Pañcatantra - The Lion, the Jackal and the Cave Flashcards
कस्मिंश्चिद्वनोद्देशे खरनखरो नाम सिंहः प्रतिवसति स्म । स कदाचिदितश्चेतश्च परिभ्रमन् क्षुत्क्षामकण्ठो न किं चिदपि सत्त्वमाससाद । ततश्चास्तमनसमये महतीं गिरिगुहामासद्य प्रैष्टश्चिन्तयामास – नूनमेतस्यां गुहायां रात्रौ केनापि सत्त्वेनागन्तव्यम् । तन्निभृतो भूत्वा तिष्ठामि ।
In a certain place in a forest lived a lion named Kharankhara. One day, at a certain time, wandering here and there, his throat dried up and sore, he could not find any animal at all [for food.] And after that, at sunset, finding a large mountain cave, he entered and thought, “Certainly some animal should come into this cave during the night. Having become settled, I will wait.”
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्स्वामी दधिपुच्छो नाम शृगालः समायातः ।स च यावत्पश्यति तावत्सिंहपदपद्धतिर्गुहायां प्रविष्टा न च निष्क्रान्ता । ततश्चाचिन्तयत् – अहो विनष्टोऽस्मि । नूनमस्यामन्तर्गतेन सिंह्न भाव्यम् ।तत्किं करोमि । कथं ज्ञास्यामि ।
The owner, a jackal named Dadhipuccha, came into the interior [of the cave]. When he reached the mouth of the cave he saw the paw marks of a lion entered as far as the inside of the cave, but not coming out. After that he thought, “Alas! I am destroyed! Surely a lion must have gone into the inside of the cave. What should I do? How will I know [if the lion is in the cave?”
एवं विचिन्त्य द्वारस्ठः फूत्कर्तुमारब्धः – अहो बिल अहो बिल इत्युक्त्वा तूष्णींभूय भूयोऽपि तथैव प्रत्य्भाषत – भोः किं न स्मरसि यन्मया त्वया सह समयः कृतोऽस्ति । यन्मया बाह्यात्समागतेन त्वं वक्तव्यः । त्वया चाहमाकारणीय इति । तद्यदि मां नाह्वयसि ततोऽहं द्वितीयं बिलं यास्यामि । अथ तच्छ्रुत्वा सिंहश्चिन्तितवान् – नूनमेषा गुहास्य समागतस्य सदा समाह्वानं करोति । परमद्य मद्भयान्न किं चिद् ब्रूते । अथवा साह्विदमुच्यते –
Thinking in such a manner, standing at the entrance, he began to shriek, “O cave! O cave!” Having spoken thus, becoming silent again, in a similar way he spoke back, “O sir! Do you not remember the pact between you and me? When I return from outside you should be called to. And I should be called to by you. Then, if you do not invite me in, I will go to another cave.” Then, having heard that, the lion thought – “Surely this cave always makes a calling for this one returning. exceptionally today, he says nothing, from fear of me. It is said rightly:
भयमंत्रस्तमनसां हस्तपादादिका क्रियाः ।
प्रवर्तन्ते न वाणी च वेपठुश्चाधिको भवेत् ॥
“Actions of those whose minds are agitated with terror, such as of hands, feet etc., do not proceed, and the voice would be quivering excessively.”
“In a scared person, the hands and feet stop functioning, the voice turns silent and the body begins to tremble.”
तदहमस्याह्वानं करोमि येन तदनुसारेण प्रविष्टोऽयं मे भोज्यतां यास्यति । एवं संप्रधार्य सिंहस्तस्याह्वानमकरोत् । अथ सिंहशब्देन सा गुहा प्रतोरवसंपूर्णन्यानपि दूरस्थानरण्यजीवांस्त्रास्यामास । शृगालोऽपि पलायमान इमं श्लोकमपठत् – अनागतं यः कुरुते स शोच्यते यो न करोत्यनागतम् ।
वनेऽत्र संस्ठस्य समागता जरा विलस्य वाणी न कदापि मे श्रुता ॥
Then I will return his call, and, by following that, the jackal will enter and become my meal. Having resolved thus, the lion made his roar. Then, that cave was completely filled with the sound of the lion, even frightening other far away forest creatures. The jackel, also running away, recited this verse:
The person who plans before taking action is successful; the one who acts before planning has to repent later. I have grown up in this forest and now turned old, but am yet to hear the voice of a cave.
