Note on the Pañcatantra of Somadeva

Note: this text is extracted from Book X, chapter 60:

“Thus, Prince, a man who conquers wrath will not be subject to grief; and a man who displays prudence is never harmed. Even in the case of animals prudence produces success, not valour. In proof of it, hear this story about the lion and the bull and other animals...”

Here begins the Pañcatantra, better known in England, through its various recensions, by such titles as The Fables of Pilpay, Kalilah and Dimnah, Lights of Canopus, The Morall Philosophic of Doni, etc. It is given here by Somadeva practically in its entirety, although not as a consecutive whole, but with occasional interruptions due to the insertion of a number of short stories having no connection with it whatever. The points where such intermissions occur will be duly noted as we proceed.

In all the early versions there is an Introduction relating how the “Five Books” were told by a wise Brahman as a means of instilling knowledge into three desultory princes. Somadeva omits this, and makes the chief minister, Gomukha, introduce the collection simply by the words:

“Even in the case of animals prudence produces success, not valour. In proof of it, hear this story about the lion and the bull and other animals.”

The present chapter corresponds to Book I of the Pañcatantra, but omits four stories which appear in most recensions. These are given in full in Appendix I of this volume, where will also be found some account of the chief versions of the work.

Tawney gave extracts from Benfey’s Pantschatantra in notes on nearly every story. With very few exceptions I have omitted these as unnecessary and out of date. The simple page-references to Benfey which I have given will be quite sufficient, while results of recent research on the subject, together with full bibliographical notes, will be found in Appendix I.

There is reason to believe that Somadeva’s version closely resembles that in the lost Bṛhat-kathā, and is, moreover, a faithful reflex of the general sense of the original. As compared with several of the other known versions, the stories are told somewhat briefly, but none of the artistic workmanship is lost (as it is, for instance, in Kṣemendra’s version). In order to appreciate the complex ramifications of the different Pañcatantra recensions and translations in every part of the world, special reference should be made to the genealogical tree given at the end of Appendix I.— n.m.p.