The Panchatantra of Vishnusharma (Hardcover)

Authored in about 345–300 BCE by Vishnusharma, the Panchatantra has long been considered one of India’s invaluable gifts to the world. Its creation is the stuff of legend: in an effort to expedite the education of his three unschooled sons, the wise King Amarashakti of Mahilaropya sought out the octogenarian scholar Vishnusharma, who was known for his inventive teaching methods. Vishnusharma not only accepted the task of educating the princes but also said that he would accomplish it in six months. The Nitishastra he used to teach the princes was one he composed specifically for the purpose and this was called the Panchatantra—five treatises. ‘Mitra Bheda’ (breach of friendship), the longest of the sections, is framed around the deep friendship between a lion, Pingalaka, and a bull, Sanjivaka, and narrates how they are turned against each other, raising the question: can two animals who are natural enemies ever be friends? The second tantra, ‘Mitra Samprapti’ (acquisition of friends), relates how a crow, mouse, tortoise, and deer become friends, and shows how friendship between the small and powerless is beneficial to all involved. ‘Kakolukiyam’ (of crows and owls), the third tantra, is a narrative that draws from Kautilya’s six-fold state policy, which is woven into the tantra’s