Panchatantra_clone

PANCHATANTRA PANDIT VISHNU SHARMA Translated by G. L. Chandiramani

Copyright© Sheila G. Chandiramani First in Rupa Paperback 1991 Twentieth Impression 2011 Published by Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd. 7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110 002 Sales Centres: Allahabad Bengaluru Chennai Hyderabad Jaipur Kathmandu Kolkata Mumbai All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, '• electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Typeset by Mindways Design 1410 Chiranjiv Tower 43 Nehru Place New Delhi 110 019 Printed in India by Gopsons Papers Ltd. A-14 Sector 60 Noida 201 301

PREFACE The original text of the Panchataritra in Sanskrit was probably written about 200 B.C . by a great H indu scholar,. Pandit Vishnu _Sharma. But some of the tales themselves mcust-be much older, their origin going back to the period of the Rig-Veda and Upanishads (from 1500 B .C . to 500 B . C . ) . According to SQme scholars of the Indo-European languages, the Panchatantra is the oldest collection of Indian fables surviving. In cour�e of time, travellers took these stories with them to Pei:sia and Arabia and finally through Greece, they reached Europe. It is surmised that a version of the Panchatantra was composed in the Pahlavi language of pre-ISiamic Iran sometime in the 6th century A.D., being followed by an Arabic one in the 8t_h century A.D. The Greek translation was made towards th'e dose of the 11th century A.D. from which it was lransl�ted into various European languages. This accounts for �he fact that to many/Westerners, some of the stories h�ye a familiar ring. So far it has been translated into 50 or more languages of the world. The gypsies, whose Indian origin is well established, also helped in spreading these tales in Europe. The Panchatantra is essentially connected with one of the branches of science known by the Indians as the 'Nitishastra' which in Sanskrit means 'A book of wise conduct in life'. It attempts to teach us, how · to understand people, h ow to choose reliable and trust­ worthy friends, how to meet difficulties and solve problems through tact and� wisdom, and how to live in peace and harmony in the face of hypocrisy, deceit and many pitfalls in life. The Panchatantra is woven round the frame of a tale of a king who entrusts his three 'dud' sons to a learned man, a Brahmin, called Pandit Vishnu Sharma, to enlighten their minds within six months. · The Brahmin