Latest / Sandman Stories Presents / EP 301: Panchatantra- ch23 The Lion and The Ram; ch24 Smart, The Jackal (Ryder)

Transcript

EP 301: Panchatantra- ch23 The Lion and The Ram; ch24 Smart, The Jackal (Ryder) · Sandman Stories Presents

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  Welcome back listeners to Sandman Stories Presents, a
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  folklore podcast where I read you to sleep or until the next
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  story. I'm your host, Dustin.
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  If you want more Sandman, I have extra stories that are too spicy
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  for the main feed available on my Patreon.
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  You can even join at the free tier and get everything.
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  Today we are back in the Panchatantra, translated by
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  Arthur Ryder. In the previous chapter we were
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  dealing with the story within a story.
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  Here we see the plover in the Ocean's outcome and we start to
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  see some of Victor's treachery bear fruit.
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  Let's return to Garuda, listening to a tale.
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  Chapter 23. The Lion and the Ram.
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  In a part of a forest was a ram separated from his flock.
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  In the armor of his great fleece and horns he roamed the wood, a
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  tough customer. Now one day a lion in that
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  forest, who had a retina of all kinds of animals, encountered
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  him. At this unprecedented sight, the
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  wool so bristle in every direction as to conceal the
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  body. The lion's heart was troubled
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  and invaded by fear. Surely he is more powerful than
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  I am, he thought. That is why he wanders here so
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  fearlessly. And the lion crept away.
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  But on a later day the lion saw that same ram eating grass on
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  the forest floor, and thought, what the fellow nibbles grass?
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  His strength must be in relation to his diet.
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  So he made a quick spring and killed the ram.
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  And that is why I say the poor are in peculiar need of being
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  secret when they feed and the rest of it.
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  While they were thus conferring, Vishnu's messenger returned and
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  said, Garuda, Lord Vishnu sends orders that you are to return it
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  once to the Celestial City. On hearing this, Garuda proudly
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  said to him, Messenger, what will the master do with a
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  servant as poor as I am? Garuda said the messenger, It
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  may be that the Blessed One has spoken to you harshly, but why
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  should you display pride towards the Blessed?
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  1 And Garuda replied, The ocean, the resting place of the Blessed
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  One, has stolen the eggs of the plover.
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  Who is my servant? If I do not chastise him, then I
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  am not the servant of the Blessed One.
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  Make this report to the Master. Now when Vishnu learned from the
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  messenger's lips that Garuda was feigning anger, he thought, He
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  is dreadfully angry. I will therefore go in person
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  and address him and bring him back with all honor.
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  For the proverb says shame, no servant showing worth loyalty
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  and noble birth. Pet him ever like a son, if you
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  wish your business done. And again, masters, fully
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  satisfied, pay by gratifying pride.
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  Servants for such honors pay gladly throw their lives away.
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  Having reached this conclusion, he hastened to Garuda, who,
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  beholding his master, a visitor in his own house, modestly gazed
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  on the ground, bowed low, and said, Oh, Blessed One, the ocean
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  made insolent by his service, as your resting place has stolen,
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  behold, has stolen the eggs of my servant, and thus brought
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  shame upon me from reverence for the Blessed One.
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  I've delayed, but if nothing is done, I myself will this day
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  reduce him to dry land. For the Proverbs says a loyal
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  servant dies, but shrinks from doing deeds of such a kind as
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  bring contempt from common men and lower him in his master's
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  mind. To this the Blessed One replied,
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  O son of Vinata, your speech is justified because for servants
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  crimes the master should be made to suffer, say the good, so long
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  as he does not erase from service cruel folk and base.
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  Come then, so that we may recover the eggs from the ocean,
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  may satisfy the plover, and then proceed to the Celestial City on
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  the gods business. To this Garuda agreed, and the
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  Blessed One reproached the ocean, then fitted the flaming
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  arrow to his bow, and said, villain, give the plover his
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  eggs, else I will reduce you to dry land.
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  On hearing this, the ocean, while he shook with fright,
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  tremblingly took the eggs and restored them to the plover, as
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  the Blessed One directed. And that is why I say he loses
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  fights. Who fights before his foeman's
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  power is reckoned, and the rest of it.
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  Now when Lively understood the matter, he asked Victor, Tell
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  me, comrade, what is his fighting technique?
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  And Victor answered, formerly he would like hairlessly on a slab
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  of stone with limbs relaxed. If today his tail is drawn in at
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  the very first, if his fore paws are bunched up and his ears are
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  pricked up, and if he is watching for you while you are
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  still far off, then you may understand that he has treachery
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  in mind here Upon Victor visited Cheek who asked what have you
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  accomplished, and he replied, I've already set them at odds
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  with each other, have you really done it?
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  Said Cheek. And Victor answered, the outcome
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  will show you indeed, said Cheek.
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  It is not surprising, for the proverb says a well devised
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  estranging scheme. The firmest prudence shocks as
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  constant floods of water split the mountains close piled rocks.
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  Then Victor continued, having wrought an estrangement.
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  A man should not fail to seek his own advantage in it.
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  As the verse puts it, the man who studies every book and
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  understands, yet does not look to his advantage, learns in
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  vain. His books are merely mental
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  strain. But in the final analysis, said
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  cheek, there's no such thing as personal advantage.
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  For since worms and filth and ashes cling, the body is a
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  loathsome thing. Therefore, what statecraft may
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  there be in hurting it vicariously?
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  Ah, replied Victor, you have no comprehension of the devious
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  ways of statesmanship, the basic support of the profession of
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  counselor. On this point there is a verse.
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  Let your speech like sugar be, steal your heart remorselessly,
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  never draw a doubtful breath. Pay for suffered wrongs with
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  death. And another thing this lively,
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  even when killed, will provide us with nourishment.
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  For you know the wise who wrong another pursuing selfish good
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  should keep his plans a secret, as Smart did in the wood.
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  How was that asked? Cheek and Victor told the story
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  of Smart the Jackal. Chapter 24 Smart the Jackal.
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  In a part of the forest lived a lion named Thunderfang, in
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  company with three counselors, a wolf, a Jackal, and a camel,
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  whose names were Meat Face, Smart and Spike Ear.
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  One day he fought with a furious elephant whose sharp pointed
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  tusks so tore his body that he withdrew from the world.
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  Then, suffering from a seven day fast, his body lean with hunger,
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  he said to his famished advisors, Round up some creature
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  in the forest, so that even in my present condition I may
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  provide needed nourishment for you.
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  The moment he issued his orders, they roamed the wood but found
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  nothing. Thereupon Smart reflected, if
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  Spike Ear were killed, then we should all be nourished for a
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  few days. However, the master is kept from
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  killing him by friendly feeling. In spite of that, my wit will
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  put the Master in frame of mind to kill him.
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  For indeed all understanding may be 1 All things may be slain and
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  all be done. If mortals have sufficient wit
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  for me, I make good use of it. After these reflections, he said
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  to Spike Year. Friend, Spike Year, the Master
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  lacks wholesome food and is starving.
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  If the Master goes, our death is also a certain thing.
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  So I have a suggestion for your benefit and the Masters please
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  pay attention. Spike Year, said My good fellow,
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  make haste to inform me so that I may unhesitatingly do as you
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  say. Besides, one earns credit for
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  100 good deeds by serving his master.
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  And Smart said, My good fellow, give your own body at 100%
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  interest so that it may receive a double body and the master may
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  prolong his life. On hearing this proposal,
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  Spikier said, If that is possible, my friend, my body
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  shall be so devoted. Tell the Master that this thing
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  should be done. I stipulate only that the death
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  God be requested to guarantee the bargain.
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  Having made their decision, they all went to visit the Lion, and
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  Smart said, O King, we did not find a thing today, and the
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  blessed sun is already nearing its setting.
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  On hearing this, the lion fell into deep despondency.
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  Then Smart continued, O King, our friend Spike here makes this
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  proposal. If you call upon the death God
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  to guarantee the bargain, and if you render it back with 100% of
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  interest, then I will give you my body.
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  My good fellow, answered the Lion, Yours is a beautiful act.
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  Let it be as you say. On the basis of this pact, Spike
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  Ear was struck down by the lion's paw, his body was torn
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  apart by the wolf and the Jackal, and he died.
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  Then Smart reflected, How can I get him all to myself to eat?
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  With this thought in his mind, he noticed that the lion's body
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  was smeared with blood, and he said.
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  Master, you must go to the river and bathe and worship the gods,
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  while I stay here with Meat Face to guard the food supply.
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  On hearing this, the lion went to the river.
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  When the lion was gone, Smart said to Meat Face.
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  Friend, Meat Face, you are starving, you might eat some of
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  this camel before the old master returns, I will make your
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  apologies to the master. So Meat Face took the hint, but
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  had only taken a taste when Smart cried.
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  Drop it, Meat Face, the master is coming.
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  Presently the lion returned, saw that the camel was minus a
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  heart, and wrathfully roared, Look here, who has turned this
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  camel into leavings? I wish to kill him too.
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  Then Meat Face peered into Smart's visage, as much as to
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  say, Come now, say something so they may calm down.
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  But Smart laughed and said, Come, come, you ate the camel's
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  heart all by yourself, why do you look at me?
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  And Meat Face, hearing this, fled for his life, making for
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  another country. But when the lion had pursued
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  him a short distance, he turned back, thinking he too was a
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  weakling. I must not kill him.
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  At this moment, as fate would have it, there came that way, a
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  great camel caravan, heavily laden, making tremendous
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  jingling with the bells tied to the camel's necks.
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  And when the lion heard the Jingle of the bells loud even in
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  the distance, he said to the Jackal, My good fellow, find out
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  what that horrible noise may be. On receiving this Commission,
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  Smart advanced a little into the forest, then darted back and
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  cried in great excitement. Run, master, run if you care.
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  Run, my good fellow, said the lion, Why terrify me so?
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  Tell me what it is. And Smart cried, Master, the
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  death God is coming, and he is in a Rage Against you because
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  you brought the untimely death of his camel and had him
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  guarantee the bargain. He intends to make you pay 1000
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  fold for his camel. He has immense pride in his
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  camels. He also plans to make inquiries
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  about the father and grandfathers of that one.
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  He is coming, he is near at hand.
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  When the lion heard this, he too abandoned the dead camel and
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  scampered for dear life. Whereupon Smart ate the camel
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  bit by bit, so that the meat lasted a long time.
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  And that is why I say the wise who wrongs another, pursuing
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  selfish good, and the rest of it.
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  Now when Victor was gone, Lively reflected, what am I to do?
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  Suppose I go elsewhere? Then some other merciless
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  creature will kill me, for this is a wild forest indeed.
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  When the master is furious, it is not possible even to depart,
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  for the proverb says impunity comes not by fleeing far away.
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  The long arms of the shrewd make careless sinners pay.
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  My best course is to approach the lion.
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  He may regard me as a suppliant, might even spare my life.
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  Having thus set his mind in order, he started very slowly
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  with troubled spirit, and when he perceived the lion in the
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  posture foretold by Victor, he sank down at some little
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  distance, thinking, Ah, the unfathomable character of kings,
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  as a proverb says, Tis a house with serpents, crawling wood
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  with beasts of prey, appalling Lotus pond where blossoms smile
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  over the lurking crocodile spot that sneaking rogues deface with
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  repeated Slander's base. Timid servant never learns
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  whither kingly purpose turns. Rusty, for his part, perceived
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  the bull in the attitude predicted by Victor, made a
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  sudden spring at him, and lively those body was torn by sharp
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  claws as formidable as thunderbolts also scored the
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  lion's belly with his horns, contrived to break away from
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  him, and stood in fighting posture, ready again to gore.
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  At this point Cheek perceived that both of them read his duck
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  Trees and blossom were intent on killing each other, and he said
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  reproachfully to Victor. You dunderhead, and setting
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  these two at enmity, you have done a wicked deed.
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  You have brought trouble and confusion into this entire
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  forest, thus proving your ignorance of true nature of
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  statecraft. For the saying runs, Those are
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  counsellors indeed, wise and statecraft, who succeed in
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  composing reckless strife that unhindered threatens life.
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  Those on petty purpose bent keen to visit punishment quick, and
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  wrong and folly bring risk to Kingdom and to king.
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  Ah poor fool, men of true discernment, first try
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  conciliation for the victories of peace suffer no frustration.
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  Ah poor simpleton, you seek the post of a counselor and are
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  ignorant of the very name of conciliation.
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  Your ambition is vain since you love harsh measures, as a
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  proverb puts it. Lord Brahma bids the statement
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  Try conciliation first. Postpone or shun it can be done.
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  Harsh deeds of all deeds worst tis neither sun nor flashing gem
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  nor fiery spark, tis peace from better foreman's hearts that
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  routes the dark. And again thy peaceful means not
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  harsh to make your quarrel flit take sugar not cucumber for
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  bilious fit. And once again the doors that
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  wit unlocks are three peace, shrewd intrigue and bribery.
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  The 4th device that brings success and struggle is plain
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  manliness. Tis womanish no doubt to show
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  small strength, abundant sense, but power is merely bestial.
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  If without intelligence. Snake, lion, elephant and fire
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  with water, wind and sun have power from undirected power is
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  little profit one. Now if it was overweening pride
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  in being the son of a counsellor that has LED you to outrage
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  decency, the result will merely be your own ruin.
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  As the proverb says. What is learning?
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  Who's attaining sees no passion wane, no reigning love and
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  self-control does not make the mind a menial finds in virtue no
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  congenial path and final goal, Who's attaining but is ever
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  straining for a name and never gaining fame or peace of soul.
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  Now in the treaties on the subject, statesmanship is
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  subsumed under 5 heads, to wit, proper inception, resources,
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  human and material, determination of place and time,
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  countermeasures for mischance and successful accomplishment.
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  At the present moment the master finds himself in serious peril.
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  So if you have any such capacity, device countermeasures
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  for his mischance. For the wisdom of a counselor
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  finds its test in the patching of friendship.
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  You fool, that cannot do because you have a perverted mind.
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  As the saying goes, no scamp can further others work, but can
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  deprive it. The mole uproots the Mulberry
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  but cannot save it. After all, the fault is not
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  yours, but rather the masters who trust your words.
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  Dull wit it as you are, and the proverb says, educating.
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  Sluggish wit kills no pride, but fosters it.
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  In the sunlight. Others find aid to vision.
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  Owls go blind. Education thrusts aside man's
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  fatuity and pride if it foster them.
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  Who can cure the educated man? Remedies are useless when
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  heaven's nectar poisons men. And cheek, beholding his master
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  in pitiful plight, sank into a deep dejection.
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  Dreadful, he cried. Dreadful is the penalty the
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  master pays for taking evil counsel.
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  Indeed, there is wisdom in the verse monarchs who adopt A plan
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  from the mean and vicious man who refused to tread the way
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  that the prudent counselor. They enter misadventures cage
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  where the adversaries rage. Thence deliverance gate crowns
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  an issue rucked straight Fool fool.
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  All the world seeks the service of a master whose retinue is
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  righteous. How then can such an evil
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  counselor as you, who like a beast, understand nothing but
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  destruction? How can such a one enrich the
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  Master with righteous companions?
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  For the proverb says Monarchs ill advised repel, even though
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  they purpose well, sweet and Placid waters smile, but beware
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  the crocodile. Yet you, I suppose, seeking your
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  own advantage, desire to have the king quite solitary.
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  Ah, fool, are you ignorant of the verse?
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  Kings shine as social beings, not as solitaries.
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  Whoever wished them lonely are their adversaries.
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  And again, draw benefit from comments harsh no poison.
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  This in flattery sees treason not true Nectar's bliss.
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  And if you are grieved at seeing others happy and prosperous,
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  that too is wicked. It is wrong to proceed thus when
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  friends have filled their nature for.
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  Those who seek through trees and friends, seek through humbug.
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  Righteous ends, property by wronging neighbors, learnings,
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  wealth by easy laborers, woman's love by cruel pride.
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  These are fools self stultified. Likewise, the happiness of
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  subjects make the monarch gay and brave.
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  Nay, what would be the dancing sea with no gem flashing wave?
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  Furthermore, for one who has enjoyed the master's favor,
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  modesties peculiarly proper, as the verse puts it, according to
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  his favoured state, a servant's modest humbled gate is notably
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  appropriate. Your character, however, is
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  marked by levity, and the proverb says the great are firm,
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  though battered. As before, great ocean is not
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  followed by caving shore for pretty cause.
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  The fickle damage change in pass, The gentlest breezes
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  ruffle plant grass. When all is said, it is the
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  master's fault, for in pursuit of virtue, money, and love, he
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  recklessly takes counsel with one like you, one who lives by
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  the mere pretense of administrative competence, in
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  total ignorance of the six expedients and the four devices
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  for attaining success. Yes, there is wisdom in this.
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  If kings are satisfied with servants at their side, who
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  apply a Wheeling tongue whose bows are never strong, then
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  kingly glory goes embracing manlier foes.
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  Indeed, there's much sense in the story, which is summed up in
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  the familiar verse. The counselor whose name was
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  strong, attained his dearest heart's desire.
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  He won the favor of the king. He burned the naked monk with
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  fire. How's that?
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  Asked Victor. Antique told the story of the
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  monk who left his body behind. To be continued.
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  Thank you and good night.