Reading: The Panchatantra

सिंहकारकमूर्खब्राह्मणकथा

(A story of the foolish brahmins who made a lion)

The four brahmins

कस्मिंश्चिद् अधिष्ठाने चत्वारो ब्राह्मणपुत्राः परस्परं मित्रभावम् उपगता वसन्ति स्म । तेषां त्रयः शास्त्रपारङ्गताः परन्तु बुद्धिरहिताः । एकस्तु बुद्धिमान् केवलं शास्त्रपराङ्मुखः ।

चत्वारः

m1p

four (m1s)

स्म

uninflected

(this word makes the story appear in the past)

त्रयः

m1p

three (m1s)

पराङ्-गत

mfn

versed in, studied in

पराङ्-मुख

mfn

turned away from

Setting out

अथ तैः कदाचिन् मित्रैर् मन्त्रितम् -- "को गुणो विद्याया येन देशान्तरं गत्वा भूपतीन् परितोष्या ऽर्थोपार्जनः न क्रियते । तत् पूर्वदेशं गच्छामः ।"

मन्त्रित

mfn

decided

विद्यायाः

f6s

learning

The fourth brahmin is not abandoned

तथा ऽनुष्ठिते किंचिन्मार्ग गत्वा तेषां ज्येष्ठतरः प्राह -- "अहो अस्माकम् एकश्चतुर्थो मूढः, केवलं बुद्धिमान् । न च राजप्रतिग्रहो बुद्ध्या लभ्यते विद्यां विना । तन् नास्मैः स्वोपार्जितं दस्यामि । तद् गच्छतु गृहम्" । ततो द्वितीयेनाभिहितम् -- "भोः ! सुबुद्धे ! गच्छ त्वं स्वगृहं, यतस्ते विद्या नास्ति । ततस् तृतीयेनाभिहितं — "अहो न युज्यत एवं कर्तुं, यतो वयं बाल्यात् प्रभृत्येकत्र क्रीडिताः तदागच्छतु महानुभावो ऽस्मदुपार्जितवित्तस्य समभागी भविष्यतीति । उक्तं च

किं तया क्रियते लक्ष्म्या या बधूरिव केवला ।
या न वेश्येव सामान्या पथिकैर् उपभुज्यते ॥

तथा च

अयं निजः परो वेत्ति गणना लघुचेतसाम् ।
उदारचरितानान्तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ॥

तदागच्छत्वेषो ऽपीति ।

The brahmins find a dead lion

तथा ऽनुष्ठिते तैर् मार्गाश्रितैर् अटव्यां कतिचिद् अस्थीनि दृष्टानि । ततश्चैकेनाभिहितम् -- "अहो, अद्य विद्याप्रत्यः क्रियते । किंचिद् एतत् सत्त्वं मृतं तिष्ठति । तद् विद्याप्रभावेण जीवनसहितं कुर्मः । अहम् अस्थिसंचयं करोमि । ततश्च तेनौत्सुक्याद् अस्थिसंचयः कृतः । द्वितीयेन चर्ममांसरुधिरं संयोजितं । तृतीयो ऽपि यावज्जीवनं संचारयति, तावत् सुबुद्धिना निषिद्धः -- "भो तिष्ठतु भवान् । एष सिंहो निष्पाद्यते । यद्येनं सजीवं करिष्यसि ततः सर्वान् अपि व्यापादयिष्यति ।"

The fourth brahmin saves himself

इति चेनाभिहितः स आह "धिङ्मूर्ख ! नाहं विद्याया विफलतां करोमि" । ततस् तेनाभिहितम् -- "तर्हि प्रतीक्षस्व क्षणं यावद् अहम् वृक्षम् आरोहामि । तथा ऽनुष्ठिते यावत्सजीवः कृतस् तावत् ते त्रयो ऽपि सिंहेनोत्थाय व्यापादिताः । स च पुनर् वृक्षाद् अवतीर्य गृहो गतः । अतो ऽहं ब्रवीमि -- वरं बुद्धिर् न सा विद्येति ॥

The story of the foolish brahmins and the creation of the lion (a free translation)

In a certain place lived four brahmin boys who had become friends. Of them, three had studied the shastras but were devoid of reason; but one, who turned away from the shastras, had reason alone. Well, they thought one day: "What's the use of learning if it can't bring wealth or please kings in a foreign land? So, let us go east."

Then, having done so, and having walked a little on the path, the eldest of them said: "Oh friends, the fourth one of us is uneducated and knows only reason — and no king will favor those with reason but no education. Thus, I will not share my earnings with him. Let him go home." Then the second said, "Oh Subuddhi! Go to your own house, for you have no education." Then the third said "Oh friends, it's not proper to act this way, for we have all played together from childhood. Let this good man accompany us and share of a portion of our wealth. For it is said:

What's the use of wealth if it's a chaste wife,
No common harlot that every traveler can enjoy?

And also:

"This is mine alone" — such are the thoughts of the narrow-minded.
But for the generous, the whole world is their family.

So, let even him come with us.

Then, having done so, and sticking to the path through the jungle, they happened to see some bones. One said, "Oh brothers! Now let's make a test of the power of our education. Something dead lies here. With the might of our learning, let us bring it back its life. I will arrange the bones." And with great enthusiasm he made the arrangement. The second bound it with skin, flesh, and blood. And the third — well, when he started to bestow it with life, he was stopped by Subuddhi: "Oh, please wait! This looks like a lion. If you give it life, it will kill us all."

And with this said, he replied: "Oh, rotten fool! I won't let my learning be fruitless." Then Subuddhi replied: "Then please wait a moment until I climb this tree."

So, when he had done so, and just as it was made and alive again, the lion rose and killed the three. And after a time, Subuddhi came down from the tree and went home. Therefore I say: far better is reason, not this thing called education.