply into a thousand.”

Satyakama lived in the forest and looked after the cows.

Years went by. The number of cows increased to a thousand.

One day towards evening a bull came to Satyakama and spoke to him, “Dear boy! Now we are a
thousand in number. Take us to the house of the teacher”. Also, the bull said to Satyakama,”I shall
teach you one quarter of the Brahman or God. He is Prakashavan or the Radiant. He who meditates
on Brahman as the Radiant, becomes radiant in this world.” Thus having spoken the bull told
Satyakama that Agni, the God of fire, will teach him more later.

At dawn, Satyakama drove the cows towards his Guru’s ashrama.

In the evening when the cows came together, he kindled a fire there, added fuel to the fire, penned
the cows and sat down near them behind the fire, facing east. Then the Fire addressed him and said:
“Dear boy, I will teach you one quarter of the Brahman. He is Anantavan or the Endless. One who
knows Him to be thus and meditates upon him as Endless, becomes endless in this world”. Then the
fire told him that a swan was going to tell him about the third quarter of the Brahman.

At dawn, Satyakama continued to drive the cows towards the Guru’s ashrama. Towards evening
when the cows came together, he kindled a fire there, added fuel to the fire, penned the cows and
sat down near them behind the fire, facing east. All of a sudden a swan came flying and said,
“Satyakama! I shall teach you the third quarter of Brahman. He is called Jyotishman or the Effulgent.
One who knows him thus and meditates upon him as the Effulgent, becomes effulgent in this
world.” Then the swan told him that a waterfowl would teach him the last part of the Brahman.

On the following day, once again, Satyakama drove the cows in the direction of his Guru’s ashrama.

Towards evening when the cows came together, he kindled a fire there, added fuel to the fire,
penned the cows and sat down near them behind the fire, facing east. Then, a waterfowl came
before him and said, “Satyakama! I shall teach you the fourth and last part of Brahman. He
is Ayatanavan or the All-supporting. One who knows him thus and meditates upon him as the All-
supporting, becomes That in this world.”

When Satyakama reached the Guru’s ashram with the thousand cows, the Guru asked him, “Dear
boy, your face shines with the knowledge of Brahman. Who taught you that?”

Satyakama told him about his four teachers and said, “Sir, I now request you to expound it to me
personally. Because I know that the knowledge received directly from one’s own Guru becomes
perfect.”

Then Rishi Haridrumat Gautama, the revered teacher of Satyakama, taught him the same thing again
by adding more meaning to all that Satyakama had learnt. Thus Satyakama got the full knowledge of
Brahman from his Guru and later, he himself became a great teacher.

What the story of Satyakama Jabala teaches us?

The story of Satyakama Jabala and sage Haridrumata Gautama, which appears in Chapter
IV of the Chāndogya-Upaniṣad, is of particular importance as it teaches us the true meaning of the
definition of caste in the Indian society. Unlike the strict Brahmanical interpretation that wanted only
children of higher social castes to have access to spiritual education, this story shows us that what is
really needed is a commitment to the truth, as only this makes one really a Brahman.
As a boy, Jabala Satyakama, is eager to study and goes to sage Haridrumata Gautama,
requesting his permission to live and study near him. The teacher asks, “my dear child, what
family do you come from?” Satyakama replies that he is of uncertain parentage because his
mother does not know who his father is. Then, sage Gautama declares that the boy’s
honesty is the mark of a true seeker and therefore he is a Brāhmaṇa, and accepts him
as his student. Later Satyakama Jabala will become a great wise man and the Jabala-Upaniṣad will
be written in his name.
Like Gautama, Krishna determines castes according to the qualities of the people, but the latter adds
also their works, without referring, however, to the birth, wealth or social position: “The division
(vibhāgaśaḥ) of the four castes (cātur-varṇyaṁ) was created by me (mayā sṛṣṭaṁ)according to
people’s qualities (guṇa) and activities (karma)…” Bhagavadgītā IV.13. Buddha goes even
further by removing completely the birth-based caste system and declares: “Not by birth is one an
outcast (vasala); not by birth is one a brahman. By deed one becomes an outcast (vasala),
by deed one becomes a brahman.” Vasala Sutta 21.
Similarly with the Pythagorean communities in Ancient Greece, we see in the above
examples from the Indian tradition that the prerequisites for learning are the student’s
qualities and character and not his social status. Enjoy the story of Satyakama in the
following excerpt from the film Adi Shankaracharya (in Sanskrit with English subtitles).

Little Prince No—Father (The Power of Truth)(From Jataka Katha)

JATAKA TALES by NARAYANA PANDIT is a collection of Indian fables that date back
centuries. Based on the Jataka stories, which recount the Buddha's past lives, these tales
teach valuable moral lessons and provide a glimpse into ancient Indian culture.

What do you mean by Jataka Katha?

The Jātaka (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature
native to the Indian subcontinent which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama
Buddha in both human and animal form. Jataka stories, were depicted on the railings and
torans of the stupas.

जातक' भगवान बु द्ध के पूवव जन्म सम्बन्धी कथाएँ है । बु द्धत्व प्राप्त कर ले ने की

अवस्था से पू वव भगवान् बु द्ध बोधिसत्व कहलाते हैं । वे उस समय बुद्धत्व के धलए
उम्मीदवार होते हैं और दान, शील, मैत्री, सत्य आधद दस पारधमताओं अथवा
पररपूर्वताओं का अभ्यास करते हैं ।
What is the moral of the story of Jataka stories?

The moral of these stories is that acts of love, kindness, duty, generosity and wisdom secure
a better place in the next birth.

Little Prince No-father [The Power of Truth]

Once upon a time, the King of Benares went on a picnic in the forest. The beautiful flowers and trees
and fruits made him very happy. As he was enjoying their beauty, he slowly went deeper and deeper
into the forest. Before long, he became separated from his companions and realized that he was all
alone.

Then he heard the sweet voice of a young woman. She was singing as she collected firewood. To
keep from being afraid of being alone in the forest, the king followed the sound of the lovely voice.
When he finally came upon the singer of the songs, he saw that she was a beautiful fair young
woman, and immediately fell in love with her. They became very friendly, and the king became the
father of the firewood woman's child.
Later, he explained how he had gotten lost in the forest, and convinced her that he was indeed the
King of Benares. She gave him directions for getting back to his palace. The king gave her his
valuable signet ring, and said, "If you give birth to a baby girl, sell this ring and use the money to bring
her up well. If our child turns out to be a baby boy, bring him to me along with this ring for recognition."
So saying, he departed for Benares.

In the fullness of time, the firewood woman gave birth to a cute little baby boy. Being a simple shy
woman, she was afraid to take him to the fancy court in Benares, but she saved the king's signet ring.

In a few years, the baby grew into a little boy. When he played with the other children in the village,
they teased him and mistreated him, and even started fights with him. It was because his mother was
not married that the other children picked on him. They yelled at him, "No-father! No-father! Your
name should be No-father!"

Of course this made the little boy feel ashamed and hurt and sad. He often ran home crying to his
mother. One day, he told her how the other children called him, "No-father! No-father! Your name
should be No-father!" Then his mother said, "Don't be ashamed, my son. You are not just an ordinary
little boy. Your father is the King of Benares!"

The little boy was very surprised. He asked his mother, "Do you have any proof of this?" So she told
him about his father giving her the signet ring, and that if the baby was a boy she should bring him to
Benares, along with the ring as proof. The little boy said, "Let's go then." Because of what happened,
she agreed, and the next day they set out for Benares.

When they arrived at the king's palace, the gate keeper told the king the firewood woman and her little
son wanted to see him. They went into the royal assembly hall, which was filled with the king's
ministers and advisers. The woman reminded the king of their time together in the forest. Finally she
said, "Your majesty, here is your son."

The king was ashamed in front of all the ladies and gentlemen of his court. So, even though he knew
the woman spoke the truth, he said, "He is not my son!" Then the lovely young mother showed the
signet ring as proof.

Again the king was ashamed and denied the truth, saying, "It is not my ring!"

Then the poor woman thought to herself, "I have no witness and no evidence to prove what I say. I
have only my faith in the power of truth." So she said to the king, "If I throw this little boy up into the
air, if he truly is your son, may he remain in the air without falling. If he is not your son, may he fall to
the floor and die!"

Suddenly, she grabbed the boy by his foot and threw him up into the air. Lo and behold, the boy sat in
the cross-legged position, suspended in midair, without falling. Everyone was astonished, to say the
least! Remaining in the air, the little boy spoke to the mighty king. "My lord, I am indeed a son born to
you. You take care of many people who are not related to you. You even maintain countless
elephants, horses and other animals. And yet, you do not think of looking after and raising me, your
own son. Please do take care of me and my mother."

Hearing this, the king's pride was overcome. He was humbled by the truth of the little boy's powerful
words. He held out his arms and said, "Come to me my son, and I will take good care of you."

Amazed by such a wonder, all the others in the court put out their arms. They too asked the floating
little boy to come to them. But he went directly from midair into his father's arms. With his son seated
on his lap, the king announced that he would be the crown prince, and his mother would be the
number one queen.

In this way, the king and all his court learned the power of truth. Benares became known as a place of
honest justice. In time the king died. The grown up crown prince wanted to show the people that all
deserve respect, regardless of birth. So he had himself crowned under the official name, "King No-
father!" He went on to rule the kingdom in a generous and righteous way.

The moral is: The truth is always stronger than a lie.