The Panchatantra (Purnabhadra's Recension of 1199 CE)/Book 1/The Jackal and the War-Drum
THE JACKAL AND THE WAR-DRUM
In a certain region was a jackal whose throat was pinched by hunger. While wandering in search of food, he came upon a king's battle ground in the midst of a forest. And as he lingered a moment there he heard a great sound.
This sound troubled his heart exceedingly, so that he fell into deep dejection and said: "Ah me! Disaster is upon me. I am as good as dead already. Who made that sound? What kind of a creature?"
But on peering about, he spied a war-drum that loomed like a mountain-peak, and he thought: "Was that sound its natural voice, or was it induced from without?" Now when the drum was struck by the tips of grasses swaying in the wind, it made the sound, but was dumb at other times.
So he recognized its helplessness, and crept quite near. Indeed, his curiosity led him to strike it himself on both heads, and he became gleeful at the thought: "Aha! After long waiting food comes even to me. For this is sure to be stuffed with meat and fat."
Having come to this conclusion, he picked a spot, gnawed a hole, and crept in. And though the leather covering was tough, still he had the luck not to break his teeth. But he was disappointed to find it pure wood and skin, and recited a stanza:
Its voice was fierce; I thought it stuffed
With fat, so crept within;
And there I did not find a thing
Except some wood and skin.
So he backed out, laughing to himself, and said:
I thought at first that it was full
Of fat,
and the rest of it.
"And that is why I say that one should not be troubled by a mere sound." "But," said Rusty, "these retainers of mine are terrified and wish to run away. So how am I to reinforce my resolution?" And Victor answered: "Master, they are not to blame. For servants take after the master. You know the proverb:
In case of horse or book or sword,
Of woman, man or lute or word,
The use or uselessness depends
On qualities the user lends.
"Then summon your manhood and remain on this spot until I return, having ascertained the nature of the creature. Then act as seems proper." "What!" said Rusty, "are you plucky enough to go there?" And Victor answered: "When the master commands, is there any difference between 'possible' and 'impossible' to the good servant? As the proverb says:
Good servants, when their lords command,
Behold no fear on any hand,
Cross pathless seas if he desire
Or gladly enter flaming fire.
The servant who, his lord commanding,
Should strive to reach an understanding
On labors hard or easy, he
King's counselor should never be."
"If you feel so, my dear fellow," said Rusty, "then go. Blest be your journeyings."
So Victor bowed low and set out in the direction of the sound made by Lively. And when he was gone, terror troubled Rusty's heart, so that he thought: "Ah, I made a sad mistake in trusting him to the point of revealing what is in my mind. Perhaps this Victor will betray me by taking wages from both parties, or from spite at losing his job. For the proverb says:
A servant suffering from a king
Dishonor after honoring,
Though born and trained to service, will
Be eager to destroy him still.
"So I will go elsewhere and wait, in order to learn his purpose. Perhaps Victor might even bring the thing along and try to kill me. As the saying goes:
The trustful strong are caught
By weaker foes with ease;
The wary weak are safe
From strongest enemies."
Thus he set his mind in order, went elsewhere, and waited all alone, spying on Victor's procedure.
Meanwhile Victor drew near to Lively, discovered that he was a bull, and reflected gleefully: "Well, well! This is lucky. I shall get Rusty into my power by dangling before him war or peace with this fellow. As the proverb puts it:
All counselors draw profit from
A king in worries pent,
And that is why they always wish
For him, embarrassment.
As men in health require no drug
Their vigor to restore,
So kings, relieved of worry, seek
Their counselors no more."
With these thoughts in mind, he returned to meet Rusty. And Rusty, seeing him coming, assumed his former attitude in an effort to put a good face on the matter. So when Victor had come near, had bowed low, and had seated himself, Rusty said: "My good fellow, did you see the creature?" "I saw him," said Victor, "through my master's grace." "Are you telling the truth?" asked Rusty. And Victor answered: "How could I report anything else to my gracious master? For the proverb says:
Whoever makes before a king
Small statements, but untrue,
Brings certain ruin on his gods
And on his teacher, too.
And again:
The king incarnates all the gods,
So sing the sages old;
Then treat him like the gods: to him
Let nothing false be told.
And once again:
The king incarnates all the gods,
Yet with a difference:
He pays for good or ill at once;
The gods, a lifetime hence."
"Yes," said Rusty, "I suppose you really did see him. The great do not become angry with the mean. As the proverb says:
The hurricane innocuous passes
O'er feeble, lowly bending grasses,
But tears at lofty trees: the great
Their prowess greatly demonstrate."
And Victor replied: "I knew beforehand that my master would speak thus. So why waste words? I will bring the creature into my gracious master's presence." And when Rusty heard this, joy overspread his lotus-face, and his mind felt supreme satisfaction.
Meanwhile Victor returned and called reproachfully to Lively: "Come here, you villainous bull! Come here! Our master Rusty asks why you are not afraid to keep up this meaningless bellowing." And Lively answered: "My good fellow, who is this person named Rusty?"
"What!" said Victor, "you do not even know our master Rusty?" And he continued with indignation: "The consequences will teach you. He has a retinue of all kinds of animals. He dwells beside the spreading banyan tree. His heart is high with pride. He is lord of life and wealth. His name is Rusty. He is a mighty lion."
When Lively heard this, he thought himself as good as dead, and he fell into deep dejection, saying: "My dear fellow, you appear to be sympathetic and eloquent. So if you cannot avoid conducting me there, pray cause the master to grant me a gracious safe-conduct." "You are quite right," said Victor. "Your request shows savoir faire. For
The earth has a limit,
The mountains, the sea;
The deep thoughts of kings are
Without boundary.
Do you then remain in this spot. Later, when I have held him to an agreement, I will conduct you to him."
Then Victor returned to Rusty and said: "Master, he is no ordinary creature. He has served as the vehicle of blessèd Shiva. And when I questioned him, he said: 'Great Shiva was satisfied with me and bade me crop the grass beside the Jumna. Why make a long story of it? The blessèd one has given me this forest as a playground.'"
At this Rusty was frightened, and he said: "I knew it, I knew it. Only by special favor of the gods do creatures wander in a wild wood, bellowing like that, and fearlessly cropping the grass. But what did you say?"
"Master," said Victor, "I said: 'This forest is the domain of Rusty, vehicle of Shiva's passionate wife. Hence you come as a guest. You must meet him, must spend your time in brotherly love, must eat, drink, work, play, and make your home with him.' All this he promised, adding: 'You must make your master grant me a safe-conduct.' As to that, the master is the sole judge."
At this Rusty was delighted and said: "Splendid, my intelligent servant, splendid! You must have taken counsel with my own heart before speaking. I grant him a safe-conduct. You must hasten to conduct him here, but not until he too has bound himself by oath toward me. Yes, there is sound sense in the saying:
Polished, fully tested,
Sturdy too, and straight
Are the pillars proper
To a house—or state.
Again:
Wit is shown in hours of crisis:
Doctors' wit, in sore disease;
Counselors', in patching friendship—
All are wise in hours of ease."
Now Victor thought, as he set out to meet Lively: "Well, well! The master is gracious to me and ready to do my bidding. So there is none more blest than I. For
Four things are nectar: milky food;
A fire in chilly weather;
An honor granted by the king;
And loved ones, come together."
So he found Lively, and said respectfully: "My friend, I won the old master's favor for you, and made him give you a safe-conduct. You may go without anxiety. Still, though you have favor in the eyes of the king, you must act in agreement with me. You must not play the haughty master. I for my part, in alliance with you, will take the rôle of counselor, and bear the whole burden of administration. Thus we shall both enjoy royal affluence. For
A sinful chase—yet men can stalk
The treasures of the crown:
One starts the quarry from its lair;
Another strikes it down.
And again:
Whoever is too haughty to
Pay king's retainers honor due,
Will find his feet are tottering—
So merchant Strong-Tooth with the king."
"How was that?" asked Lively. And Victor told the story of