The Story of Cunning Jackal
There lived a
lion by name VajraDhamshtra (Thundered-teeth) in a part of a forest with the
friends a jackal, a wolf and a camel namely Chaturaka (Smart and Cunning),
KravyaMukha (Meat-Faced) and SankuKarna (Spike-Eared) respectively for a long
time. Once upon a time, the lion
VajraDhamshtra fought with a furious wild elephant. The elephant become enrage
with the lion and tore the body of lion with its sharp-pointed tusks. Then the lion withdrew itself from there
become highly afflicted. It was suffered
for a week-fast, become weak and lean with hunger. Then the lion ordered his friends jackal, wolf
and camel to bring the prey by searching any creature in the forest. We can have nourishment. On receiving the order of the lion, these
three roamed the around the wood, but unable to find and gain anything.
At this juncture
the smart jackal started to think a plan that if this camel would have been
killed we can nourish ourselves for a few days.
Though the lion which is our master may not wish to do so, I will make
it to accept through my plan by which our master will kill this camel. Then the smart Jackal spoke aloud to others
thus: Oh! My dear friend SankuKarna! Our master is lacking wholesome food for
which he is starving. If he continues in
this state, our life also will be questionable.
I have a suggestion for your benefit and also for our master. If you accept my idea, please listen. Then the camel hurried to listen the words of
the jackal thus: Oh! My dear friend! Tell me quick by which I can please our
master. Then the Smart Jackal continued to narrate thus: Oh! My good fellow! Give your own body
whole-heartedly, so that you may get double body and our master also will
survive for long.
Then the stupid
camel believed the words of the jackal and replied thus: Oh! My friend! If it is possible, I am ready
to sacrifice myself for the sake of our master. I suspect only that the
Death-God has to accept to give the guarantee to revive me with another body.
After having decided
so, they all three returned there where the lion expected them and the jackal told
thus: Oh! King! We were unable to find the prey to you today. Now the sun-set came. On hearing this, the lion became dispirited.
But the jackal continued thus: Oh! King! Our friend the SankuKarna proposed
that if you call upon the Death-God who will accept to revive me with another
body. Then the lion congratulated those three and struck down the camel with
its paw and the wolf along with jackal tore its body. Immediately the Smart jackal thought to take
entire prey for itself alone. Then the jackal
advised the lion thus: Oh! Master! Before eating your prey, as your body is besmeared
with blood and taint, you must take bath and worship the God. I will stay here to protect your pay. On hearing this, the foolish lion went to
take bath. Then the cunning jackal asked
KravyaMukha- the wolf, to eat some portion of the camel before the returning of
the lion. When the wolf did so, the
jackal told thus: Oh! KravyaMukha! The master
is coming. Please stop tasting this prey. When the lion returned, SankuKarna
roared. On hearing this the enraged lion
asked thus: Who turned this camel into living?
I wish to kill him. Meanwhile, the smart jackal looked at the wolf. On understanding the state, the wolf ran away
from there save itself to another part of the same jungle.
At this
juncture, the flocks of camel those were having jingling bells on their neck, arrived
there. Then the lion asked the jackal
thus; Oh! Chathuraka! What is this horrible noise? Then the cunning jackal took advantage and
started to caution the lion thus: Oh! King! Please run! The enraged Death-God
against you because you brought untimely death upon his camel. So you are going
to be lost. Then the foolish lion out of
fear, to save his dear life ran away immediately. Then, the cunning jackal ate the camel bit by
bit for long time.
The moral of the
story:
“Parasya
peedanam kurvan Svaartha-siddhim cha Pandithah l
Mooda-buddhir na Bhakshetha vane
Chathurako yathaall”
If any wise person
wants to trouble their enemies for pursuing selfish good should keep his plans
secretly like a Smart Jackal which succeeded in his act.
(This story is
taken from the titled MithraBhedhah-the 1st volume of the book
PanchaThanthram which has five volumes viz.,
MitraBedhah, MitraLaabhah, Kaakolookeeyam, Labdhapranaasam
and AparikshitaKaarakam written by Vishnu Sarma was an Indian scholar. The exact period of the
composition of the Panchatantra is uncertain, and estimates vary from
1200 BCE to 300 CE.
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