This week's story !!...PANCHATANTRA

[Guest guest]

There was a city named Mahilaropya in the

southern India. In this city lived a pious merchant named

Vardhamaan. One night, when Vardhamaan was going to sleep

suddenly a thought came to haunt his mind that he might

lose all of his wealth. Then even his family members

would abandon him. All night long, Vardhamaan kept

thinking about various ways to earn more and more wealth.

At last, he concluded that commerce was the only way

to earn money with honour. In the morning,

Vardhamaan packed many utensils and pots on a bullock cart

and set out for Mathura in a caravan of fellow

traders. He was intending to sell those utensils in the

city of Mathura. Two oxen, Mandak and Sanjeevak were

hauling the bullock cart. When the caravan reached in the

dense forest, Sanjeevak got stuck in marshy land and

broke one of his legs. The accident caused great

desperation for Vardhamaan. His love for his bullock made him

stay for three nights. Seeing Vardhamaan's plight, his

friends said: "This forest is inhabited by tigers and

lions. You are risking our lives also along with this

ox. Do not worry about the ox and leave it there.

Believe us that it will recover in a few days or die. But

in any case, you cannot help it".<br><br>Vardhamaan

agreed to his friends and appointed some guards to

protect the bullock and resumed his journey. After a

while, the guards got tired of keeping watch on a

seemingly useless animal. So, they deserted Sanjeevak and

also came to join Vardhamaan. They falsely told him

that the ox had died and that they had performed the

final rites. Vardhamaan felt sorry to hear the news.

<br><br>Here in he forest, fresh green grass and pure air and

water had a transforming effect on Sanjeevak. It

recovered and regained its health once again. It was even

stronger than before. Buzzing with strength, Sanjeevak

began to rub its horns against the heap of the sand and

started making all sorts of noises.<br><br>A lion named

Pingalak also inhabited the forest. One day, Pingalak came

to quench his thirst in the river Yamuna.

Incidentally, he heard the bellowing of the bullock Sanjeevak

and mistook it for some ferocious animal. The

bellowing had in fact frightened the lion. So, he hid

behind the bushes under a Banyan tree. The lion Pingalak

had two jackals as his minsiters. They always

followed the lion everywhere. Their names were Damanak and

Kartak. The frightened behaviour of Pingalak surprised

them. They began to discuss about his

behaviour.<br><br>Damanak asked Kartak the reason why the lion hid? Kartak

however cautioned him against meddling in the matters of

their king and said why should they think about all

that.

[Guest guest]

Damanak replied: "What is so great about knowing

that. It is said that even an animal can understand

spoken commands. With inspiration, a horse can bear the

weight on an elephant and the wise people understand

even the unspoken things. <br><br>One can understand

the feelings of a person on the basis of following

things: hints, thinking, actions, speech, eyes and facial

expressions. <br><br>That is the reason why I shall approach

the terrorized king and using my intellect appease

him and regain the post of the minister once again",

said Damanak.<br><br>Kartak said: "You don't even know

what is service, how shall you serve the king then".

Damanak said: "I am well acquainted with principles of

service. When I was a child, I had heard, in my father's

lap, practical rules of wisdom from saints".

<br><br>People, who don't recognize individual's merit, should

not serve the king because it is like ploughing a

barren field and one is sure not to get fruit in lieu at

all. <br><br>It is still good to serve the king even

if he lacks wealth and powers because doing so one

reaps the fruits of his service in future. <br><br>The

wise people should never think of material gains from

an ignorant king in return of their service.

<br><br>Those, who criticize the king, should be their own

critics first, because either they are not fit for

service or not aware of the rules to serve. The servant

should pay due respect to the queen, the prince, the

princess, the chief minister, the priest and the sentries

of the royal palace as well. He who always greets

the king and knows his dos and don'ts well and acts

accordingly is beloved to the king. One who stands at

forefront in the battle, walks behind the king in the city

and waits at the door of the royal chamber is beloved

to the king. Kartak asked, "What shall you say first

to the king when you approach him"? Damanak said:

"When the rain is good, a seed germinates and grows

into a tree and from the tree many more seeds take

birth. In the same way, one tale gives birth to another

tale and so on. I shall, therefore, not talk about his

bad times because even the Lord feels insulted by the

talks that highlight omens about him". With these

words, Damanak proceeded towards Pingalak. When the king

saw Damanak arriving, he instructed the guard to let

him in for Damanak was the son of his former

minister. The lion king was pleased to see him. Very

respectfully, Damanak said: "Although my visit appears

purposeless, but all the inferior as well as superior people

find a purpose to visit a king". <br><br>Pingalak

said- "Let us keep this discussion aside. I have

allowed you in because you are the son of my former

minister. I do not know whether you are capable or

incapable, so please speak openly and express what you

desire". <br><br>Damanak said- "The king shouldn't express

even the menial task in the court. If you intend to

listen to my desire you may hear it in privacy".

<br><br>A secret heard by six ears is easily spread. On the

contrary, a secret heard by four ears remains a secret.

That is why a prudent king should perform the task in

such a way that six ears don't even get a whisper of

it. <br><br>In privacy, Damanak asked Pingalak: "Why

did you hide that day while you were drinking water

in the river". Pingalak replied: "Didn't you hear

the strange roar and bellowing. It seems that some

dangerous animal has come in the forest. I intend to

abandon this forest for life". <br><br>Damanak said that:

"Is it right for a king like you to run away just

listening to the loud bellowing. It could possibly be noise

of drums or anything else. That is the reason why

one should not fear noise, like Gomayu". Pingalak

asked in surprise "how"?

[Guest guest]

Once, a jackal named Gomayu felt very hungry and

was roaming in the forest in search of food.

Suddenly, he stumbled upon a battlefield where two armies

were standing face to face ready for a war.

Incidentally, a branch of a tree struck the drum that had

fallen besides the tree and produced a loud noise. The

noise frightened the jackal to the extent that he began

to worry about his life. He thought 'Now, I think

I'll be destroyed. Before the creature who is making

such a loud noise sees me I should run away from

here.' <br><br>Then a thought surpassed his mind that it

is not right for him to abandon the forest where his

ancestors had lived. So, Gomayu decided to investigate the

cause of the noise first. <br><br>Very cautiously,

Gomayu moved ahead. He went near the drum and curiously

started playing it himself. He thought that he had got

lot of food after many days. There would definitely

be lot of flesh below the skin. Thinking this, he

made a hole in the drum and entered it. But as the

skin of the drum was torn apart, it appeared empty

with no trace of flesh inside. <br><br>Moral-"Without

proper knowledge, one should not be obsessed by anything

merely listening to the sound. A king who does not lose

courage while fighting a formidable enemy shall never

lose."<br><br>"That is why, we should first find out who was creating

that loud sound. Please stay here until I get some

information about the sound," Damanak requested the lion and

left. Pingalak thought that it wasn't good of him that

he believed the jackal's words. Perhaps the jackal

could be interested in befriending with the enemy and

dethrone him. Thus thinking, Pingalak decided to follow

the jackal and hide at some safer place in the forest

to see its movements. Pingalak accordingly went and

hid in the forest. In the meantime, Damanak also

entered the forest and approached Sanjeevak. He was

pleased to find that Sanjeevak was only a bull. Having

learnt about the identity of the sound's source, Damanak

thought: 'A king stricken with the crisis is always

dependent on his ministers. Therefore, the ministers always

pray and make sure that the king should always be in

misery.' <br><br>Thinking this, Damanak went to Pingalak,

who sat in front of him suppressing his fear.

Pingalak asked: "Have you seen the creature, Damanak?"

[Guest guest]

Damanak replied: "Yes, your majesty, I have seen

him and possibly he might have also seen you. But

strong and superior people don't inflict pains on the

weaker and may be that was the reason he did not hurt

you." <br><br>The gail does not uproot grass, which is

tender and bent before the wind. Similarly, superior

people with high thinking do possess humble nature. They

show their bravery against stronger people.

<br><br>Damanak said: "You majesty, it is true that the creature

is courageous as well as strong and that we are weak

and feeble. But if the king wishes I could bring that

creature in your service." <br><br>Pingalak breathed a

sigh of relief and asked: "Is this really possible?"

Damanak replied: "Yes, it is possible to do anything with

the help of intelligence." It has also been said:

<br><br>"It is easier to win a war with the help of

intelligence rather than trying to win with physical might."

<br><br>Pingalak replied: "If it is so, I appoint you at the post

of minister right now and authorize you with the

discretionary powers to punish and reward accordingly."

<br><br>After this, Damanak approached Sanjeevak and frightened

him with the might of wild animals. He made friend

with the bull and assured him that he would introduce

him to Pingalak, the lion king. Damanak told

Sanjeevak that it is in his best interest that he seek

pardon from the king and earn his patronage. "Do not

waste your strength whimsically. I will accordingly

become the minister of the state and then we both shall

enjoy the comforts and luxuries of the royal court",

Damanak coaxed the bull. <br><br>The person who is egoist

and does not respect all people equally is degraded

and suffers a fall in the position like Dantil though

he may be honored by the king. Sanjeevak asked

Damanak: "How is that?" Damanak narrated the story of

Dantil to Sanjeevak