book review on panchatantra stories

Tiger Riding for Beginners

Bernie gourley: traveling poet-philosopher & aspiring puddle dancer.

BOOK REVIEW: Panchatantra [trans. / ed. by Arthur W. Ryder]

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“Panchatantra” is “Aesop’s Fables” meets Machiavelli’s “The Prince,” but with an Indian flavor. [I realize that the Panchatantra is much older than “The Prince” (though not as old as Aesop’s Fables — at least not when comparing written editions) but I’d argue it’s still a useful tagline for general readers who aren’t particularly acquainted with Indian literature.] Like Aesop’s Fables, anthropomorphized animals make up the bulk of the cast in this set of stories within a story. Like “The Prince,” a lot of the the advice offers insight into how to lead (as opposed to just how to lead a moral life.) The topics addressed include: building sound alliances, avoiding deception, and making decisions regarding war and peace.

As the Sanskrit title — Panchatantra [“Five Treatises”] — suggests, this work is arranged into five books. Of the over eighty fables of the original, more than fifty are collected in this edition. [I suspect this was done to eliminate or consolidate stories that were essentially the same.] The first book is “The Loss of Friends” and it focuses on how alliances are broken up by enemies. The second is “The Winning of Friends” and it gives particular attention to alliance building. The third book is “On Crows and Owls,” and it’s about how to decide whether to go to war, choose peace, or seek some alternative. The penultimate book is “Loss of Gains” and it discusses ways in which people forfeit (or have stolen from them) what they have gained. The last book is “Ill-Considered Action,” and it advises against being hasty. The stories are skillfully written and translated, and they are thought-provoking. That said, they can be a tad hackneyed and simplistic as well. For example, a large number of these tales convey the same simple lesson that one should take advice from individuals who are wise and virtuous, and that lesson’s inverse (that one should ignore those who are foolish and / or immoral.)

I’d highly recommend giving the Panchatantra a read. It both conveys wisdom and offers good stories. It’s true that the stories can become a bit repetitive and also frequently have less than profound morals, but overall, it’s a smart and entertaining collection of fables.

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This is an interesting read. Panchatantra is full of moral values!

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Home > Books > Books Title > Panchatantra - Pandit Vishnu Sharma > One Best Book of all the times...

One Best Book of all the times... . Review on Panchatantra - Pandit Vishnu Sharma

Panchatantra - Pandit Vishnu Sharma

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''Panchatantra''

Author : Pandit Vishnu Sharma

Panchtantra is written in the form of a chain of simple stories, and each story has a philosophical theme which has stood the test of time and so is true even in morden times- an age of atomic fear and madness. it guides us how to attain sucess in life by understanding human nature.

The original text of the panchatantra in sanskrit was probably written about 200 BC by a great hindu scholar, Pandit vishnu Sharma. But some of the tales themselves must be much older. According to some scholars, panchtantra is the oldest collection of indians fables surviving. So far it had been translated in 50 or more languages of the world.

The panchatantra is woven around the frame of a tale of a king who entrusts his 3 'dud' sons to a learned man, to enlighten their minds within six months. The brahmin promices to educate them and takes them to his 'Ashrama'. There he recites to them his specifically composed tales divided into five tantras ( tantra = parts; Panchtantra = five parts) of how to deal with people in life. the language of author is both elegant and artistic. The tale is narrated in prose while the exposition of a philosophical and moral theme is put in verse; maxims or wise sayings are also expressed in verse; which either sums up the narration or introduces the next tale.

The story tellers art sugers the pill of his sober philosophy. He sets story within story and keep us waiting for the sequels and so leads us on through the five 'tantras'. As one fable follows another, people and animal are constantly changing places and they share the same characteristics of love and hatered, compassion and wit, selfless courage and base cowardice, generosity and meanness.

The panchatantra is a rare book, for in no book will you find philosophy, psychology, politics, music, astronomy, human relatioship, etc. all discussed together in such a simle yet elegant style. And no doubt millions of listeners and readers for the last 2200 years have benefitted from this most unique book.

The book is intended for the adult mind, though children will love it as well. I loved it in my childhood too. though I think many children are not aware of this sort of book, it might happen that some parents doesnt know about it either. and reason could be one of the simplest ones: this stories don't have flashy magic tricks.

Want to wake people and show them the source of best read for self and life improvement,

Sãumyã.

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Comments on Panchatantra - Pandit Vishnu Sharma Review

Though at some point i would not agree with the ''flashy magic tricks'' conspiracy you talked about.. it is dependent on one's choice only what to read. ~ Ektz

By: ektz | Aug 13, 2003 08:37 AM

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Complete Works of Panchatantra in English

Unabridged panchatantra: english translations of all 5 volumes..

• Mitra-bheda : The Separation of Friends (The Lion and the Bull)   Read Stories The first book, which is the longest of the five books, illustrates the incidents that frequesntly lead to separation of friends. It begins with a friendship between a lion king, Pingalaka, and a bull, Sanjivaka. Two jackals, Karataka and Damanaka, are ministers of the lion who lead to breaking up the friendship. The jackals narrate most of the thirty stories contained in this part. This book accounts for roughly 45% of the work's length. Book 1: The Separation of Friends »  
• Mitra-lábha or Mitra-samprápti : The Gaining of Friends (The Dove, Crow, Mouse, Tortoise and Deer)   Read Stories This second book illustrates the making or gaining of friends through the friendship between a rat and a crow, which later includes a turtle and a fawn. They collaborate to save each other to illustrate the essence of unity and friendship. This book accounts for roughly 22% of the total work's length. Book 2: The Gaining of Friends »  
• Kákolùkïyam : Of Crows and Owls (War and Peace)   Read Stories The third book illustrates the art of war and the importance of peace through traditional enemies - the crows and the owls. The book showcases the weaker crows overcoming the mightier owls by tactfully gaining access to their secrets and vulnerabilities. This book accounts for roughly 26% of the total work's length. Book 3: Of Crows and Owls »  
• Labdhapranásam : Loss of Gains (The Monkey and the Crocodile)   Read Stories The fourth book enlightens how gains achieved may be lost through a symbiotic friendship between a monkey and a crocodile, who conspires to acquire the heart of the monkey. However, the monkey gets to know of this and uses wisdom to avoid the grim fate. Book 4: Loss of Gains »  
• Aparïksitakárakam : Ill-Considered Actions (The Brahmani and the Mongoose)   Read Stories The fifth book revolves around the cases that are considered unacceptable through a Brahmani and her pet mongoose. The mongoose defends her child albeit injuries, but gets punished due to the Brahmani's misunderstanding. She later regrets having killed her friend, and her child's saviour. Book 5: Ill-Considered Actions »

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Children's Books » 101 Panchatantra Stories HB

101 panchatantra stories hb.

Panchatantra stories need no introduction. Kids were once too crazy over Panchatantra stories. There was a period where Panchatantra stories formed a vital part of kids’ entertainment and life. It is a combination of exciting facts, mystical moments, fairy tales, folklores and fascinating stories.

The good old Panchatantra stories are back in form to educate as well as entertain the children. Published by Om Books International, New Delhi, 101 Panchatantra Stories HB is one of the must to have in your collection.

The book has many interesting stories plotted in different zones. From simple morals to life changing perceptions, the satires are narrated with fun. Besides the narrative and captivating storylines, the book has the visual impact. Kids will definitely love the illustrations, which is a visual delight.

Printing, font, style, navigation, images and of course the use of colours attracts the children. Don’t miss the delightful reading that comes at a reasonable price.

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Stories From Panchatantra - Sanskrit and English

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101 PANCHATANTRA STORIES (PAPERBACK EDITION) Paperback – September 30, 2020

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 64 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Om Kidz
• Publication date September 30, 2020
• Dimensions 7.87 x 1.97 x 9.84 inches
• ISBN-10 935376517X
• ISBN-13 978-9353765170
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From the Publisher

Timeless tales.

Panchatantra Stories were basically written thousands of years ago and are still relevant. These stories are generally short, quite direct as well as vivid. They are considered to be important literature through which children can understand their culture and gain knowledge of important life lessons.

Sensitises Children

The original Panchatantra was intended to guide kings and statesmen on the path to success by teaching them how to understand human nature through stories. Replete with philosophical themes and morals, the stories in this compilation of Panchatantra also help children become sensitive human beings. It is indeed a treasure trove.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Om Kidz (September 30, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 64 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 935376517X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-9353765170
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.8 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.87 x 1.97 x 9.84 inches
• Best Sellers Rank: #2,034,644 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books )

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Panchatantra Story: The Tiger, The Brahmin and The Jackal

Once a Brahmin was passing through a forest when he came across a tiger caught in a trap.

“Oh pious Brahmin. Please let me out of this cage”, called the tiger to the Brahmin.

“Oh no, my friend!” replied the Brahmin. “If I did so, you would kill me and eat me.” 

The tiger swore to not kill him, and promised he would be the Brahmin’s slave for his entire life. Listening to the tiger plead, the Brahmin’s heart softened and he released the tiger from the trap. The tiger immediately pounced on the man and cried, “What a fool you are! What is to prevent my eating you now.”

[adinserter block=”2″]

The Brahmin pleaded for his life. The tiger granted that he would abide by the decision of the first three things the Brahmin chose to question as to the justice of the tiger’s action.

The Brahmin first asked a tree. “I give shelter to all who pass by, yet humans tear down my brothers for firewood. You’re a fool to expect gratitude!” replied the tree.

• Also Read  The Wind and the Sun – An Aesop’s Fable

Disappointed, the Brahmin turned to a buffalo. “I give humans milk and all they feed me is dry grass. Now that I have run dry, they tie me to a yoke and make me work from morning to night. You’re a fool to expect gratitude!” replied the buffalo.

Finally the tiger and the Brahmin saw a jackal passing by and told him the entire story.

“How very confusing,” replied the jackal, shaking his head. “You were in the cage and the tiger came walking by. Your story does not make any sense. Could you please tell me again.”

[adinserter block=”4″]

So the Brahmin told it all over again, but the jackal shook his head in a distracted sort of way, “I do not understand. The cage was in the tiger and you came walking by.”

“What a fool you are!” the tiger exclaimed. “I was in the cage and the Brahmin came walking by.”

• Also read  40 Panchatantra Stories for Kids between 4-6 years

“Of course my dear tiger!” replied the jackal. “I was in the cage and you came walking by. But how is that possible!”

The tiger was now getting impatient, as he was very hungry. He jumped into the cage and said, “Look, I was in the cage like this and the Brahmin came walking by. Now do you understand?!”

Perfectly! ” grinned the jackal, as he cunningly shut the door.

Moral: Any judgement should always be given after due thought. 

Read more Panchatantra Tales here for FREE.

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[…] remember that story I had told you about a kind Brahmin* who came across a tiger caught in a trap. The sobbing tiger had requested him to open the […]

What is the corresponding Sanskit name of this story?

It would be helpful to put what kind of folktale this story is as a subheading or something. Other than that, I like the story!

What is the publishing date of this story

nice stories

Tell us, Tom Selleck: Who are you, really?

The 79-year-old actor opens up — kind of — in his memoir, “You Never Know.”

Unlike Ben Franklin, who arrived in Philadelphia after a long journey by foot and boat, with enough money to buy three puffy rolls, Tom Selleck entered Los Angeles in the family car, dad at the wheel, ready to settle down in Sherman Oaks, a short drive from Hollywood.

Though Franklin is not mentioned in Selleck’s memoir, “ You Never Know ,” his work ethic and didacticism are widely evident. Another great American is also present: Huck Finn. By combining Franklin’s homiletic pronouncements with Huck’s folksy immediacy of voice, Selleck, along with co-writer Ellis Henican, has created an easygoing, talky American memoir.

And why not? Sturdy as Mount Rushmore, athletic and eminently likable, Selleck exudes traditional American masculine traits; he’s the very embodiment of the strong, silent type. But silence can be a hazard when it comes to writing a memoir, which after all is a genre of self-reflection, confession and exposure.

Known for his privacy, Selleck has written a what book instead of a why book, a chronology of doing , as he writes about his life. As he says late in the book, “Feelings are hard to describe.” So readers can decide if they’re satisfied with a résumé — a running of the credits, if you will.

I like Tom Selleck, and while waiting for the book to arrive, I watched a lot of his movies and shows. Though I find the memoir disappointing, it will make a great audiobook, and I wonder if that’s what he had in mind, letting his easygoing voice tell a story that is soothing because he keeps it on the surface.

A quick list of some doings: student at USC, where a drama professor referred him to a Hollywood agent; acting classes to improve his “instrument”; joined California Army National Guard in 1967; appeared on “The Dating Game”; TV commercials; print ads; B movies, then better ones; survived the Hollywood cattle calls until he was chosen for a new TV show titled “Magnum, P.I.” By now it’s 1980, and Selleck is 35. He’s paid his dues and lived up to his principle of “Don’t know where I’m goin’, but there’s no use bein’ late.” Hi, Huck.

This Hollywood education exposes a ruthless industry that both tests and forms Selleck’s values. He sums up his success by quoting Calvin Coolidge: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence,” a very Franklinesque aphorism. But, despite Selleck’s persistence, he wrestles with the “critic on my shoulder,” that voice that says you’re not good enough. Soon, though, another phrase — a mantra, really — takes its place: “Tom, you’re good enough.”

The book gives us a lot of doing and name-dropping. We may learn about the risqué incident when Carol Burnett had her legs around Selleck’s neck, and his photo shoot with a naked Barbara Parkins, but we learn nothing about his love life — according to my research outside the book, he’s been involved with more than three famous actresses — and little about his first marriage. He dilutes his inward thoughts with vague phrasing such as “I kinda knew,” “I don’t know why … well, actually, yes, I do know why,” or “I sit here, pen in hand, trying to explain my emotions … I can’t.”

Such coy deflections and elisions try our patience and may leave some of us wondering why he wrote a memoir if he can’t express feelings. Instead, we get clichés like “In the film business, work is waiting for you every day, and you owe it your commitment every day” and repetitions of the line he uses in his TV commercials for reverse mortgages: “This isn’t my first rodeo.” In his memoir, does Selleck have difficulty separating himself from the characters he depicts? He’s selling himself to his readers, and we’ll buy it because we like him and he’s a good actor, but cliché and evasion erode intimacy .

Ten chapters detail the creation and success of “Magnum, P.I.,” and we learn much about television production and its grueling deadlines, and that actors chew ice before doing a scene so their breath won’t show up on camera. We also learn how loyal and dedicated Selleck is to his crew, those folks who make our favorite shows possible. During the last season of “Magnum,” Selleck asked his network to give his hard-working team of seven years a bonus; the studio refused. So Selleck arranged to have his own bonus docked and gave $1,000 to each crew member. Commendable.

“Magnum” is firmly part of what scholar Susan Jeffords calls the “remasculinization of America,” a post-Vietnam cultural shift that, through films and popular culture, reinvigorated hypermasculine images and traditional male values. “Magnum” featured a Vietnam veteran, an ex-Navy SEAL, who relocates to Hawaii and becomes a private investigator. He became a character millions of men admire and emulate. But Selleck says little about his longest-lived iteration of American masculinity, Frank Reagan of the TV hit “Blue Bloods,” now in its 14th and final season. A lifelong Republican, Selleck, I’m sure, enjoys playing a character who has the same last name as a president he admires.

Reagan is an aging patriarch who wields his masculinity both as the NYPD police commissioner and as a father who sits at the head of the table during family Sunday dinners. Selleck does not share what it’s like playing this older man who covers up his body with an overcoat and a cowl-neck sweater. Instead, we’re told the business details of “Blue Bloods,” not its personal impact on its star.

Selleck is completely silent about the nine “Jesse Stone” TV movies he made beginning in 2005. Stone, a cop, does open up, revealing both the whats and the whys of his character, especially in the exchanges between him and his male therapist. Selleck is also at his sexiest, lounging in bed, the famous chin doubling as he reaches for his reading glasses. How does a masculine icon age? Selleck doesn’t say.

Closing on a pastoral note in the epilogue, the 79-year-old actor walks around his ranch and checks the water tanks he needs for his avocado crop while reminiscing about the stories he’s just told us and the ones he’s keeping to himself. In the book’s penultimate sentence he writes, “I am the steward of those stories, the same way I am steward of my land.” Unsurprisingly, Selleck fails to mention his allegedly improper transfer of over 1 million gallons of water onto “my land” in 2015.

It’s hard to separate the dancer from the dance, the mustache from the man, but not impossible. Memoir is supposed to puncture the facade of performance, or at least try to. Perhaps Selleck will trust his audience enough to write a more intimate sequel. He’s been speaking to us for a long while now, and I’m sure he has more to say.

Sibbie O’Sullivan, a former teacher in the Honors College at the University of Maryland, is the author of “My Private Lennon: Explorations From a Fan Who Never Screamed.”

Tom Selleck

You Never Know

By Tom Selleck with Ellis Henican

Dey Street. 352 pp. $29.99

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Judi Dench’s Eyesight Keeps Her From Reading, but Not From Books

“They’re snapshots of the past: first-night gifts, holidays abroad, memories of lost friends and loved ones,” the award-winning actress says. Her latest, written with Brendan O’Hea, is “Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent.”

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What’s the best book you’ve ever received as a gift?

That’s an impossible question. The best in 89 years? How do I know? I remember being given A.P. Wavell’s “Other Men’s Flowers” as a birthday present when I was young. It’s a collection of poetry, which opened my eyes to the power of verse. But then I also adored “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” by Patricia Highsmith . My husband, Michael [Williams], bought it for me as a holiday read. I devoured it and didn’t want it to end. I had to ration myself to a couple of pages a day.

What’s the last great book you read?

“ Dormouse Has a Cold,” by Julia Donaldson . It’s a lift-the-flap children’s book, sent to me when I was recovering from a cold.

Have you ever gotten in trouble for reading a book?

After lights out at boarding school when I was 15. I was in bed under the covers with a torch reading Rudyard Kipling’s “Just So Stories.”

How do you organize your books?

I don’t. I have so many books, but never enough shelves, so I have books everywhere — piled up on tables, chairs, running along window sills, books in every available nook and cranny. Because of my eyesight I can no longer read, but I love being surrounded by books — they’re snapshots of the past: first-night gifts, holidays abroad, memories of lost friends and loved ones. I still have my father’s individual copies of the Temple Shakespeare from 1903. They’re small, red-leather-bound copies with gilt lettering on the cover, and if I hold one I can be transported back to my childhood and family quizzes about Shakespeare.

Shakespeare’s writing, you say in the new book, “has the capacity to make us feel less alone.” What other writing has done that for you?

Oh so many — Iris Murdoch, Chekhov, Zoë Heller, J.D. Salinger — any writer who can reflect us back to ourselves and help us discover who we are.

You mention seeing a theater ghost in the book. Do you enjoy ghost stories?

I love a good ghost story. I remember being on a family camping holiday in Scotland when my daughter, Finty, was young. We snuggled up under a blanket, while Michael poured himself a large vodka and tonic and read us “The Mezzotint,” by M.R. James. It was thrilling.

Did you ever read backstage to pass the time?

No, there’s never time. And in any case I couldn’t, as I’d be worried about becoming too engrossed in the story and missing my cue.

What book, fiction or nonfiction, best captures life and work in the theater?

Again, there are so many, but I’ll opt for “National Service,” by Richard Eyre. It’s such an honest account of the ups and downs of running a big organization like the National Theater.

What made Brendan O’Hea a good interviewer for this book?

We’re old friends and have no secrets from each other. We also have the same sense of humor and a shared passion for Shakespeare. He’s tenacious in his questioning, which probably means that I’ve revealed more about my personal life and acting technique in this book than I have in any other .

Does the Shakespeare authorship debate interest you?

No. William Shakespeare from Stratford is good enough for me and I’ll settle for that.

Of all the characters you’ve played across different media, which role felt to you the most fulfilling?

I’d have to say Cleopatra: She’s mercurial, witty, imperious, passionate, irreverent — the whole of life is in that part — you get a real intellectual workout whilst playing her. In fact, I’d like to be getting ready now to go onstage to play her — look, I’m getting goose bumps at the thought.

If an aspiring actor were to read one portion of the book, which would you suggest, and why?

I’d hope there was something to be gleaned from every chapter, but there’s advice on the rehearsal process, coping with first-night nerves and tips on verse speaking. I’m just sharing a little of what I’ve learned over the past 70 years, which will hopefully act as a springboard for aspiring actors to formulate their own ideas. I’d also like to say that we’ve had wonderful feedback from people who aren’t actors — many of whom were put off Shakespeare at school — and, having read our book, felt inspired to revisit his plays.

You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?

I’m not a very good cook, so I may have to suggest that people eat before they arrive. I’d certainly invite Shakespeare. I’d ask him if he had another play up his doublet. I’d also like to meet Henrik Ibsen — who I recently discovered I’m related to — although he might scowl if I served him my own version of Norwegian meatballs. And I know Billy Connolly has written a few books, so I’d have to invite him to be assured of a good laugh.

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