Post No. 13,709
Date uploaded in London – 25 September 2024
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
xxxx
There are very strange facts about the world-famous Pancha Tantra stories. These are revealed by Chandra Rajan , famous author of Kalidasa and many other works. The Penguin Edition of Pancatantra is an English translation of the original published in 1993.
Let us look at the known facts first:
Who wrote it?
An eighty-year-old Brahmin by name Visnu Sarma.
When did he write it?
About 2000 years ago; we have lost the original and so we guess the date from later editions.
Why did he write it?
King Amarasakti had three uncontrollable rowdy sons; no one can teach them anything and the king got worried about the future of his country. All the solutions given by ministers did not work. At last, the king announced a big prize money for the person who wins in correcting his boys.
An old Brahmin came forward and the
he could not believe him; so, he fixed a deadline of only six months. The old Brahmin accepted it and succeeded in his task.
How did he succeed?
Visnu sarma did not follow the traditional method. He devised a novel method of instruction which uses life and its varied experiences as the textbook. He presented real life situations and problems in the guise of stories that would rouse and sustain the interest of his pupils. He used animals and birds as his main characters. And he included all the advise in the animal fables.
How did it become world famous?
This leads to another interesting story. A Persian king sent his Chief Minister to bring one herb from India, but he took only this book. Why?
( I will give you the story in the next part.)
That was translated into Pehlavi- a middle Persian language—in 570 CE. From there it went to Europe which was translated into fifty languages. This is the first Sanskrit book that went around the world. Even Tamil Veda Tirukkural has at least 7 Pancatantra stories!
All over India, we have the stories sculpted in temples.
Now to the unknown facts!
What is the connection between Vajapeye and Pancatantra ?
In European languages the translations were named Stories of Bidpai or Piplai. Scholars think that it is a corruption of Vidyapati or Vajapeye. Probably Vajapeye is the surname of the author Visnu Sarma.
What is the connection with Tamil Nadu?
The preamble of Pancatantra says Visnu Sarma was a celebrated teacher living in Mahilaaroopyaa , a place unidentified except by H.H.Wilson, who suggests that it may be Mayilaapura, Peacock City, part of capital of Tamil Nadu. ( Now Mylapore is a part of Chennai/Madras )
How many European Versions are there ?
Kalilah wa Dimnah in Pehlavi before 570 CE (that was lost)
Syriac Version- 570 CE
Arabic Version 750 CE
The Fables of Bidpai- in European Languages in 12th Century
About 400 years ago, it was translated into fifty languages.
To be continued………………………….
Tags- Pancatantra, Mylapore, Visnu Sarma, Vidyapati, Vajapeye, Maahilaaroopya, , Persian, First Sanskrit book, Chandra Rajan, Bidpai, Piplai
Tamil and Vedas 