PANCHA TANTRA- MITRA BHEDAA-54

 SUBHASHITHANI:388

The story of the king and the foolish monkey

A king had a pet monkey very close to him. The monkey did various chores for the king and one day was fanning the king who was sleeping. Suddenly, a fly came in and sat on the king's face. The monkey tried to blow him away but the fly returned again and again disturbing the sleeping king. The monkey became angry and picked up a sword to kill the fly. It attacked the fly with the sword but the fly flew away and the king was killed in the process.

पण्डितो ऽपि वरं शत्रुर् न मूर्खो हित-कारकः ।
वानरेण हतो राजा विप्राश् चीरेण रक्षिताः ॥ ४५० ॥

paṇḍito 'pi varaṃ śatrur na mūrkho hita-kārakaḥ |
vānareṇa hato rājā viprāś cīreṇa rakṣitāḥ || 450 ||
It is better to have a wise man as your enemy than a fool for friend. The king was killed by the monkey; the Brahmins were saved by the thief.”

असती भवति सलज्जा क्षारं नीरं च शीतलं भवति ।
दम्भी भवति विवेकी प्रियवक्ता भवति धूर्तजनः ॥ ४५१ ॥

asatī bhavati salajjā kṣāraṃ nīraṃ ca śītalaṃ bhavati |
dambhī bhavati vivekī priyavaktā bhavati dhūrtajanaḥ || 451 ||

An unchaste woman becomes bashful; saline water is always cooler; a hypocrite always pretends to have high ideals, and a cunning man always talks pleasingly.

मृत्योर् बिभेषि किं बाल न स भीतं विमुञ्चति ।
अद्य वाब्द-शतान्ते वा मृत्युर् वै प्राणिनां ध्रुवः ॥ ४५२ ॥

mṛtyor bibheṣi kiṃ bāla na sa bhītaṃ vimuñcati |
adya vābda-śatānte vā mṛtyur vai prāṇināṃ dhruvaḥ || 452 ||

Don’t be scared of death, my child; death doesn’t spare one because he is frightened. Be It to-day or after one hundred years, death is certain to every being.

गवार्थे ब्राह्मणार्थे च प्राण-त्यागं करोति यः ।
सूर्यस्य मण्डलं भित्त्वा स याति परमां गतिम् ॥ ४५३ ॥

gavārthe brāhmaṇārthe ca prāṇa-tyāgaṃ karoti yaḥ |
sūryasya maṇḍalaṃ bhittvā sa yāti paramāṃ gatim || 453 ||

One who sacrifices his life for the sake of saving a cow or a vedic scholar, he reaches the world of highest bliss, having penetrated the orb of the sun.

मित्र-द्रोही कृतघ्नश् च यश् च विश्वास-घातकः ।
ते नरा नरकं यान्ति यावच् चन्द्र-दिवाकरौ ॥ ४५४ ॥

mitra-drohī kṛtaghnaś ca yaś ca viśvāsa-ghātakaḥ |
te narā narakaṃ yānti yāvac candra-divākarau || 454 ||

One who betrays his friend, is ungrateful, destroys fame and trust, he goes to hell for all times ( lit.- as the sun and moon endures)

भूमि-क्षये राज-विनाश एव

भृत्यस्य वा बुद्धिमतो विनाशे ।
नो युक्तम् उक्तं ह्य् अनयोः समत्वं

नष्टापि भूमिः सुलभा न भृत्याः ॥ ४५५ ॥

bhūmi-kṣaye rāja-vināśa eva

bhṛtyasya vā buddhimato vināśe |
no yuktam uktaṃ hy anayoḥ samatvaṃ

naṣṭāpi bhūmiḥ sulabhā na bhṛtyāḥ || 455 ||

A king is sure to be ruined on the loss of his territory as of his talented servant; but the equality between the two cannot be properly expressed; an able servant is more than just land.

उक्तो भवति यः पूर्वं गुणवान् इति संसदि ।
न तस्य दोषो वक्तव्यः प्रतिज्ञा-भङ्ग-भीरुणा ॥ ४५६ ॥

ukto bhavati yaḥ pūrvaṃ guṇavān iti saṃsadi |
na tasya doṣo vaktavyaḥ pratijñā-bhaṅga-bhīruṇā || 456 ||

Having praised him In an assembly, his fault should not be mentioned by one afraid of belying one’s own solemn declaration.

As Karataka was speaking to Damanaka , the fight between Pingalaka and Sanjeevaka took a decisive turn. Pingalaka with his  his sharp nails killed the bull.

Pingalaka suddenly felt bad that he has killed a good friend in haste. Over come by grief he lamented loudly for his mistake and was crying profusely.

Seeing Pingalaka cry this way, Damanaka mentioned to the lion king : “My Lord! It is cowardly of you to weep like this. A king should never lament over the past.

पिता वा यदि वा भ्राता पुत्रो भार्याथवा सुहृत् ।
प्राण-द्रोहं यदा गच्छेद् धन्तव्यो नास्ति पातकम् ॥ ४५७ ॥

pitā vā yadi vā bhrātā putro bhāryāthavā suhṛt |
prāṇa-drohaṃ yadā gacched dhantavyo nāsti pātakam || 457 ||

Be it your father, or brother, or son, or wife or friend; if they endanger your life on purpose, there is no sin in killing them.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH