The Story of Mother Shandili

” ‘Once, during the monsoon season, I requested a Brahmin to allow me to stay with Qim, so that I couldfast and pray undisturbed. He agreed, and I went tohis home. ” ‘One day, I was listening attentively to theconversation the Brahmin was, having with his wife. “Brahmini,” he said to her, “tomorrow is a spcialfestival, it’s Sankranti, a very favourable time forcollecting alms. So I shall go to one of the villages tobeg. And you too should give something to a Brahmin.” ” ‘The B rahmini got excited when she heard him saythis. ” How can we afford to give something to a B rahminwhen we are s6 poor ourselves! ” she exclaimed. “Andanother thing, ever since I married you, I have had noluck whatsoever. I have never had any good food toeat or any good clothes to wear and you’ve never boughtme a single ornament!” ” ‘When the Brahmin heard this, his spirits were verydampened and he said, “Oh, Brahmini, when you haveonly a mouthful, you should give half of it. to some onein need. They say:. ‘An insignificant person who gives, Is respected by all, But not so a rich man who is miserly. Sweet water from a small well quenches the thirst, But not the salty water of the g1·eat ocean.’ ” -“Well,” said the Brahmin’s wife, ” I have got a few · ssame seeds. I’ll take the husks off them and make them into a tasty dish for some Brahmin.” ” ‘And so, early next morning, when the B rahmin hadleft for the next village, his wife cleaned the sesame:.seeds in hot water, removed the husks and put themin the sun to dry. Then she got busy with her householdwork. ” ‘Meanwhile, a dog came along and cocked his leg

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up over the sesame seeds and went away. When the Brahmini saw what had happened, she said, ·: Fate has’ · turned against me! What a trick to play! Well, I’ll takethe seeds to some other house and exchange them forsome unhusked seeds, anyone will agree to such anexchange.”. -‘And so,’ continued the Sanyasi, ‘mother Shandili we.i ltoff to exchange them. Now, she happened to go to thevery. house that I was. visiting that. motn·g to collectalms. She sai{i to the lady of the house, “Would youlike, to change these husked sesame seeds for unhusked ones?” “. ‘The lady of the house was just about to make theexchange when her son sropped her, quot; ing from the Kamandaki nitis hastra. “Mother! ” he went on. “1heremust be some reason for mother Shandili to be tryingto exchaffge these husked sesame seeds. Don’t agree to. itl”‘ ” ‘When mother Shandili saw that she had failed, shequietly left the house and returned home. -‘And so,’ continued the Sanyasi, ‘that’s why I said, that for every action there is always an explanation. and the explanation for this mouse’s, supernattiral jumpingpower lies in his vast accumulation of food. Now, ·yousay you don’t know where he comes from ” -‘No, B hagawanl’ said rhc Sadhu. -‘Do you have a pickaxe?’ asked the Sanyasi. -‘Yes,’ said the Sadhu. ‘I have an iron one.’ -‘Well,’ said the Sanyasi, ‘early tomorrow morning, bothof us will follow the mouse’s tracks, find his hole anddig up his store of food. ‘ ” Now when I heard this, I thought to myself, ‘I amdone for. What this Sanyasi says is logical and I amquite sure that they will find my hoarding place, for they say: “A wise man can weigh another’s strength By a mere glance And estimate the weight of an object ·

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PA NCHATANTRA

Sim ply by handling it.” ‘ “So trembling with fear and accompanied by myfoll9wers, I avoided the usual way home and led themby a devious route, to try to mislead the Sadhu and the Sanyasi. “All of a sudden, there, right in front of us, was abig tomcat. He pounced headlong, killed some of. usand injured others. Those who managed to survive, returned to their holes, cursing me all the way forhaving led them into this. The floor was covered with the blood of the injured and the dead. It’s true what they. say: ‘When. Fate is hostile, What -can you achieve Bymaking an effort to avoid it?’ ” I was very upset by this incident and afterwards, lwent off somewhere on my own. “After some time, the wicked Sanyasi, accompanied by the Sadhu, followed the track of blood, searching formouse holes. He chanced to arrive at the ent rance ofmy hole and began to dig the ground. While he wasdigging, he found the hoard of food that. I had beenguarding all these days, whose possession made meexalted and gave me the ‘ energy to jump and reachsuch difficult places. Then, taking the hoard of food ‘ with them, the two returned to the temple. “When I reached my hole, l could not bear to lookat · the desolate place. I began to think, ‘What shall Ido? Where shall I go? How can I find peace of mind?’ Absorbed in such thoughts, 11 spent a miserable night. “As the sun set, I made my way to the temple, deeplydejected. My followers came with me. When Tamrachuda.heard the noise we made, he began to hit the beggingbowl with the split bambo? stick. -‘My dear fellow,’ said his guest, ‘why don’t you relaxand go to bed?’ -‘Bhagawan,’ replied the Sadhu, ‘that wicked mouseand his gang are back again! That’s why I am hitting ·

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the bowl.’.-‘My friend,’ said his guest with a smile, ‘don’t worry. After losing his hoard of food, this mouse will also have · lost his energy to jump. All creatn·es react in the sameway, for: “To flaunt oneself; to humble others, And to treat hem ontemptuously, All this is done on the strength of riches.” ‘ “When I heard this, I felt very annoyed and jumpedat the begging bowl, but I missed it and fell to theground. “When my enemy heard me fall, he laughed heartilyand said to Tamrachuda, ‘Look, Look! How fu!!ny l Seehow he is staggering about! Without his riches, thismouse has become as ordinary as any of the others inhis gang. Now, go to sleep and let your mind be 1l trest. We have, in our hands; the source of his energyto jump. They say: “A snake without fangs And a man without money, Merely exist.” ‘ “When I heard this, I said to myself, ‘Yes, my enemyis quite right. I can hardly jum r. Cursed is the life ofa fellow who is deprived of his riches. As they say: “A rich man Who loses his money, Suffers more than a poor man Who never had any.” ‘ ” Now, while I was there, J discovered that my enemywas keeping my hoard of food in’ a small bag and usingit for a pillow. I was very upset.. “By the time I returned home, it was morning. Whenmy followers saw me, they began to whisper to each other, ‘He’s incapable of leading us properly. B yfollowing him, we shall only fall a prey J o fat cats. Wharis the good of having a leader. like that, for: “A master from whom one derives n o benefits, Should be avoided from a long distance.” ‘

“When I heard them say this, I went quietly into myhol. Nobody came near me and I thought to myself, ‘Curse. poverty, for: “The life of a man without riches, A marriage without chil d ren, Oblations to dead parents without a Brahmin’srituals And religious ceremonies without gifts to charity, All these are futile.” ‘ “While I was thinking this, my followers chose anotherleader. Seeing me utterly deserted, they began to makefun of me.. “By now, it was evening. Half asleep, I began to thin: k, ‘ I. shall try to enter the temple tonight while the Sadhuis fast asleep and slowly drag away the pillow and myhoard of food. In this way, I shall regain my former tatus. And even if I lose my life in the attempt, it willbe worth it.’ “So I went back to the temple. I reached the bag andstealthily began to pull at it, but somehow the Sadhuwoke up and hit out at me with the split bamboo stick. ij was destined to live longer, so I escaped the blow. I t’s said: ‘Y: ou always get What’s coming to you. Even th gods can’t oppose The laws of destiny. And O, I regret nothing {nd nothing astortishes me. What destiny gives me, No one can take away.’ “How was that?. asked the crow and the turtle. and the mouse told:

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THE STORY O, F THE MERCHANT’S SON ” In a certain town, there lived a merchant whose namewas Sagaradatta. He had one son. One day, the youngman bought a book that was being sold for ti hundredrupees. Inside the book, the only thing written was asingle verse. It went like this: ‘You always get What’s coming to you. Even the gods can’t oppose The laws of destiny. And so, I regret nothing And nothing astonishes me. What destiny gives me, No one can take away.’ “When Sagaradatta saw his son’s book, he asked hm, ‘How much did you pay for this book?’ -‘A hundred rupees,’ replied his son. -‘You stupid fellow! ‘ said his father. ‘You ought to beashamed of yourself. If you pay a hundred rupees fora book with only one verse in it, how will you fare inbusiness! From today onward never enter my houseagain! ‘ “With these harsh words, he drove him out of thehouse. “Utterly dejected, the merchant’s son went off toanother city to settle down there. “After a few days, one of the residents said to him, ‘What’s your name and where do you come from?’ -‘You always get what’s coming to you,’ he replied. “And whoever asked him the same question receivedthe same reply. And so, the merchant’s son came to’ beknown by the name of ‘Get-what’s-coming-to-you. ‘ “One day, a young and very beautiful princess, whosename was Chandravati, accompanied by a lady-in-wait ing, went to a certain festival in the cit’y. While she wast here, by chance her eyes fell on a very handsome prince

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and immediately Kamadeva fired an arrow into herheart.. “The princess turned to her lady-in-waiting and said, ‘ Find a way for me to meet this prince! ‘ “And so, thy lady-in-waiting went u p. to the princeand said, ‘The princess Chandravati has sent me tospeak to you. This is the message she · sends, “The minute! saw you, Kamadeva’s arrow pierced my heart. Cometo me quickly or I shall die.” ‘ -‘But how can I enter the palace to meet the princess?’ said the prince. -‘Well,’ replied the lady-in.,.waiting, ‘when it’s dark, youwill find a rope hanging from one of the windows of the palace. You can climb up on it and get into theprincess’s room.’. -‘Well,’ replied the prince, ‘if the princess really wantsme to, I shall certainly come.’ “However when the time came, the prince thought tohimself, ‘It would be very wicked of me to meet theprincess like this, for they say: ‘A wise man should. avoid doing anything Which may bring dishonour, humiliation Or exclusion from heaven.” ‘ “And so, having thought the matter over carefully, theprince decided not to go to the princess. “Meanwhile, Get-what’s-coming-to-you was wanderingabout in the dark, when he came across the white palaceand saw the rope hanging down. Curious to know whatit was for, he caught hold of it and climbed up. ”When he arrived at the princess’s window, as it wasdark, she took it for granted that it was the prince. Shereceived him warmly, gave him food and drink andentertained him lavishly. “Afterwards, she said to him, ‘I fell in love with youat first sight and I belong to you, body and soul. Inmi heart I shall never have any husband except you. But why don’t you speak to me?’ -‘You always get what’s coming to you, replied the ·

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WINNING OF FRIENDS

merchant’s son. “Perplexed by this curious reply, the princess took acloser look at, her companion and realised that it wasnot the prince at all. She was furious and turned himout immediately, making him descend the same way hehad gone u p. Get-what’s-coming-to-you meekly made hisway to an old temple near by and went to sleep. ” Now, a night watchman, who had made anappointment with a woman of bad character in the samedilapidated temple, woke him up and asked him, ‘Whoare you? ‘ -‘You always get w hat’s coming t o you, ‘ replied the

merchant’s son. “Now, this watchman wan ed to cover up his ownwicked carryings-on, so he said to Get-what’s-coming-to you, ‘This is a very broken-down old temple, no oneever stays here. You had better go over to ll1Y houseand rest there.’ And he pointed out his house. Get-what’s-coming-to-you agreed and went there.

” However, he entered the wrong room. In this room, the watchman’s beautiful · daught, er, whose name was 1Vinayavati, was waiting for her lover, with whom shehad made an appointment. When Get-what’s-coming-to you appe ared on the scene, it was pitch dark. Thinkingi t was her lover, the girl married him according to Gandharva rites. Afterwards she asked him, ‘Why don’tyou talk to me?’ ·,

-‘You always get what’s coming to. you,’ he replied. “As soon as Vinayavati heard this, she realised that it was not her lover at all but someone else, and shethought to herself, ‘Whenever you rush into something, “o/ithout thinking about it sufficiel)tly, this sort of thinghap pens.’ Then she cursed Get-what’s-coming-to-you andthrew him out of the house. “When he came out, he saw a huge marriage processionpassing by. The bridegroom, whose name was Vara keerti , was coming from another village to get marrie Cl. ” Get-what’s-coming-to-you

joined

the

procession

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making its way to the bride’s house. ” Now the bride’s father had got a special rostrumerected on the main highway for the marriage ceremonyand the bride was seated on it in magnificent clothesand jewels, waiting for the bridegroom. “Suddenly, a mad elephant, who had already killedhi&. master, appe ared on the scene. When they saw him, 0neand all ran helter-skelter to safety. But the bride I ‘ was too terrified to move. HWhen Get-what’s-coming-to-you saw this, he rushedto her and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you! ‘ Andhe took hold of her left hand and pacified her. Thenhe pulled a huge nail out of the rostrum and verycourageously went up to the elephant and jabbed thenail into him. As luck would have it, the elephant gotfrightened and ran away. “After some time, the bridegroom, along with hisfriends and relatives, returned to the scene. When hesaw someone else holding the bride’s hand, he said toher father, ‘Look here! Yoµ promised me this girl’shand and now you have..given her away to some oneelse.’ -‘Listen! ‘ replied the girl’s father; ‘I was so t.r rifiedwhen the elephant appe ared that I ran off, like the restof you. I really don’t know what happened during myabsence.’ Then he turned to his daughter and said, ‘What did happen? Tell me! ‘ She replied, ‘When mylife was in danger, tl; iis man showed great courage andsaved me. Now, I will marry no one but him.’ “; After this, the whole night elapsed in argument. “By morning, the whole city was humming with the news. The king and the princess also heard about it and came personally. “The night watchman’s daughter also heard the newsand arrived on the scene. -‘What’s all this about?’ the king asked Get-what’s-com ing-to-you. ‘Explain to me.’ -‘You always get what’s coming to you,’ he rer Jiied.

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“When the princess heard this reply, she immediatelyremembered the previm1s night’s incident and thoughtto herself. ‘Even the gods can’t oppose · The laws of destiny.’ “When the night watchman’s daughter heard his reply, she too remembered the previous night’s happeningsand said, ‘And so, I regret nothing And nothing astonishes me.’ “And when · the bride heard his reply, she said, ‘What destiny gives me, No one can take away.’ “When the king heard them talking like this, he feltthat there was something mysterious behind it all andhe insisted on knowing the truth. TJie princess an · thetwo girls told him in detail exactly what had happeneclbetween them and Get-what’s-coming-to-you. “Then, with great pomp and ceremony, · the king gavethe princess · in marriage to Get-what’s-coming-to-youand presented him with a.thousand villages and all sortsof ornaments. As he had no son, he appointed Get-what’s-coming-to-you as his heir-apparent to thethrone. “The night watchman also gave Get-what’s-coming-to you his daughter in marriage, with a dowry such as hecould afford. “The merchant also gave Get-what’s-coming-to-you hisdaughter in marriage and showered him with presents. “When it was all over, Get-what’s-coming-to-youarranged for his parents and relatives to be brought tohim and they all lived happily ever after. -“And so,” continued the mouse, “that’s why I said: ‘You always get What’s coming to you: Even the gods can’t oppose The laws of destiny. And so, I regret nothing And nothing astonishes me.

What destiny gives me, No one can take away.’ · -“Now I had suffered deeply at the temple and I wasvery unhappy. I did not feel that it was worth stayinginthatplace, that’swhy Icame herewith Laghu p learned in the deep jungle.’ ” -“Hciw was that?” asked the mouse and the crow. And Mantharaka tol d:

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THE STORY f JF SOMILAKA ‘ ” In a cer tain town, there lived a weaver by the nameof Somilaka. The cloth he wove was so exquisite that it was ·fit to be worn by kings. But somehow, he could. earn only just enough to make two enc; ls meet. On the other hand, the other weavers, who produced in£erio1 cloth, had become very rich. “Seeing this, the weaver said to his wife, ‘My d F.a r Jlook at ‘this! These weavers produce inferior dolh andyet they have become rich,.while I remain poor. I amfed up with this place! I mean to go to some otherkingdom and make money there. ‘ -‘My dear husband,’ replied his wife, ‘you’re quitewrong in thinking that you will earn money somewhereelse, when you can’t make it here, for they say: “What is not predestined, Do what you will, Can never happen: What is not predestined, Will even come into your hand And yet slip away: But what destiny has planned, Will surely come to pass Without your help: For destiny and action Go hand in hand, The one is as much a part of the other, As light and shade.” And, “As a calf will find out its mother Amongst a thousand cows. So destiny selects its per formers From amongst the masses.” –‘And so,’ continued his wife, ‘carry on working· here. ‘ -‘My dear,’ said th@- weaver, ‘what you say isn’t true, for they say:

·

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“No plan can succeed, Without determined effort, Any more than you can clap with one hand.” -‘Even if destiny makes food available, you have tostretch out your hand and take jt. It do.es not fall intoyour· mouth, any more than a deer falls into the mouth · o f a reclining lion. It’s the people who make a determinede ffort who succeed. As they say: “Lakshmi bestows her favours, On the zealous man, She scorns the idle, Who depend entirely on luck. So, brush destiny aside And try with all your might. If you still fail, Find out what went. wrong.” -‘And so, my dear,’ continued the weaver, ‘I have madeup my mind to go somewhere else.’ “Soon after-wards, the weaver left his home town andwent to Vardhamanapura. ” H e lived there fo r three years and. earned threehundred, pieces of gold. Then he started off on hisj ourney home. ” He, was half way home, and still deep in the jungle, when the sun set. For fear of the wild animals, heclimbed up a big banyan tree and went to slep there. While he slept, he’ had a dream. He saw twoterrifying-looking people, arguing with each other. -‘Action!’ said one of them to the other. ‘Why did youallow Somilaka to earn three hundred pieces of gold? Don’t you know that he is destined t O earn only what he requires for his food and, clothing?’ -‘Destiny! ‘ replied the other. ‘What could I do? Thisman put in a great effort and I had to reward himaccording to his actions. But it is still for you to decidehow much he is going to retain: So why blame me?’ “When the weaver woke up, he peered into his bundleand found that the gold coins had disappe ared. He ·

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began4o think adly., ‘Oh, whatever has happened? Itook so much time.and trouble to earn this money andit has vanished in 1a imoment. All my efforts were invain. H ow can. I show my face to my wife and frindsin this poverty-stricke condition?’ “And · so, he decided not to continue the journey homeand he returned to Vardhamanapura. ” In a year’s time, he had earned five hundred goldcoins. Once more, he started off on his homewardjourney. As before, half way home, he was still deep in the jungle when the sun set. For fear of losing his goldcoins, as on the 1 previous occasion, he did not stop torest but continued to walk fast, even though he was, very tired. “After a while, he heard voices. Two men were talking: -‘Action! ‘ said one of them to the other. ‘Why did youlet Somilaka earn five hundred gold pieces? Don’t youknow that he is destined to earn only what he requiresfor his food and clothing?’ -‘Destiny! ‘ replied the other. ‘What could I do? -Theman put in a great effort and I had to reward himaccording to his actions. But it is still for you to decidehow much he is going to retain. So why blame me?’ “When Somilaka heard this, he peered into his bagand found that the gold coins had disappe ared. ” He was so utterly disheartened that he thought tohimself, ‘Oh, what is the good of living, if I have lostmy money. I shall hang myself from this banyan tree.’ “And so, he wove a rope of grass, made a noose an, dtied the rope to the tree. He put the noose around hisneck and was just about to throw himself down, when he heard a voice from heaven. –‘Somilaka! ‘ said the voice. ‘Stop! Don’t d o such a thing! · It is I, Destiny, who stole your gold coins. I cannot bearthat you · should earn even a t: owrie more than whatyou require for your food and clothing. But I ampleased with your industrious spirit. I havenot revealedmyself to you in vain-ask any boon of me and I will

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grant it.’. · ‘Very well then,’ replied Somilaka, ‘please give me alot of money.’ -‘But what will you do with money that you can’t makeuse of?’ asked the voice. ‘You are not destined to earnmore than what you require for your food and clothing.’ -‘Ev: en if I can’t enjoy it,’ said Somilaka, ‘please giveit to me, for: “A m a n who has riches, Is always well received by everyone,.

.

Even if he is a miser or of low qi.ste.” ‘ -‘Ah! ‘ said the voice from the sky. ‘Bu’t first return to Vardhamanapura and go to the homes of two merchants. One is called Guptadhana and the other, Upabhuk:. L(l dhana. When you have studied their behaviour, come back and tell me whe ther you would prefer to be like Guptadhana and have money but not enjoy it, or to be like u pabhuktadhana and have no surplus money because you i; njoy spending all what you have.’ Thenthe voice in the sky ceased.. “And so, Somilaka started back to Vardhamanapura. in a dazed condition. By evening he reached the city, absolutely worn out. He inquired for Guptadhana’s houseand finally arrived there. Although Guptadhana, his wifeand his son objected very strongly, he forcibly entered their house and became their guest. “When it was meal time, they gave him food but ina most insulting manner. When he had finished eating, he went off to bed. While he slept, he heard the same. tw Q people talking:.

-‘Action! ‘ said one of them to the other. ‘Why did youforce Guptadhana to provide Somifaka with a meal when he gave.. it so begrudgingly. Don’t you know that Guptadhana is destined to have money but not enjoyspending i t on himsdf or others?’ -‘Destihy! ‘ replied the other. ‘What could I do? Somilaka’s needs h.ad to be provided for and Guptadhanadid it according to his own miserly nature. But it is for

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you to decide the final outcome. So why blame me?’ “Early the following morning, when Somilaka got up, he found that Guptadhana had -an attack of cholera, and couldn’t eat all day. “Then Somilaka went on to U pabhuktadhana’s house. He was welcomed with open arms. His hqsts providedhim with excellent bathing facilities and gave him newclothes. Afterwards he dined lavishly. “At night time, he retired to a comfortable bed andwent to sleep. While he slept, he heard the same twopeople talking: -‘Action! ‘ said one of them to the other. ‘Why did youallow Upabhuktadhana to entertain Somilaka s0 ex· travagantly, even to the extent of asking for credit a’tthe grocer’s? Don’t you know that Upabhuktadhana isdestined to have no surplus money because he eajoysspending all what he has?’ -‘Destiny! ‘ replied the other. ‘What could I. do? Somilaka’s needs had to be provided for and U pabhuk tadhana did it according to his own generous nature. But it is for you to de<: ide the final outcome So whyblame nie?' "Early next morning, one of the king's servants arrivedand brought money for U pabhuktadhana. "When Somilaka saw this, he said, 'This U pabhukta dhana is not a rich man and yet he is better off than Guptadhana. Let Destiny make me like Upabhukta· dhana.' " His wish was granted and he began to enjoy hismoney to the full just like Upabhuktad hana. -"And so/' continued Mantharaka, "that's why I said: 'A wise man uses his wits To make money But avoids being a miser, For he m ay be destined to lose his money: The art is in learning how to enjoy it. This is what Somilaka learned in the deep jungle.' -"H iranyaka," continued Mantharaka, "knowing this,

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one should not worry about riches. If someone.hasriches and is unable to enjoy them, it’s the same as if he had nothing. It is true, what they say: ‘A man should use his money To provide for his necessities And · to give to charity, But not to hoard, For the bees hoard their honey And people take it away.. Even if he hoards it to give to others, It’s still not a good thing, For it’s like handling mud And then washing your hands. Contentment is what he should aim at, For this is the source of joy, But how can a greedy miser Ever understand the meaning of joy? Now, snakes can live on next to nothing And elephants eat only green stuff, Great sages live on nothing but fruits and herbs, But all these are strong, For they are content with what they have. But what will a man not do for money? He will cast a slur on the righteous, And pratse the wicked.’ ” When M antharaka had finished speaking, the crowturned to the mouse and said, “My friend, what Mantharaka has said just now is very true and shouldbe put into practice. Don’t mind his talking like this.. Only a real friend will say something unpalatable for your own · good, the rest are friends only in name.” While they were talking, a stag, by the name of C hit ranga, turned up on the scene. He was in a stateof panic because the hunters were after him. W hen theysaw him coming, the crow flew up a tree, the mouseslipped into the bushes and. Mantharaka crawled intothe lake. When the crow had been watching the stag carefully ·

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for a short time, he called out to the turtle, “Manthara, kal Come out, it’s all right. This stag has only come t01 quench his thirst.” But Mantharaka, who was a great observer of humannature, replied, “No, No, Laghupatanaka, I don’t thinkthis stag has come to drink water. He is panting forbreath and looking fearfully over his shoulder. I think, he is being pursued by hunters. Go and find out whe ther I am right or not.” So the crow flew off. Then the stag said, “Turtle! You have understood why I am frightened. r es.caped the hunter’s arrow and havemanaged t9 get this far. Now, I beg of you, show mesome’ place to hide, where the hunters can’t reach me.” -“Stag,” replied Mantharaka, “listen to the nitis hastra: ‘There are two. ways of rescuing yourself From the clutches of an enemy: You can use your hands to fight Or your feet to run.’ -“So in this case, before the wicked hunter arrive, FU-ninto the deep jungle over there.” And he pointed outthe direction. Meanwhile, the crow, who had gone to see whe therthe hunters were about or not, returned and went afterthe stag. “Chit ranga,” he called, “it’s alright! The wickedhunters have killed many animals and have gone ‘ with the carcasses. You can come out of the jungle.” And so, the four of them got friendly and, from thattime onward, would meet ereryday at noon, under theshady trees on the bank of the lake and discuss moralsand philosophy. In this way, they spent their time veryhappily. One day it was noon but’ Chit ranga had failed to turnup. The other three got frightened and said to each other, ” How is it that our friend has not come? Hashe been killed by a lion or shot by the hunter’s arrowor been burnt in a forest fire or taught in a trap? Orhas he fallen in a deep pit whilst trying to reach freshgrass?”

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Then M antharaka said · to the crow, “Laghupatanaka! Hiranyakaand I move slowly, so we can’t possibly go. looking for C hit ranga, but you can fly fast. You hadbetter go and search for him to see if he is alive ordead.” ‘ Laghupatanaka started off promptly, but he had flownonly a short distance when he discovered C hit rangacaught in a net on the bank of the lake. When the crowsaw him, he was very upset and said to him, “My dearfellow! How did this happen?” When the stag saw the crow, he too showed greatdistress and, with tears in his eyes, he said,. “I am on the verge of death. I am very glad that you have foundme before I die because I want t Q say to you that if I have ever, thoughtlessly, said or done anything unkindto you, please forgive me. And please say the same to H iranyaka and Mantharaka on my behalf.” -“B u t, C h itranga! ” said Laghupatanaka. “Please don’tgive up hope when you have friends like us. I shallhurry back and fetch Hiranyaka. Don’t be afraid.” In this way, the crow put courage in the stag’s heartand quickly flew to Hiranyaka and Mantharaka and told them about Chit ranga’s captivity. The mouse said! hewould rescue Chit ranga and jumped on the crow’s back. Then the two of them made their way swiftly to where Chit ranga was. When Chit ranga saw them, his spirits brightened andhe said: “The wise choose good friends, For, with their help, It is possible to survive every calamity. ” Then Hiranyaka said t o Chit ranga, ” M y friend, youknow the nitis hastras so well! How was it then that yougot caught in this trap?” -“H iran: yaka,” replied Chit ranga, “please, this isn’t thetinie for discussion. Bite off these meshes and free me, before the hunter returns.” -“Now that I am here, you need not worry about the

W I N N I NG OF FRIENDS

hunter,” said Hiranyaa, “but when people like you getcaught in traps, whatever is the good of studyingnitis hastras! ” -“But, i f fate i s hostile,” said Chit ranga, “even yourknowledge of nitish

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PANCH ATANTRA

flew to the top of a tree and Hiranyaka slipped into ahole near by. The hunter was very disappointed to see the stagescape, but when he saw Mantharaka slowly draggi11ghimself towards the lake, he thought to himself, “Fatehas snatched away the stag from me, but at least it hassent this turtle · for my food. His flesh will satisfy mywhole family.” · 1 And so, the hunter caught the turtle and tied him upwith a net of grass blades. And, slinging him on hisshoulder, beside his bow, he started off for home. When Hiranyaka saw the turtle being carried away, he was heart-broken and he said, “Oh, what a dreadfulthing to happen to us! Hardly. had we got over onetrouble when the other was upon us! Disasters nevercome singly. Destiny, that destroyed my hoard of food, has also snatched away my friend, and a friend like Mantharaka is not easy to find. Destiny, why are youshowering me with arrows of mis fortune? First I lostmy hoard of food, then I was separated from my friendsand family, then I had to leave my home; and now, asif all that wasn’t enough, my dearest friend has beensnatched away from me for ever. Such is the fate ofall living creatures. They say: ‘You get more cuts Where there’s already a wound, And when the money is short, You feel more hungry than usual! ‘ And, ‘When you are alrea, dy in trouble, Your enemies multiply,. ·

And when you are weak Most evils arise.’ ” Meanwhile, Laghu patanaka and Chit ranga arrivedwhere H iranyaka was, their eyes flooding with tears. -‘.’You can stop crying,” said Hiranyaka, “and dosomething about it before Mantharaka gets out of sight. We must think of a plan to save him. As they say:

W I N N I N G OF FRIENDS

‘When calamity strikes, To cry serves no purpose, It only increases the sorrow.’ -” -“You are right,” said the crow. “Listen, I have a plan. Let Chit ranga lie on the ground in the hunter’s pathas though he was dead. I will sit on his head andpretend to peck at his eyes with my beak. Then thehunter will think, Chit ranga is really dead and he willdrop Mantharaka and run after Chit ranga. The minutehe does this, Hiranyaka must start biting the grass netand set Mantharaka free. Mantharaka will then makefor the lake, as fast as he can. Meanwhile, Chit ranga, I shall tell you the right morrient to get up and makea d ash to safety, before the hunter can reach you.” -“What an excellent plan! ” said Chit ranga. “I take itfor granted that Mantharaka is as good as free. As theysay:. ‘A wise man’s instinct tells him, If a plan is going to succeed or nnt.’ ” And so they carried out Laghupatanaka’s plan. The hunter was going along the bank of the lake whensuddenly, he saw a stag lying in his path and a crowpecking at his eyes. Delighted with the sight, he said, “This is the same stag that slipped from my clutchesand escaped into the jungle. Perhaps he has died ofexhaustion. Well, the turtle is safely tied up, so I willdrop him and catch the stag. Then I shall have themboth.” And so, he put down the turtle and approached thestag. In the meantime, Hiranyaka quickly bit the meshes.w ith his sharp teeth and Mantharaka crawled to _thesafety of the lake. Chit ranga, prompted by the crow, also made a dash to safety and Hiranyaka and Laghupatanaka also fled to safety. The hunter looked dejectedly after the bolting stag · and then returned to the place where he had droppedthe turtle. He was astonished to find him gone. Hestood amazed and sadly addressed his fate in · the

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following words: “Destiny! A fat stag, that was caughtin my net, was snatched away from me by you! A turtlevanished at your command. Here I am, wanderingsolitary and hungry in the jungle. If there is somethingelse you “‘ant to do to me, then do it now! I am readyto bear it.” After crying out in this way for some time, he finally went home. When the hunter was gone, the four friends came outof the hiding places. and danced with delight. Theyhugged each other joyfully and returned to their usualplace, on the bank of the lake. They felt as though theyhad been reborn. From then on, they spent their timevery happily, talking to each other about philosophyand morals. And so, it is wise to make an effort to make friendsand to behave straightforwardly towards them, for: “He who makes friends And never deceives them, Shall triumph over all his troubles.” THE END

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What is the moral of THE STORY OF MOTHER SHANDILI?

The moral is: To value wisdom and make thoughtful decisions. This story teaches us that every action has consequences, and we must think carefully about the impact of our choices on ourselves and others.

What collection does THE STORY OF MOTHER SHANDILI belong to?

THE STORY OF MOTHER SHANDILI is from the Bengal Folk Tales, an ancient literary work. The Bengal Folk Tales is a timeless collection of stories that teaches important life lessons through memorable tales.

What age group is THE STORY OF MOTHER SHANDILI suitable for?

THE STORY OF MOTHER SHANDILI is best suited for Ages 8-12. Younger children will enjoy hearing it read aloud for its engaging narrative, while older children can read it independently and explore the deeper meanings and moral lessons embedded in the story.