Panchatantra Book 1 - 002 - What the curious monkey teaches about ambition and meddling
Table of Contents
Karataka tells Damanaka the story of the curious monkey.
Damanaka had noticed something that Karataka had not. Pingala looked tense. There was something bothering him. Karataka told Damanaka to mind his own business and not meddle with someone else’s affair. He gave an example of a monkey who tried to play with a log. Damanaka wanted to know about it, and Karataka began telling that story.
The Monkey and the Wedge
The story starts in a grove of banyan trees. In that grove was a plot of land. There, in that plot, a young merchant decided to build a temple. He employed lots of people who would work on building the temple and explained what was to be done. Work started. There were all kinds of workmen there, some working with stone, some with metal and some with wood. Every time the sun was overhead, the workmen would take a break. They would leave the site and go to the nearby city for their lunch. One of the workers was working on a huge ironwood log. The log was tough and it had to be cut into two. He was busy trying to split the log when the other workers called out to him. Not wanting the split log to close back (the log was not easy to manage) he made a wedge from the branch of a catechu tree. He then pushed that wedge into the split gap and left with his coworkers.
As soon as the people left, seeing the place empty a group of monkeys came there. They began exploring the place, playing with bits of wood and stones that were lying on the ground. One monkey discovered the ironwood log. He climbed onto the log and began pulling the wedge stuck in the gap. Suddenly the wedge came loose and flew out and the gap in the log closed up suddenly. What the poor monkey never realized was that his testicles had got in the gap. As soon as the gap closed, the monkey could not come out and trying to struggle, it died.
Safety First
Ending the story, Karataka said, ‘My friend, this is why I am telling you, do not meddle with affairs that do not concern you. Look, we have enough food to last us. We should not let the lion’s anxiety bother us.’
Survival Is Not Enough
Damanaka said, ‘What are you saying? Are you only concerned with food and filling your stomach? One hangs around the king to gain favours. When needed, they can use the favours to help their friends and also finish off their enemies. Look, getting food is not an issue. Who is bothered about food?’
He stopped for a moment and said, ‘Look, just eating, breathing and taking up space on this earth is mere survival. It is just existing. You want to just exist? Stop thinking about mere existence and think about living. That is life. Do you want to become a crow that lives on scraps? Look, one should be ambitious and try to reach the top. They say when one dies, they are reborn; the goal should be to be born and rise to the top. When they become great even their relatives get praised.’
Karataka, having heard this, thought for a moment and said, ‘Advice should be asked for. You cannot walk to the king and start advising him. That will not get any results and will be foolish.’
Damanaka got irritated and said, ‘What!! It is only by hanging around the king that the small ones become big. Have you seen the tendencies of the kings? They hold on to those they see next to them. If I am near the lion, I can benefit. I will study and find out what the king likes and what the king hates and based on that, I shall be able to influence him. Look, those who are clever will find out ways to advance in life. If wild beasts can be tamed, then why not kings? All one has to do is find out the how.’
Six Strategies of Diplomacy
Karataka then said, ‘I have heard all that you have said to me. So, tell me, what are you planning to do?’
Damanaka said, ‘Are you aware of the six strategies of diplomacy?’
Karataka denied knowing it. Damanaka then continued saying, ‘There are six strategies of diplomacy. I shall use one of those and get close to the king. These six strategies are – making peace, making war, being hostile, being neutral, asking for protection and being two-faced. I need to read what is not written and listen to what is unsaid. Appearances can tell a lot about what is going on inside them. I shall get close to the king. Then I shall understand what is causing his fear and then I will remove that.’
Karataka said, ‘I understand what you are trying to say. How will you even get close to the king? What do you know about court politics?’
Damanaka said, ‘I am not ignorant. I know about things that I had heard from my father when I was young. He taught me about statecraft then and I want to put that to use now. The world is for the clever, the brave and those who use diplomacy. One should serve that person who recognizes their talent. To please the king and get close, one needs to please the people who are part of the king’s inner circle like parents, wives, children, etc. One needs to follow orders without hesitation. Please the ruler’s ego by displaying the gifts they have given you. Never talk back or argue with the king.’
Karataka said, ‘Okay, I agree you are cunning. What will you do when you stand in front of the king? I want to know that.’
Damanaka said, ‘I am not. I am sure when the king initiates a conversation, I shall say something nice and useful. Based on the situation I shall adapt myself. I shall not just give him advice; I shall paint a vivid picture for the king describing the situation. I did not just memorize what my father said, I understood the principles. Timing is everything. A wrong thing said at the wrong time can be disastrous.’
Karataka said, ‘I do not think pleasing the king is an easy task. It is like travelling on a slippery mountain road knowing that wild animals could attack anytime. On top of that, it starts raining. Rulers are fickle-minded and handling them is not easy. Just because you were in their good books once, does not guarantee the same again.’
Damanaka said, ‘I agree with all that you have said. I need to take that risk. There is a psychological key for every ruler. One needs to know how to use that. The skill is to know how to boost the mood and ego of the king. I need to act the way the king acts. If he is angry, I shall pretend to be angry and if he is sad, I’ll shed a tear for that.’
Karataka said, ‘If you want my opinion, I shall not agree. As you are determined to go, I wish you luck.’
Damanaka then got ready and made his way towards Pingalaka.
Understanding this tale
This was the story. Now let me go through this tale.
What the Monkey’s tale teaches us
| The Saying | In the tale | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Do not interfere blindly | The monkey interferes with something he does not understand and pays with his life. | Curiosity without understanding can become dangerous. Before acting, understand the situation and its consequences. |
| Survival is not enough | Karataka is satisfied with having enough food. Damanaka rejects this as merely existing. | Human beings often want more than food. Ambition, achievement, influence and purpose give life direction. |
| Ambition is risky | Damanaka knows approaching the king is dangerous but is willing to take the risk. | Advancement needs calculated risk. A risk-free life may also be a life without growth. |
| Closeness to power creates opportunity | Damanaka believes that being close to the king can turn an insignificant person into an influential one. | Access matters. Influence often comes from proximity to decision-makers. |
| Observation is a form of intelligence | Damanaka intends to watch Pingalaka, understand his fears and discover what he likes and dislikes. | Influence begins with reading people and situations. |
| Read what is not written | Damanaka says he must understand what is "not written" and hear what is "unsaid." | Much of communication is indirect. Expressions, behaviour, and changes in mood can reveal a lot more than just words. |
| Timing matters | Damanaka knows that even good advice can be disastrous when given at the wrong moment. | Being clever is not just knowing what to say. It is knowing when and how to say it. |
| Influence requires adaptation | He plans to adapt himself to the king's mood. | By being socially intelligent, one needs to adjust one’s behaviour and personality based on the situation. |
| Power is psychological | Damanaka says every ruler has a psychological key. | Influence depends on understanding motivations, fears, pride and emotional needs. |
| Diplomacy is strategic, not emotional | Damanaka talks about the six strategies of diplomacy. | Political action requires choosing the correct strategy. |
The People Behind the Characters
| Character | Identity | Motivation | Strengths | Weaknesses | Decision-Making | Representation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damanaka | Highly ambitious jackal | Wants status, influence. | Understands statecraft (Niti) very well. | — | Analytical | Opportunistic employee who works hard to get into good books of the leadership. |
| Karataka | Cautious and risk-averse jackal | Wants to avoid conflicts and dangers. | Aware of limitations. | Overcautious, lacks ambition. | Risk-averse. | A conservative bureaucrat. |
| The Monkey | A forest monkey wandering into a human workspace | Playful and restless energy without a goal | — | Inability to anticipate consequences. | Impulsive and instinctual. | The untrained meddler who interferes in affairs beyond their expertise. |
This tale in the Hitopadesha
This tale is part of the Hitopadesha and appears in book 2 where Karataka tells Damanaka the story of the monkey and the wedge.
This was all I had to share about this tale. The tale in the Panchatantra does not end where I ended it. It continues with Damanaka going to Pingalaka and their conversation. As this was becoming too long, I am breaking it into parts.
Warnings for Everyday
Before I end,
Do not be the monkey. Before changing, fixing or interfering with something, understand why it is there. A process that looks unnecessary may have a reason behind it.
Do not be Karataka all the time. Caution can save us, but excessive caution can make us passive. Sometimes a problem is also an opportunity to show your abilities.
Be careful about becoming Damanaka. Observation, ambition, networking and emotional intelligence are great skills to have, but when understanding another person's psychology becomes a tool for exploiting them, that becomes manipulation.
Next post, I shall continue with what happened when Damanaka reached Pingalaka.
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