Panchatantra

The Panchatantra is a collection of folktales and fables that were believed to have been originally written in Sanskrit by Vishnu Sharma more than 2500 years ago. This collection of stories features animal characters who are stereotyped to associate certain qualities with them. The origins of the Panchatantra lie in a tale of its own when a King approached a learned pandit to ask him to teach the important lessons of life to his ignorant and unwise sons. This learned scholar knew that the royal princes could not understand complex principles in an ordinary way. So, he devised a method wherein he would impart important knowledge in the form of simple and easy-to-understand folktales. Thus, the Panchatantra came into origin. It is one of the most popular collections of Indian tales and has influenced literature all over the world since the time of its conception. This particular version of the Panchatantra was translated by G L Chandiramani, who has also translated the Hitopadesha. Panchatantra comes from the individual words, ‘pancha’ and ‘tantra’. While Pancha refers to the number five, tantra refers to ways/strategies related to inner fulfilment. The stories in this book aim to impart the deeper wisdom of life, through the simple portrayal of animal characters. The story of two geese and a tortoise is dedicated to the moral of heeding a trusted friend’s advice. Another story deals with a wise old rabbit and an angry lion who can’t control his impatience.