Wednesday 9 February 2022

28 MORAL FABLES FROM SANSKRIT LITERATURE-TALE 9

                      


The rabbit that fooled the elephant

In a part of a forest there lived an elephant-king by name Chaturdanta along with its retinues.  Once there came a twelve-year draught by which the water reservoirs like tanks, ponds, swamps and lakes got dry.  Then, all the elephants told the elephant-king thus: Oh! King! Our calves are highly suffered by the thirst.  Some are dead and some are like to die.  Please search out any water reservoir by which we can protect ourselves from the thirst. Then the elephant-king contemplated for a long time and told thus:  There is a pond in a lonely place which is filled by the waters of Paathaala Ganga.  We shall move there.  Then all the retinues of elephants started to march towards the pond, reached by spending five nights.  After having plunged in to the water as per their wish the elephant-king, along with retinues departed to their portion of that jungle as the session of evening twilight started.  Around that pond, the numerous of rabbits were lived within their beautiful burrows.  When the troops of elephant were moving here and there on their departure, they were crushing the heads, necks and legs of the numerous rabbits.  Some of them were dead, some were left alive and some were supposed to die. 

After the departure of the elephants, the rabbits which were left alive with bleeding and broken heads, necks and legs, which were lost their off springs, families and relatives assembled and planned thus:  Oh! Dear all! We have lost our life.  If the present state continues there will be no hope to survive. Please plan for an idea to remove this trouble. Then the hare by name LambaKarna who was summoned by the other rabbits.  LambaKarna came there and understood the state.  He accepted to be a messenger to the troops of elephant.  He promised thus: I will function as a messenger of the Moon-Lord and share your message which is really a lie.

In the very next day, LambaKarna moved near the retinues of the elephants.  Then he started speak to the Elephant-king thus:  Oh! The wicked Elephant! How dare you to come to this Lunar Pond?  Here-after don’t come, move away.  Being cautioned by the LambaKarna, the elephant-king asked thus:  Hey! Who are you? Why are you telling so?  Then LambaKarna replied thus: I am Lambakarna residing in the abode of the Moon-Lord. Now I was sent by my Lord as a messenger to warn you.  My Lord is enraged to you because you all killed race of rabbits the affectionate to the Moon-Lord. On hearing the words of LambaKarna, the elephant-king asked thus:  Where is your Lord? I won’t believe you.  Then LambaKarna took that elephant near to the pond.  And warned the elephant thus: “Please come here, maintain silence and see our Lord.  He is in transcendental meditation.  Already he is angry towards you.  If you disturb him, you have to face the consequences.  Saying so, the rabbit LambaKarna showed the reflection of the Moon-Lord in the water of the pond. Then the elephant-king, being afraid of the Moon-Lord left that area along with its retinues.  From that moment, all the race of rabbits lived,

 there itself happily.

Moral of the Story:

“Vyapadesena mahathaam siddhis sanjaayathe paraa l

  Sasino vyapadesena vasanthi sasakaas sukham ll”     

Application of proper stratagem leads to the success.  With the powerful strategy of the rabbit LambaKarna, himself and other rabbits lived ease for a long time. 

(This story is taken from the titled Kaakolookeeyam - the 3rd volume of the book PanchaThanthram which has five volumes viz., Mitra Bedhah, 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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