Vishnu Sharma

Long ago in India there lived a king called Amara Shakti who had three sons. These boys were a constant worry for the king. They paid little attention to their lessons and showed no signs of ever being able to take over the kingdom. One day the king called all his ministers and courtiers for consultation. At that moment, there were more than five hundred salaried teachers in his kingdom, a rarity in those days where teachers had to live on alms. But there was not one amongst them who could provide the correct education to the princes. After a lot of deliberation, a minister called Sumati (the one with the correct wisdom) suggested to appoint Acharya Vishnusharma as the official instructor for the princes. Vishnusharma was known to be a savant in all the shastras and the theory of politics and diplomacy.

In great anxiety the king consulted with Vishnu Sharma, who promised that in just six months he could make the princes as wise as the great lord of heaven, Indradeva. “Mighty king,” said the sage, “more important than knowledge is knowing how to use it. I will teach this to your sons. They will learn how to think, not what to think. Then they will be ready to rule the world.” So the king sent his sons to Vishnusharma.

Vishnusharma, however, realised that it was more difficult than he had thought to teach his new students through conventional means, and there was a need of a creative way of teaching. Therefore he made many short stories, each with a lesson, and tied them in five parts, called tantras. This collection, that has attained fame over centuries, is called Panchatantra. The five tantras in the book are Mitrabheda, Mitrasamprapti, Kakolookeeyam, Labdhapranasham, and Apareekshitkarakam. After listening and working on these stories, all the three princes became completely educated in politics and became able administrators.

These sections deal with various aspects of life where the characters are different animals. Every section gives a clear and easy understanding of the various laws like that of politics, religion, business, finance and so on. Panchatantra is the only compilation that has been translated into various foreign languages and is so popular all over the world.

Story of an abandoned Bull
In South India there was once a city called Mahilaropya where lived a rich merchant by the name Vardhamanaka. One night the merchant lay tossing and turning in his bed. His mind was troubled by thoughts of how he could get more money.

“What can a rich man not achieve?” he thought. “A wise person is always trying to increase his wealth. If a man has money he also has friends. When he has no money even his own relatives leave him. A rich man is considered a scholar and a highly respectable person, even if he has no good character at all. Money makes the old grow young, but the young grow old for want of it.”

As he lay staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep, the merchant decided that the next day he would go to the city to sell his wares and increase his business. When the sun rose, he harnessed his two bullocks to a cart. He then put all of his merchandise into the cart and, taking with him a number of servants, he set off for the city.

It was a four or five day journey through forestland to the city, but after only two days travelling, the bull called Sanjivaka stumbled and broke a leg. He fell to the ground near the river Yamuna and lay there looking up at his master with tears in his eyes.

Varhdamanaka felt sorry for his bullock and he waited for three nights, hoping Sanjivaka might get well enough to walk, but he showed no signs of getting better. Finally by the advice of other fellow persons the merchant abandoned the bull in the forest and started off.

The bull had been left lying on the bank of the river and he managed to drag himself over to where lush grasses were growing. Refreshed by the cool breezes from the river, and strengthened by eating the grass and drinking the river water, he gradually got better. The leg healed and he began to walk around, roaring in great happiness. He had always felt dependent on his master, and had worked hard to serve him, but now he saw that food and drink were freely available everywhere. Reveling in his newfound freedom, he let out repeated cries of happiness at the top of his huge lungs. He thought of a proverb that he had heard his master repeat:

He on whom fortune smiles, though alone and unprotected still somehow survives.
But he on whom fortune has frowned will lose his life even if defended all around.