Friday, October 22, 2021

The Lion Makers: A Story From the Panchatantra

    

    Four Brahmans lived near one another and were friends in a small town.  Three of them had been scholars their whole lives and had learned much, but they had no common sense.  The fourth couldn’t be bothered to study from dusty dry books, but he had a great deal of common sense.

    One day they got together to talk and decided that all their accomplishments and learning were pointless if they didn’t go out in the world to meet people, see places, gain a little political power, and make a little money.  So they decided to travel together.

    They hadn’t gone far when the eldest said, “One of us is not smart enough or educated enough, having nothing but common sense.  He won’t make it very far in the world without scholarship, so let’s not share our money with him.  He should go back home.”

    The second said, “That’s true, friend, you should go home.”  But the third said, “No, this is no way to treat our friend who we have known since we were small children playing together.  He will stay with us and have a share of the money we earn.”

Lion_Makers_anatomy

    So they agreed and all four continued on together.  Soon they came upon the bones of a dead lion in the forest.  One of them said, “Here is a chance to show off how intelligent and learned we are.  Let’s bring him back to life through our superior knowledge.”

    The first said, “I can assemble the skeleton for I know how it should go.”  The second said, “I can add on the muscles, organs, and skin.”  The third said, “I can give it life.”

    But the fourth, who was the man of no scholarship said, “This is a lion.  If you give it life it will kill every one of us.”

    “The scholars replied, “We will not make all our learning pointless.  We must use it at every opportunity.”  So the fourth replied again, “Then wait a moment while I climb this tree.”

    So the man of sense climbed a tree while the other three brought the lion to life.  The lion rose up and killed the three scholars.  But the man of sense climbed down after the lion had left and went home.

END OF THE STORY





    The Panchatantra is an Indian collection of interconnected animal stories written in Sanskrit poetry and prose and structured inside a frame plot, referred to as the Panchatantra. Based on old oral tradition, the surviving work is estimated to have been created between 200 BCE and 300 CE. According to some recensions, the text's author is Vishnu Sharma, while in others, it is credited to Vasubhaga, both of which may be pen names for the author. In a Hindu book, classical literature is based on ancient oral traditions and contains "animal stories that are as old as we can conceive."


    These tales are among the most well known in the world, and it is "probably the most often translated literary output of India," according to the New York Times. Many names in different civilizations know it. A version of Panchatantra exists in practically every primary language of India. There are 200 variants of the text available in over 50 languages throughout the globe and the original in Hindi. One version of the story made its way to Europe in the 11th century.


    The Lion Makers is the account of four Brahmans who lived in a tiny village and were the creators of the Lion. One of them, on the other hand, stands out from the others. His knowledge cannot be compared to the other Brahmans, but he has a characteristic that distinguishes him from the others: common sense. Three of the Brahmans are very intelligent, but they are devoid of practical knowledge. The four Brahmans traveled together to put their expertise to good use. They are reluctant to bring the 4th Brahman along with them at first, but the 3rd Brahman insists he has been their buddy since they were children and that he should be allowed to take part of their money. And then everyone agrees on something. They came upon the bones of a slain lion while walking through the jungle. They brought the dead back to life because they believed it would be an excellent occasion to show their expertise. The 4th Brahman forewarned them of this danger. The three, on the other hand, continue to do so. The first Brahman's responsibility is to put together the skeleton. The second Brahman should add muscles, organs, and skins. The third Brahman saves Lion's life with a slash. The fourth Brahman, on the other hand, began his ascent through the ranks of the three. As soon as the Lion returned from the grave, he and his companions slew the three Brahmans. Shortly after the Lion had disappeared, the fourth Brahman got down and returned to his house.


    Sensitivity, knowledge, and friendship are the themes that go through the storyline. In the story, there are many characters: the 1st Brahman, who assembled the skeleton, the 2nd Brahman-who supplied the skin and blood, the 3rd Brahman-who gave life, the 4th Brahman-who has nothing but common sense and the Lion. The setting happens in a particular town in India, in the forest. It is written from the perspective of the third person. It was a conflict of man against man. While arguing about bringing the Lion back to life, the three Brahman were pitted against the sensible Brahman.


    Some friends appreciate us even though we do not have many interests. Some friends drift away. And thus change. It is essential to select friends who understand your flaws and who appreciate the memories you have created with one another.


    We may also make the connection between to a successful person. We should not pass judgment on someone who does not do well in school since most successful individuals today do not excel in school and now become an influencer.




Source: https://layers-of-learning.com/the-lion-makers-a-story-from-the-panchatantra/

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