Panchatantra Story 3 - The Frog and the Snake Flashcards
स्कन्धेनापि वहेच्छत्रुं कालमासाद्य बुद्धिमान् ।
महता कृष्णसर्पेण मण्डूका बहवो हताः ॥
Even a wise person should carry his enemy on his shoulder, putting him down at the right time. In such a way, many frogs were killed by a large black snake.
मेघवर्ण आह – कथमेतत् । स्थिरजीवी कथयति –
अस्ति वरुणाद्रिसमीपे एकस्मिन्प्रदेशे परिणतवया मन्दविषो नाम कृष्णसर्पः स एवं चित्ते संचिन्तितवान् – कथं नाम मया सुखोपायवृत्त्या वर्तितव्यमिति । ततो बहुमण्डूकं ह्रदमुपगम्य धृतिपरीतमिवात्मानं दर्शितवान् ।
Meghavarṇa said, “How is this?” Sthirajīvī tells the story. “There was in a certain region near the Varuṇādri mountain an old snake named Maṇḍaviṣa. Reflecting, he thought in such a manner: “How assuredly, can I live by my use of easy strategies?” After that, having arrived at a lake which contained many frogs, he showed himself as if moving around restlessly.
अथ तथा स्थितः स उदकप्रान्तगतेनैकेन मण्डूकेन पृष्टः – माम किमद्य यथापूर्वमाहारार्थं न विहरसि । सोऽब्रवीत् – भद्र कुतो मे मन्दभाग्यस्याहाराभिलाषः । यत्कारणमद्य रात्रौ प्रदोष एव मयाहारार्थं विहरमाणेन दृष्ट एको मण्डूकः । तद्ग्रहणार्थं मया क्रमः सज्जितः।
Then, like so, he stayed. He was asked by one frog who had gone to the edge of the water. “O Uncle! Why do you not search for food today, as in the past?”. He said, “My dear! Unfortunate that I am, where is the desire for food?”. The cause of this today is as follows. In the darkness of night indeed, a certain frog was seen due to my roaming about for food. A position was prepared by me for the purpose of catching him.
सोऽपि मां दृष्ट्वा मृट्युभयेन स्वाध्यायप्रसक्तानां ब्राह्मणानामन्तरपक्रान्तो न विभावितो मया क्वापि गतः । तत्सादृश्यमोहितचित्तेन मया कस्यचिद्ब्राह्मणस्य सूनोर्ह्रदतटजलान्तः स्थोऽङ्गष्ठो दष्टः । ततोऽसौ सपदि पञ्चत्वमुपागतः ।
He, also having seen me, through fear of death, retreated into the middle of a group of Brahmins who were engaged in study. He was not seen by me to appear again. He had gone somewhere else. My thinking was confused by the likeness to the similarity to that frog, and I bit the thumb of the child of some Brahmin who was standing at the edge of the water on the bank of the lake. After that, the child died instantanously.
अथ तस्य पित्रा दुःखितेनाहं शप्तो यथा – दुरात्मन् त्वया निरपराधो मत्सुतो दष्टः । तदनेन दोषेण त्वं मण्डूकानां वाहनं भविष्यसि । तत्प्रसादमब्धजीविकया वर्तिष्यसे इति । ततोऽहं युष्माकं वाहनार्थमागतोऽस्मि ।
Hence the grieving father of the boy cursed me,”Wicked! You killed my son without any reason. For this act of yours I curse you that you will carry frogs on your body and that will be your livelihood from now on.”
