Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation), today I will share yet another tale from this monumental book The Panćatantra, tradition ascribes this fabulous work to Vişņu Śarma (“Preserver of Bliss”), faced with the challenge of educating three unlettered princes, to awaken their intelligence, Vişņu Śarma (“Preserver of Bliss”) evolved a unique pedagogy – for his aim was to teach the princes how to think, not what to think.
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Before we embark on this wonder filled, journey I want to draw your attention to these wise words of a Storyteller which I have extracted from yet another monumental work which has been inspired from “The Panćatantra”:
My stories require, at this stage, no extra commentary, imaginings, or guesswork by you, me, or anyone else. The very worst would be that of moralizing. To explain away is to forget. Thus, let the stories which you can remember do their own work by their very diversity. Familiarize yourself with them.
Excerpt from Doctor’s orders:
Kalila Wa Dimna; Vol.1 – Ramsay Wood
The tale of ‘Two Henpecked Husbands’
A long time ago there was a great emperor named Delight, of great power and prowess who was sole lord of the sea-girdled Earth; whose footstool scintillated with the intermingled rays radiating from the lustrous gems on the crowns of countless hosts of kneeling princes; whose glory spread clear and dazzling as autumn moonbeams. Now the emperor had a minister named Splendour who had complete mastery of the knowledge contained in all the treatises on statecraft.
Once, Spledour’s wife threw a tantrum as the result of a lover’s quarrel and would not even look at him. Splendour, who absolutely dotted on his wife, tried his best to please and cajole her in many different ways, but on no account would she relent. In desperation he begged her saying, ‘Fair lady, what can I do to please you, tell me and I shall do it.’
After a great deal of persuasion she deigned to say, ‘Well, if you shave your head completely and then come and fall at my feet. I might cast a gracious glance or two in your direction.’
Poor Splendour did as she wanted and she became pleased with him.
Now, the queen of Emperor Delight also became annoyed with him in much the same manner and however hard he tried to pacify her she would not be pleased. Finally, the emperor pleaded, ‘Gracious Lady,’ he said, ‘I cannot live even an instant without you. See, here I am, falling at your feet to beg your forgiveness.’
The queen replied, ‘If you take a horse’s bit in your mouth and if you let me mount you and make you gallop, and if you neigh like a horse as you are galloping, then I shall become pleased with you.’ The emperor did accordingly.
Next morning Splendour came into the council chamber where the emperor was seated. Seeing him, the emperor asked, ‘Why, good Splendour, why have you had your head shaved when there is no occasion for it?’ To which Splendour replied with these lines:
‘What will a man not do,
what will he not grant too,
if asked by a woman.
where those who are not horses, neigh,
there, heads are shaven out of season.’
The Panćatantra (Loss of Gains) – Two Henpecked Husbands – Vişņu Śarma
Translated from the Sanskrit by Chandra Rajan
Let us remember: Our life experience would ultimately amount to whatever we had paid attention to. Attention: is important and most of the times we are so indifferent to it. It is as fundamental as food; and we go blundering about, seeking ways to assuage the craving, instead of learning how to provide ourselves with what we need, sensibly and calmly. We feed the hunger blindly. Once the mechanism is brought to our attention and we begin to study it, it is as if a veil has been stripped off ordinary life, and we become freer in our action and choices.
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