| Script :
Luis M. Fernandes
Illustrator: M. Mohandas
ISBN : 81-7508-231-3
Vol. No : 609
The original text of the
Panchatantra in Sanskrit was probably written about 200 B.C. by a great
Hindi scholar, Pandit Vishnu Sharma. Some of the tales themselves must
be much older, their origin going back to the period of the Vedas and the
Upanishads (1500 B.C. to 500 B.C.). In the course of time, travellers took
these stories with them to Persia and Arabia and finally, through Greece,
they reached Europe. So far the Panchatantra has been translated into more
than 50 languages of the world. The Panchatantra is woven around the frame
of a tale of a king who entrusts his three dull sons to a learned man,
a Brahman called Pandit Vishnu Sharma, to enlighten their minds within
six months. The Brahman promises to educate them and takes them to his
ashrama (hermirtage). There he recites to them his specially composed tales,
divided into five tantras (literally, five systems) on how to deal with
people in life.The Panchatantra is a rare book, for in no other book can
one find philosophy, psychology, politics, music, astronomy, human relations,
etc. all discussed together in a simple yet elegant style. This is exactly
what Pandit Vishnu Sharma had in mind – to give as much knowledge to the
princes in as uncomplicated a manner as possible. And no doubt, not only
the princes but also millions of readers and listeners for the past 2,200
years have benefited from his most unique books.
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