Summary of Chapter 4—Labdhapranasa

The fourth tantra is known as Labdhapranasa. It contains fourteen stories with the main thread bearing on the loss of what was gained. It opens with the verse that "He whose presence of mind does not fail in the accomplishment of the works to be done by him crosses over the difficulties as did the monkey in the midst of water." Thus the opening story of this tantra relates with that of a monkey named Raktamukha. 1. The story of Raktamukha (a monkey) and Karalamukha (a crocodile): A monkey is living in the Jambu tree on the sea shore, and happens to make a crocodile to taste it. And the latter gives the jambu fruit to his wife. Enjoying the sweetness of the fruit, she- 1. samutpannesu karyesu buddhiryasya na hiyate | sa eva durgam tarati jalastho vanaro yatha || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 1, verse - 1, p.1.

92 crocodile collected that the heart of the monkey who always eats such a sweet fruits, should also be very sweet. As such, she asks her husband to bring it to eat. Accordingly, the Karalamukha as usual comes to monkey on his back under the pretext that he is invited by his wife. Without knowing the treacherous mind of crocodile, the monkey agrees to it and when starts moving on the waters of the sea, the crocodile says that his wife wants to eat your heart. At that time monkey says that he has left his heart on the tree itself. Therefore the crocodile takes him back to the tree; when the monkey gets on home safely, he says that he would not come to crocodile's wife as a victim. Then the crocodile requests him to come repeatedly. Yet, he does not go for ever. Because he thinks that an hungry man becomes prepared to commit any type of sin to fetch himself. Indeed a person suffering from hunger becomes unkind. Saying this, a monkey quotes a story of the king of frogs named Gangadatta.² 2. The story of Gangadatta : The story runs thus: Gangadatta living in a well is envious for his kins-frogs. In order to kill them it takes the help of a serpent and makes a provision for serpent's living in the well. That serpent too, day by day eats all the frogs including the son of Gangadatta also. At last, from the fear of its own death at the 2. bubhuksitah kim na karoti papam ksina jana niskaruna bhavanti | akhyahi bhadre ! priyadarsanasya na gangadattah punareti kupam || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha 1, verse - 16, p.10. -

93 hands of the serpent, the frog comes out of the well saying that he would bring some other frogs from another place. Thus the serpent loses its food which is within the folds of his hands. At the instance of this story, monkey says to the crocodile that he would not come, yet, the crocodile once again impells the monkey to join him. At this, the monkey again starts telling another story of a lion called Karala Kesara. 3. The story of Karala Kesara (a lion) : In this story, the lion called Karala Kesara as is suffering from hunger asks the jackal to get him food. Accordingly, the jackal starts searching for his food and at last gets him a food in the form of donkey. As soon as the donkey is seen, the lion jumps on it, but, could not catch hold. Therefore, the donkey being terrified very much and runs away. Being asked for once again, the jackal somehow brings the donkey, and the lion kills it. When the lion was taking bath in a river nearby at that time the jackal eats up donkey's ears and heart. On his return, the lion asks about the ears and heart which are disappeared. But the jackal says that the donkey has no ears and heart at all; if they were to be there the donkey would not have come for the second time. Thus, the lion could not eat the ears and heart of it though obtained. After explaining the story, the crocodile says to the monkey that he has deceived the latter by hiding the truth. The monkey replies that if he were to speak the truth by giving up his own

94 interest then he certainly would feel to gain the object, like second Yudhisthira (i.e. a potter).³ 4. The story of a potter : Herein a potter happens to have a wound on his forehead, the scar of which remained even after the wound is healed up. Due to famine, that potter approaches the king; and the latter gives him a job without any second thought, as he comes under the impression that he had have an experience in the battlefield by seeing his scar on the forehead. After sometime the king asks him about the scar on his forehead. When he is to exhibit his skill of fighting, the potter has to say the truth that he is a potter and the scar on the forehead due to a wound. Listening to him the king asked him to leave that place but potter says that he would do his job to the best of his capacity. Yet, the king says that he could not do anything else despite he was endowed with all good qualities though the person is brave, learned, and handsome he cannot accomplish his object because he is not distined to it. It is just like a jackal before the elephant.ª orj 3. 4. svarthamutsrjya yo dambhi satyam brute sumandadhih | sa svarthad bhrasyate nunam yudhisthira ivaparah || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 3, verse - 38, p.24. surasca krtavidyasca darsaniyo'si putraka | 1 yasminkule tvamutpanno gajastatra na hanyate || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 4, verse - 39, p.26.

95 5. The story of lion-couple : The king narrates that once a lion gets an young jackal and gives it to his wife. The lioness without killing it, nourishes the same among her own young ones. Once when an elephant comes there, younger lions are to jump on it, the lioness says to the jackal that he should not follow the path of young lions, as, that job cannot be done by him. Having listen to the story, that potter disappears from there. Further, monkey says to the crocodile that the latter is taking the former to the wife. Really it is not proper because ladies are not believable.5 In this connection the monkey tells the story of a brahmin. 6. The story of a brahmin: It is explained here that there is a brahmin together with his wife whom he is loving very much. When he is leaving for some other kingdom along with his wife, on the way his wife found very thirsty. So he left that place to collect the water, leaving his wife there itself. On his return, he found his wife dead. He hears an aerial voice when he is lamenting over the death of his wife. As per the suggestion of the voice he sacrifices half of his life for sake of his wife and gets his wife back to the life. After they reach a city, that brahmin placed his wife in the garden and goes to bring food. In the meantime, his wife hears a 5. yadarthe svakulam tyaktam jivitardham ca haritam | sa mam tyajati nihsneha kah strinam visvasennarah || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 5, verse - 44, p.30.

96 melodious voice of a song, sung by a lame man. Immediately she falls in love with him and asks to accept her as a life mate. That lame person accepts her. At that time, brahmin comes there with food and feeds them two. When all these three were proceeding, the husband is pushed down into the well by his wife and remains with that lame person. Then, when she is moving with lame one, keeping him in a box, on her head, king's servants take her to the king. Observing the pitiable condition of these two, the king grants the alms in the form of two villages for their livelihood. At the same time, her husband being saved by an ascetic comes there. Seeing him, the wife says to the king that this person is their enemy. So too, when the king punishes him with death sentence, that brahmin speaks that he is to take back one thing from that woman. He then takes back from her half of his own life which he had given. Consequently, she dies there itself. Thus, it is illustrated here inspite of brahmin's utter love and affection for his wife, she liked the company of other person, and kills his husband. Therefore ladies are unbelievable. Further, monkey says that though an husband is prepared to do anything else to pacify his angry wife, the latter takes the disadvantage of the submissiveness of her husband. In this regard the monkey quotes the story of a king called 'Nanda' and the minister Vararuci.6 6. a fai zenar fai guldenfurukiai 17: 1 anasva yatra he sante sirah parvani munditam || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 6, verse - 45, p.33. atak sity

97 7. The story of a king and minister: Herein, the king and minister become submissive before their wives and to pacify them. In return, the ministers wife says to her husband, got his clipped off and falls at her feet. Similarly the queen asks her husband to act like a horse and whom she should ride; so that she would feel happy. Saying this story, the monkey tells the crocodile that the latter also has become submissive to his wife. At last, the monkey says that he should not have talked to the crocodile and grown the friendship. 7 Continuing his speech the monkey says both parrot and sarika birds stand identified, as the former one knows speaking where as latter not. But as the stark remains silent, it did not have to face any kind of problems. Therefore silence is the means of success. In this connection, the monkey narrates the story of a washerman named Suddhapata. 8. The story of a washerman : There was a washerman called Suddhapata, who had a donkey growing weak due to lack of food. Once washerman found the skin of a tiger in the forest, which he clothed it to his donkey. Owing to this, it was considered as a tiger and was getting food 7. atmano mukhadosena badhyante sukararikah | bakastatra na badhyante maunam sarvarthasadhanam || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 7, verse - 46, p.35.

98 easily in the fields. Once hearing donkey's bray from distant place, this donkey also did so. Therefore, people in the village came to know that it was the donkey itself, but not tiger. With the anger, all people killed that donkey throwing stones at it. Thus impatience leads to calamities. Therefore, strengthening his view the monkey said get remained silent. Further, the monkey wanted to keep himself away from the crocodile still the latter was remaining in the company of the former. Therefore, quoting an instance of the story of Syamalaka, 8 the monkey asked the crocodile to leave him away for ever. At this, again crocodile expressed the desire to know the story of Syamalaka. In response to this, monkey narrates the following story thereof. 9. The story of Isvara: There was a wealthy man called Isvara, in whose residence four son-in-laws had camped for a long time. With a view to send them out Isvara did not treat them well. As a result, three son-in-laws left the place. But looking to the fourth son-in-law not leaving a place, he was sent out by force. Thus when one's accompaniment is disliked by others, the former one should consider it and vacate that place. Afterwards, the crocodile having understood the mind of the monkey said with disgust that he has lost both his wife and 8. tatkim syamalakavadatyapamanadardhacandradanena yasyasi | Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 8, p.6.

99 the friend, because of his own commission of deceitful act. Therefore, crocodile said that "A fool is appears although a sin committed in his presence, like a carpenter lifted his wife on the head."9 Observing the behaviour of a crocodile, the monkey admonishes that the former being slave to his wife, was doing selfish activities at the cost of his friendship with other. He who does like this, never prosper. Therefore it is not proper to remain as a slave to one's wife, because the result thereof would be just adverse to that person. In this connection the story of an old man and young wife is narrated. 10. The story of old man and young wife : There was an old wealthy man with his consort of young age. Being overpowered by passion, she desired a company of other young person. However she came in contact with a thief and liked him. She joined the thief together with the righteous of her husband. But that cunning thief snatched away all the wealth and left her behind. Thus she lost both the wealth as well as her husband. When monkey was narrating this story, another crocodile came there and conveyed that the house of 9. pratyakse'pi krte pape murkhah samna prasamyati | rathakarah svakam bharyam sajaram sirasa'vahat || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 9, verse - 48, p.37. Note Here the story of carpenter is repeated. Hence it is not taken into account.

100 former crocodile was captured by another crocodile. Listening to this, that crocodile was very upset considering his loss of wife, friendship and residence as well. Being very much perplexed, that crocodile asked the monkey that what he should do now. The monkey said, that it was all the effect of not following the words of good men. Showing the bad effects of one's not treading the path of good men, the monkey describes the story of a camel.10 11. The story of a camel: Once a carpenter being afflicted by his poverty, was leaving for some other place through the woodlands. He happened to see an young camel being just born. He took it home and nourished with proper food. However in course of time, he increased the number of camels one after the other. Of the camels he had, one camel was not listening to the words of his master. As a result, when once he was roaming in the forest it was killed by a lion. Thus it implies that the words of good persons should not be neglected. So too, monkey said, the crocodile had also committed a mistake of not following the words of elders. Further, the crocodile asked the monkey about his function. Monkey said, he should fight against the enemy, who had occupied his house or you should behave before him, in such a 10. satam vacanamadistam madena na karoti yah | sa vinasamavapnoti ghantostra iva satvaram || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 12, verse - 74, p.52.

101 manner through which he could accomplish his goal. Adding to his suggestion, the monkey stated that "one should gain over one's superior by bowing to him (by acting humbly), with a brave man by using discard, a mean person by making a small gift and with one's equal by displaying equal valour.11 Monkey illustrates this point with the following story of a jackal. 12. The story of jackal : There was a jackal by name Mahacaturaka. Feeling himself hungry he searched for food at last he saw a dead body of an elephant. He tried to the best of his capacity to take out the flesh out of elephant's body but could not. On one pretext, that jackal made a cheetah tear out the skin of an elephant. When the cheetah was engaged in it, the jackal said to it that the lion was arriving to this place itself. Hearing these words, the cheetah ran away and the jackal took the advantage of eating the flesh easily. This is how the jackal was successful in getting the flesh of it through a plan. Then monkey suggested the crocodile to fight against other crocodile, because, any person of his own category who has come from outside is adversely said. 12 In this context the story of a dog called Citranga is narrated. 11. uttamam pranipatena suram bhedena yojayet | nicamalpapradanena samasaktim parakramaih || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 13, verse - 78, p.56. 12. subhiksani vicitrani sithilah paurayositah | eko doso videsasya svajatiryadvirudhyate || Pancatantra, Labdhapranasa, Katha - 14, verse - 83, p.60.

102 13. The story of Citranga There was a dog called Citranga leaving for another place due to scarcity of food. Although this dog was given food with respect by a person, other dogs in that place looked at it as a foreigner and started attacking it. Therefore, this Citranga thought to himself that it is better to stay in one's residence though there are many difficulties. At last, following the words of monkey, the crocodile fought against other crocodile, killed it and got back his residence wherein he lived happily for long time.