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Panchatantra Book 1 -Additional Tales - 001 - Stories in Durgasimha’s Kannada Panchatantra

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Some Tales from the Kannada Panchatantra

This particular story is from Durgasimha’s Kannada Panchatantra. Before Panchatantra started, there was the introduction, where Vishnu Sharma came in. In this Kannada version, the brahmin is called Vasubhaga Bhatta. Some scholars say this is a different person who composed his version of the Panchatantra, which is famous in Southern India, while the version composed by Vishnu Sharma is famous in other parts.

This particular story is interesting. Before any core story of Panchatantra starts, this story is present and let me explain – how. In the Introduction to Panchatantra, I had spoken about King Amarshakti and his three sons. If you remember, the sons went with Vishnu Sharma and they learnt all they could. In this version, there is a variation.

Vasubhaga Bhatta and Brihatkatha

The story here starts with Shiva and Parvati. This rendition is very similar to the introductory story of Katha-Sarit-Sagar.

One day Shiva assumed the form Ardhanarishvara. Seeing this form, all devas and devis went there and bowed down before Shiva. Seeing everyone gathered there, Parvati asked Shiva to tell them some stories. Shiva started and these stories were overheard by a gana of Shiva called Pushpadanta.

Pushpadanta was cursed and took birth on Earth as a human called Gunadhya during the reign of King Shalivahana. He composed the stories told by Shiva to Gauri in the Paisachi language as the Brihatkatha. Hearing them, Vasubhaga Bhatta selected five stories from that collection of stories, titled them the Panchatantra, and composed them for the benefit of all people.

Adapting to the Princes

The sons of King Amarshakti went with the brahmin (Vasubhaga Bhatta) to his ashrama. There, they were told to start studying. The moment they heard this; they started reacting in a strange manner. Rather than sitting quietly and learning, the princes revolted against the learning process. They started acting like they had lost their mental balance. They began wandering around aimlessly and turning a completely deaf ear to the teacher's voice. They discarded anything that was taught to them, showing disregard for guidance regardless of how much effort or care was invested in instructing them.

Seeing this, Vasubhaga Bhatta grew anxious and wondered what to do. Meanwhile, the three princes gathered a group of rogue cowherds, brought hunting dogs on leashes, fetched nets, and prepared to go hunting. Understanding the inclination of their minds, Vasubhaga Bhatta joined them, personally holding a hunting dog to go along. The princes were delighted to see this, treated him warmly, and welcomed him into their group.

Vasubhaga Bhatta thought to himself: ‘I shall test their state of mind by telling them a story.’ He then addressed them: ‘O Princes, while we walk toward the forest ahead, shall I tell you a story about a jackal?’ When the princes eagerly agreed, Vasubhaga Bhatta began:

In a city named Sirivasi, there lived a farmer named Sirivanta who had a plot of land. He tilled the land, planted sugarcane and setup a protective fence around his land. Soon the land was full of mature sugarcane plants, ready for harvesting.

A sly fox named Mrigadhurta came by, surveyed the fence, and found a small breach through which it could sneak in. Every day, the fox crept inside and ate the sugarcane. Troubled by the fox’s destruction, Sirivanta set up a trap. He cleared a gap in the fence to make an open pathway. In the evening, holding a bundle of cooked rice in one hand and a thick wooden club in the other, he lay down near the opening with dishevelled hair and closed eyes, feigning death.

When the fox arrived and saw the farmer lying there motionless, suspicion arose in its mind. Stepping back to a safe distance, the fox thought, ‘This is not a battlefield nor a place of war. I have never seen anyone die in such a manner anywhere! Why is he lying here like this? Could this be a fake death staged to kill me? Or did he choke on his food while walking down this path and die suddenly? I must not trust this blindly, nor touch the corpse, nor rush into the sugarcane field. To test whether he is truly dead or faking it, I will head toward the nearby town. If he is really dead, the townsfolk will be weeping and wailing; if not, they will be silent.’

The fox went close to the town and inspected all four directions. Seeing no one crying or making a commotion, it realized the truth - This was a trick set up to kill him. Laughing at its own intelligence, the fox said, ‘I have witnessed a strange death—a man holding a club in one hand and food in the other! Yet, there is no mourning or chaos in the town. He who runs away now is the one who survives.’

With that, praising its own cleverness, the fox ran away and saved its life.

Upon hearing this story, the princes were so captivated that they insisted Vasubhaga Bhatta tell them another. Realizing that these boys were playful and fond of stories, Vasubhaga Bhatta thought, ‘I shall teach then using this medium.’

He said to them, “I will tell you many more such stories, but only if you can retell this story to me the way I told you and what you learnt from it.”

The three princes agreed, praised the story, and retold it back to him clearly. Seeing his strategy succeed, Vasubhaga Bhatta felt immense satisfaction. Through five core stories containing principles of statecraft (Artha Shastra) and political strategy (Upaya), he transformed the princes into wise, righteous rulers, fulfilling his noble purpose.

The Fall of King Kachadhruma

There is another story I want to share here from the Kannada Panchatantra.

Pingalaka had heard Sanjeevaka bellow and was scared. Seeing this, Damanaka wanted to talk to the lion, and Karataka asked him not to meddle in the affairs of others and started telling the story of the monkey and the wedge.

In the Kannada version, there is a story in-between the two.

This is what is said here:

Damanaka said to Karataka, ‘Look at our king. He went to river to drink water because he was thirsty, but he suddenly ran back in fear, trying to hide his humiliation. What could be the reason behind his sudden fear?’

Karataka said, ‘We are neither the king’s children nor part of his inner circle, so this is none of our business. Right now, our king is upset and embarrassed. Trying to step in and give advice at a moment like this is not wise. He should not suspect that we are trying to probe his private thoughts. Let us just listen to whatever his new ministers and officers advise him. If we speak up now, surrounded as he is by his advisers, who knows how he will misunderstand us? Silence is our best option. A foolish king who ignores good ministers, and instead places untrustworthy people in high positions, will surely bring ruin upon himself like King Kachadhruma.’

Once, a king named Mahadruma had a son named Kachadhruma. From his youth, Kachadhruma had fallen into bad habits, surrounding himself with untrustworthy associates. After some time, King Mahadruma passed away, and Kachadhruma ascended the throne. Being foolish and unprincipled, he dismissed his wise associates, appointing his rowdy friends as chief officers instead. Arrogant with his inherited wealth, he abandoned righteousness and earned money through unjust means, and indulged in excessive pleasures. He ruined lands previously granted to priests, levied heavy taxes, destroyed the livelihoods of good citizens, and rewarded criminals and troublemakers. He forcibly seized property and animals from traders and distributed them among his rogue companions, completely destabilising his kingdom. Seeing the kingdom in chaos, Simhabala, his cousin, invaded the territory. Since Kachadhruma's old advisors had already been insulted and dismissed, they secretly joined hands with the enemy. Left entirely alone without support, the foolish Kachadhruma was easily captured by his enemies.

This is where Karataka ended the story and told Damanaka to wait and watch. When Damanaka still insisted, Karataka began telling the story of the monkey and the wedge.

Glossary of words and their meanings

Non-English Word English Meaning
Gana An attendant, follower, or divine guard of Shiva
Gauri Another name for Parvati
Paisachi An ancient, now-extinct Indian language
Brihatkatha An ancient collection of Indian tales (literally "Great Story")
Mrigadhurta A name given to the fox (Mriga = animal, Dhurta = sly or cunning)
Upaya A diplomatic or political strategy/method to achieve a goal
Kachadhruma Literally “a bound or tangled tree”
Mahadruma Literally "great tree"
Simhabala Literally “one with the strength of a lion”

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