Pañcatantra - The Weighing Scales and the Merchant's Son Flashcards
अस्ति कस्मिंश्चिदधिष्ठाने जीर्नधनो नाम वणिक्पुत्रः । स च विभवक्षयाद्देशान्तरगमनमना व्यचिन्तयत् — तस्य गृहे लोहभारघटिता पूर्वपुरुषोपार्जिता तुलासीत् । तां च कस्यचिच्छ्रेष्टिनो गृहे निक्षेपभूतां कृत्वा देशान्तरं प्रस्थितः । ततः सुचिरं कालं देशान्तरं भ्रान्त्वा पुनः स्वपुरमागत्य तं श्रेष्ठिनमुवाच — भोः श्रेष्ठिन् दीयतां मे सा निक्षेपतुला ।
There was, in a certain town, a businessman’s son named Jīrṇadhana. Owing to a loss of wealth, he thought about going to another country. In his house there was a weighing scale that his ancestors had got made from solid iron. Having made that as a deposit in the house of a money-lender, he set out to foreign lands. After that, having roamed about the other places for a long time, and having retunred to his hometown again, he said to that money lender, “O Respected Sir, please give me the scales that were pawned.”
स आह — भोः नास्ति सा त्वदीया तुला । मूषिकैर्भक्षिता । जीर्णधन आह — भोः श्रेष्टिन् नास्ति दोषस्ते यदि मूषिकैर् भक्षितेति । ईदृगेवायं संसारः । न किंचिदत्र शाश्वतमस्ति परमहं नद्यां स्नानार्थं गमिष्यामि । तत्त्वमात्मीयं शिशुमेतं धनदेवनामानं मया सह स्नानोपकरणहस्तं प्रेषय इति ।
He said, “O Sir, your scales do not exist. they have been eaten by mice.” Jīrṇadhana said, “O Respected money-lender, it’s not your fault if they have been eaten by mice. the world is such. Nothing here is permanent. Later I am going for a bath in the river. So send with me your own son, the one named Dhanadeva, with bathing accessories in hand.”
सोऽपि चौर्यभयात्तस्य शङ्कितः पुत्रमुवाच — वत्स पितृव्योऽयं तव स्नानार्थं नद्यां यास्यति । तद्गम्यतामनेन साधं स्नानोपकरणमादाय इति । अथासौ वणिक्शिशुः स्नानोपकरणमादाय प्रहृष्टमनास्तेनाभ्यागतेन सह प्रस्थितः । तथानुष्ठिते वणिक्स्नात्वा तं शिशुं नदीगुहायां प्रक्षिप्य तद्द्वारं बृहच्छिलयाच्छाद्य सत्वरं गृहमागतः । पृष्टश्च तेन वणिजा – भो अभ्यागत कथ्यतां कुत्र मे शिशुर्यस्त्वया सह नदीं गत इति ।
The money-lender, apprehensive from fear of trickery, said to his son, “O Son! This uncle of yours is going for a bath in the river. Then go with him, taking the bathing accessories.” then the money-lender’s child, with cheerful face, taking the bathing accessories, set out with that person who arrived. When matters had happened accordingly, the merchant, after bathing, having hidden tht boy in a cave in the riverbank, shut the entrance door with a large stone and quickly returned home. And he was asked by that money-lender, “O visitor, tell me, “where is my son who went with you to the river?”
स आह — नदीतटात्स श्येनेन हृत इति । श्रेष्ठ्याह — मिथ्यावादिन् किं क्वचिच्छ्येनो बालं हर्तुं शक्नोति ।तत्समर्पय मे सुतम् । अन्यता राजकुले निवेदयिष्यामि इति । स आह — भोः सत्यवादिन् यथा श्येनो बालं न नयति तथा मूषिका अपि लोहभारघटितां तुलां न भक्षयन्ति । तदर्पय मे तुलां यदि दारकेण प्रयोजनम् ।
He said, “He was carried away from the riverbank by a falcon.” the money-lender said, “O liar! What? A falcon is able to carry off a child somewhere? Then hand over my son! Otherwise I will inform the court of the king.” He said, “O truth-speaker, just as a falcon does not bring a young boy, so also mice do not eat scales made of solid iron! hand over my scales, if your intention is to be reunited with your child.”
