Essay name: Panchatantra: A reflex of Arthashastra
Author:
M. N. Indrani
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit
The essay studies the Panchatantra in relation to the Arthashastra by proposing that that Indian fable literature divides into educative and entertaining narratives, both traced back to the sacred Vedic texts. It highlights the 'Pancatantra' and its kin as representative of educative stories.
Chapter 4 - Arthashastra and Panchatantra鈥攁 comparison
41 (of 84)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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Of all these activities, he chose "business" through which he
could earn well; and so much so, he took journey to the another
country, along with his fellows and couple of bulls. During the
journey, one of the bulls got wounded. Hence, the merchant
Vardham膩na stopped his journey, stayed in the forest, and
engaged in taking care of the bull. After three days, as per the
suggestion made by his fellow friends, he proceeded further
leaving the bull and two fellow-friends to take care of it. He also
asked his friends to bring the bull after getting recouped. But,
after some time, the two fellow-friends stopped taking care of
the bull and thought of leaving that place without bull; they
planned to tell lie that the wounded bull died. With this in the
mind, they two left the place and joined their group.
The threads weaving the importance of the money are
interwoven in a single and crisp sentence of Kautilya i.e.
'啶呧ぐ啷嵿ぅ 啶忇さ 啶啶班ぇ啶距え啶� [artha eva pradh膩na岣�] ' 啶囙い啶� 啶曕啶熰た啶侧啶 - 啶呧ぐ啷嵿ぅ啶啶侧 啶灌た 啶оぐ啷嵿ぎ啶曕ぞ啶ぞ啶掂た啶むた 啷�
[iti kau峁璱lya岣� - artham奴lau hi dharmak膩m膩viti ||
] It is noteworthy to point that the fellow merchants
discontinued their journey and halted in the forest with a view
to protecting the bull they had. After three days, other fellow-
merchants said to Vardham膩na that all of them should not
remain here in the forest for the sake of bull. Because in the
acquisition of the wealth one should not stick to the present
condition. In this context it is said, a wise man does not allow
much to be destroyed for saving a little one or profit. In other
