The Story of Vajradaunstra the Lion and Chaturaka the Jackal

. “In a jungle, there lived a lion by the name of Vajradaunstra. A jackal called Chaturaka and a wolfcalled Kravyamukha were his attendants. “One day, an expectant female camel, who was inlabour pains, was left behind by a caravan. In the deepjungle, she fell a prey to the lion. When he had tornoff her womb, a little baby camel came out. The lionand the other animals fed themselves on the femalecamel’s flesh and were all very content. But the lionspared the young camel ahd brought him home alive. He said to him, ‘Little camel, you have nothing to fear, either from me or fro: m anyone else, so run aboutfearlessly in the jungle, jµst as you please. We’ll call you Shankukarana, because. your ears are like wedges.’ “And so the four of them began to live together veryhappily. They entertained one another telling stories. “Shankukarana began to grow up but he would neverleave the lion even for a moment. “One day, the lion had a fight with a wild elephant. The elephant wounded the lion so badly with his tusksthat Vajradaunstra was unable even to walk. Exhaustedwith hunger, he said to the others, ‘Look for someanimal that I can kill, even in this condition, so that your hunger and mine can be satisfied.’ “And so the jackal, the wolf, and the camel, wander, edin the jungle until evening, but they could nol find anyanimal at all. So they returned empty-handed. “Chaturaka the jackal began to think, ‘If the lion wouldonly kill Shankukarana, then we could all feed on himfor a couple of days. But our master will not kill him, because he has given him the assurance that his life willbe safe. However, with the help of my wits, I shallinfluence the camel in such 1a way that he will offer himself, of his own accord, to the lion, for:

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“There is nothing in this world That a clever man can’t achieve. So a wise man Should make the most of his wits. ” ‘ “With this thought Chaturaka approached the cameland said to him, ‘Shankukaranal The Master is dyingof hunger. If he does die, we too shall be destroyed. So I am going to tell you how you could be useful tohim. Please listen carefully.’ -‘Do tell me,’ said Shankukarana, ‘and I shall attendto it quickly. And if I do anything for the master, according to our religion, I shall be rewarded ahundred-fold.’ -‘Then friend,’ said the jackal, ‘you should offer yourbody to the master to save his life, a’nd for this sacrifie&; the master will guarantee that you will be given a bbdy, twice your present size, in your next life.’ -‘Very well then,’ replied Shankukarana, ‘I agree.’ “Then all the animals went to the lion and said, ‘Master! The “6un has already gone down and we have still notbeen able to find any animal. But if you will guaranteethat Shankukarana will have a body t.wice his presentsize in the next life, then he is prepared to offer himselfto you as a holy sacrifice.’ -‘Indeed, I do promise that it shall be so,’ replied the lion. ” Hardly had he uttered these words when the wolfand the jackal fell upon the camel and tore up his body. And that was the end of him. “Afterwards, the lion said to the jackal, ‘Chaturaka! Watch this carcass carefully while I go. to the river fora bath and worship the gods.’ Then the lion went off. “When he had gone, the jackal thought to himself, ‘How can I contrive to enjoy this carcass all to myself?’ “He thought about it for a little while, then he hitupon a plan. “He said to the wolf, ‘Ho! Wolfi You’re hungry, aren’tyou? Until the master comes back, have a few mouthfuls

of this camel’s flesh. I ‘ll make up a story to tell him, as an excuse, when he returns.’ “But the wolf had hardly begun to eat, when the jackalshou ted, ‘Look out, Kravyamukha! Here’s the mastercoming back! Leave it alone! Get away from it! ‘ Thewolf immediately stopped eating. “When the lion arrived, he saw that the camel’s hearthad been removed. He frowned and said angrily, ‘Whohas contaminated my food? Tell me his name and Ishall kill him on the s pot!’ “The wolf started looking at the jackal, as much as tosay, ‘Well, go on, say something to calm him down.’ “But the jackal only smiled and said to the wolf, ‘Youate the heart. when I told you not to. Now enj oy thefruit of what you have done.’ “When the wolf heard this, he was afraid for his lifeand took to his heels. “At this point, a caravan, heavily loaded, was comingalong the same path. The leading camel had a largebell round his neck. When the lion heard the jinglingsound in the distance, he said to the jackal, ‘Go andsee wl: i ere this terrifying noise is coming from. I ‘ve neve1 heard it before.’ “The jackal went a little way off, then returned andsaid, ‘Master! Leave this place as quickly as you can, if you want to stay alive! ‘ -‘Friend,’ said the lion, ‘why are you frightening me? Tell me, what is it?’ -‘M aster,’ said the jackal, ‘Yama is very angry withyou, because you have killed a camel before the hourappointed for his death. He has come personally andhas brought with him the father and grandfather of the dead camel, to have revenge on you, and the noiseyou hear, comes from the bell that he has tied roundthe leading camel’s neck.’ “When the lion saw the caravan approaching, he leftoff eating the camel and ran for his life. “After that, the jackal had the camel’s flesh all to

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himself and ft lasted him many, many days. -“And so,” continued Damanaka, “that’s why I said: ‘A cunning man, Even at the cost of tormenting others, Artfully looks after his own interests And keeps his plans a secret, As Chaturaka tqe jackal did In the jungle.’ ” After Damana.ka had left, Sanjivaka started thinking, “I’m a grass-eater1 but I have become the follower ofa flesh-eater. I’m in a spot. What shall I do? Whereshall I go? How can I get back my peace of mind? Perhaps if I go to Pingalaka and humbly beg for mylife, he may not kill me. Then again, suppose I leavethis place and go somewhere else…? But no, thensome other flesh-eater will kill me. I think it is betterto go to the lion.” And so, having m: ade this resolution, Sanjivaka wentslowly to the lion’s den. He found Pingalaka sitting inexactly the same attitude as Damanaka had described. So shocked was Sanjivaka that he immediatey backedaway from the lion and stood, at a distance’, withouteven bowing to him. And so it was that Pingalaka toosaw Sanjivaka in the same attitude as Damanaka: haddescribed. Furiously, he fell upon the bullock, tearing his backwith · his sharp claws. Sanjivaka pointed out his hornsagainst Pingalaka’s belly and stood, ready to fight. When Karataka and Damanaka saw the lion and thebullock thus confronting each other, with faces red as the Kinshuka* flower and eyes like fire, Karataka saidto his brother, “You stupid fellow! You did wrong. increating enmity between these two. This proves that youdon’t refilly know the nitis hastras, for they say: ‘Only a man who can reach his goal Through cunningness and intrigue, Avoiding war, Deserves to be a minister.’

-“So if you are really shrewd, you mu.s t rrow find away to bring this conflict to. an end. Otherwise, both ofthem will be destroyed.: Ori the other hand, if only thebullock is killed and you regain your position as minister, then everyone will avoid the µiaster. As they say: r A good king, served by a wicked minister, Is shunned by all, Just like a lake of sweet water, When it has. crocodiles all round it.’ -“ut what is the use of giving advice to a fool; nogood comes of it, for: ‘Advice given to fools, Instead of calming them, Only makes them more excited.’ -“That is what the bird found out when he g!lve adviceto the monkey.” -“How was that?” asked Damanaka. And Karataka told j

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What is the moral of THE STORY OF VAJRADAUNSTRA THE LION AND CHATURAKA THE JACKAL?

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 VAJRADAUNSTRA THE LION AND CHATURAKA THE JACKAL belong to?

THE STORY OF VAJRADAUNSTRA THE LION AND CHATURAKA THE JACKAL is from the Hitopadesha Collection, an ancient Sanskrit text. The Hitopadesha is a timeless collection of stories that teaches important life lessons through didactic stories about friendship and wisdom.

What age group is THE STORY OF VAJRADAUNSTRA THE LION AND CHATURAKA THE JACKAL suitable for?

THE STORY OF VAJRADAUNSTRA THE LION AND CHATURAKA THE JACKAL 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.