Anupama Nair
All of us grew up hearing fairy tales and bedtime stories from our elders. I grew up hearing fairy tales and also Panchatantra and Jataka tales. Panchatantra tales are among the most widely known in the world. “They are an example of mystic India, and are the oldest surviving stories of mankind, surviving for centuries, from mouth to mouth, before they were documented. You will love the lucid pace of the stories, and they always make for great bedtime or story telling sessions. Share them will all story lovers, and let them enjoy the light, enchanting life of the stories”. These ancient fables are still relevant for today’s hi-tech lifestyle.
The word Panchatantra is believed to have been formed from the Sanskrit words Pancha meaning five and tantra meaning weaving so it means “inter-weaving of five skeins of traditions into a text”. They have actually documented versions of stories that are many millenniums old. Even these days, they have favored stories across the world. They give the kids an early “footing onto moral and social values, shaping the young minds into an ethical future”.
Now let me tell you about the history of Panchatantra. Once upon a time in the kingdom of Amarashakti in India, lived an old Brahmin Vishnu Sharman. To him was entrusted the task of teaching the three foolish sons of the king, who hated studying. He accepted the challenge of making these three young men “masters of the art of intelligent living or niti” and Panchatantra was the result.
A poet wrote:
“One Vishnu Sharman, shrewdly gleaning
All worldly wisdom’s inner meaning
In these five books the charm compresses
Of all such books, the world possesses”
The original book comprises an introduction followed by five parts or treatises. Each part consists of the primary story which in turn contains stories within it. The five treatises are – “Mitra bheda (dissonance among friends), Mitra Labha (advantages of friendship), Kākolūkīyam (the story of crows and owls), Labdhapraṇāśam (loss of what (desired) was attained), and Aparīkṣitakārakaṃ (to do without pre-examination).
The Sanskrit version of the Panchatantra text gives names to the animal characters. The names connote the character noticeable in nature and also map a human personality that a reader can identify. Dozens of different types of wildlife found in India are thus named, and they establish an array of symbolic characters in the Panchatantra. The names of the animals evoke “layered meaning that resonates with the reader, and the same story can be read at different levels”.
The Panchatantra is a unique contribution of ancient India to the world, that has fascinated “the young and the old, educated and uneducated, rich and poor” for more than 2000 years. A western historian said “it has triumphed over the greatest obstacles of language, custom, religion
Interesting.