The Hitopadesa (Penguin Classics) Read online

  (29) As from its pit the lurking snake

  The catcher draws out forcibly,

  So does she her husband take

  To heaven, and there blessed be.

  ‘Furthermore,

  (30) The wife who mounts his funeral pyre,

  Embracing her husband late,

  And gives herself up to the fire

  —Though her sins in hundreds aggregate—

  Straight to heaven she will go,

  With her departed spouse in tow.’

  The chariot-maker heard all this. ‘I am blessed indeed,’ he said to himself, ‘to have such a wife who speaks so lovingly of her husband, and is so devoted to him.’ And with this thought in mind, he picked up the bed, with the couple still in it, upon his head and danced, full of joy.”

  The crane continued his narrative. ‘I was then offered the usual courtesies by the king, and dismissed. The parrot too is on his way here. Let arrangements now be made for whatever needs to be done after considering all these developments.’

  The swan king’s minister, the goose, smiled and said, ‘Sire, the crane has attended to official business as best as he could, even while he was travelling abroad. But, sire, this is the nature of fools. For,

  (31) A hundred times one should give way

  But not quarrel, wise men say;

  Without a cause to still dispute—

  This is but a fool’s pursuit.’

  ‘What is the point of criticizing the past?’ said the king, ‘Let us prepare for what is before us.’ The goose replied: ‘Sire, I will speak in private. For,

  (32) From change of colour of the visage,

  From shifting gaze and body language,

  And from the voice’s resonance,

  The wise can often gauge the sense.

  So, one should exchange advice

  In private, far from prying eyes.’

  The others then withdrew, while the king and the minister remained. The goose said, ‘Sire, I believe that the crane has done this at the instigation of some other officer. For,

  (33) Doctors love the man who’s ailing,

  And officers him who has some failing.

  Clever folk on fools survive,

  But goodness keeps the good alive.’

  ‘That may be so,’ said the king, ‘but we can investigate these reasons later. For the present, let us see what is to be done now.’

  The goose said, ‘Sire, let a spy go there first. Then we will get to know their organization and their strengths and weaknesses. For,

  (34) What should be done or not, to see

  At home or in a foreign state,

  A spy the sovereign’s eyes must be,

  Or else blindness is his fate.

  ‘Let the spy go with another trustworthy person. Then he can stay there, secretly ascertain the local plans, explain them to his assistant, and send him back. As it is said.

  (35) While hearing religious dissertations

  In temples, convents or in shrines,

  The king should hold his consultations

  With agents disguised as divines.

  ‘A secret spy is one who can move on both land and water. So appoint this very crane. And let another crane like him go as his deputy. Their families should be kept hostage at the palace gate. But sire, all this should be arranged very secretly. For,

  (36) If private consultations do

  Get shared by people more than two,

  They then become no better than

  Public news for every man.

  Therefore such discussions kingly

  Should be held with others singly.

  ‘Look,

  (37) Those adept in policy

  Say there is no remedy

  For evils which a leak will bring

  From the counsels of the king.’

  ‘Well,’ said the king after reflection, ‘I certainly have the best spy.’ ‘Then you also have victory in war,’ the minster replied. Meanwhile the gatekeeper entered, saluted, and said, ‘Sire, a parrot has come from Jambu island, and stands at the gate.’

  The king looked at the goose. ‘Let him first be taken to the residence prepared for him,’ the goose said, ‘he will be sent for and seen later.’ The gatekeeper then withdrew to conduct the parrot to his quarters.

  ‘Well, war is upon us,’ said the king. ‘Even so, sire,’ the goose replied, ‘to decide post-haste on war is not wise. For,

  (38) Is he aide or minister true,

  At the very outset who,

  Without having given thought,

  Advises that his sovereign ought

  To get ready for a war,

  Or from his own land withdraw?

  ‘Furthermore,

  (39) To vanquish enemies one should try,

  But never by the means of war.

  For in that case, of victory,

  Neither party can be sure.

  ‘Further,

  (40) Enemies one should influence

  By measures conciliatory,

  By gifts, or stoking dissidence;

  By one of these, or all the three

  Used together, to be sure;

  But never by resort to war.

  ‘For,

  (41) Everyone’s a hero sure,

  As long as he’s not in a war.

  As long as he does not know

  The true power of the foe,

  Who will not a braggart be,

  Full of pride and vanity?

  ‘What is more.

  (42) Men cannot as easily

  Lift a rock as it can be

  Levered with a piece of wood.

  Consultations also should

  By little means gain ends immense—

  This is their greatest consequence.

  ‘But, seeing that war may be imminent, one should also make preparations. For,

  (43) Like in a farm, in policy

  The fruit cannot come instantly—

  It needs timely labour done

  For results, sire, to be won.

  ‘Furthermore,

  (44) Fear of danger when if s distant,

  But true valour in its instant:

  Great men have this quality.

  In times of a calamity

  The great ones of this world display

  Steadfast courage all the way.

  ‘Further,

  (45) In success of every kind

  The obstacle most primary

  Is excitation of the mind.

  Does not one, for instance, see

  That even water, icy cold4,

  Pierces through the mountain fold?

  ‘And specially, sire, as this King Dapple is very powerful. For,

  (46) It has been ordained nowhere

  That with the strong one must have war.

  If man will fight an elephant here,

  He will perish, it is sure.

  ‘Further

  (47) He is a fool who goes to war

  Without an opportunity.

  To fight the mighty, it is sure,

  Is flapping wings just like a bee.

  ‘What is more,

  (48) Some blows one should even take

  And stay contracted, tortoise-like.

  But when the time comes, like a snake

  The statesman rises, fierce, to strike.

  ‘Listen, sire,

  (49) One skilled in all expedient

  Is equally then competent

  The big and small to extirpate,

  Just as a river in full spate

  Submerges both grass and tree,

  Each with equal facility.

  ‘So let this ambassador, the parrot, be assured and detained till our fortress has been made ready. For,

  (50) One archer on its wall fights back

  A hundred sent forth to attack.

  A hundred on the battlement

  Can match a hundred thousand sent.

  This is why the wise declare

  That one should a fort prepare
.

  (51) Without a fort, whose territory

  Will not to foes defenceless be?

  Like one shipwrecked, without support,

  Is a king who has no fort.

  (52) Equipped with moats and ramparts high,

  Mechanical aids, a water supply,

  Midst mountains one should forts locate,

  Or deserts and forests desolate.

  (53) An extremely rough terrain,

  Proper egress and access,

  Stores of water, fuel, grain,

  Space, and due extensiveness—

  Seven precious properties

  Of a fortress are all these.’

  ‘Who should be assigned to get the fort ready?’ asked the king. The goose said, ‘Call the stork, because

  (54) For each trade that man should be used

  Who has in it full competence.

  Even the learned are confused

  When they lack experience.’

  This was done, and when the stork arrived, the king looked at him and said, ‘O stork, prepare a fort immediately.’ The stork saluted and replied, ‘Sire, I had long ago marked out this great lake itself for a fortress. Necessary materials should be stored on the island at its centre. And

  (55) Of all the things that should be stored

  The best, ‘O King, is edible grain.

  For jewels and suchlike though one hoard,

  One cannot eat to life sustain.

  ‘What is more,

  (56) Of all the spices that there are,

  It’s known that salt is best by far.

  Lacking it, upon the tongue

  All sauces taste like cattle dung.’

  ‘Go quickly, and arrange everything,’ the king ordered the stork. Meanwhile the gatekeeper came in again and announced, ‘Sire, a chief of the crows named Meghavarna or Qoudcolour has arrived from Simhala island, and stands at the gate with his retinue. He wishes to meet Your Majesty.’

  ‘A crow, too, sees a lot and knows every thing,’ observed the king, ‘so he deserves to be kept with us.’

  ‘That is so, sire,’ said the goose. ‘But the crow is a land bird. He is from the side of our enemies. How can he be kept with us? As has been said,

  (57) The fool who will with enemies stay

  Forsaking his party true—

  Him the other side will slay

  Like the jackal coloured blue.’

  ‘How did that happen?’ the king asked. The minister narrated

  The Blue Jackal

  There was a jackal from the forest who fell into a vat of blue dye while wandering about the outskirts of a town. Unable to come out, he pretended to be dead when he was still inside next morning. He was then pulled out by the owner of the vat who, believing that this was a dead animal, took him to some distance and threw him down, whereupon he ran away.

  Back in the forest, when the jackal saw that his body had turned blue, he said to himself, ‘I now have a most excellent colour. Why should I then not obtain some advancement for myself?’ Having considered this, he summoned all the other jackals, and told them, ‘The blessed goddess of the woods has with her own hands anointed me with the juices of all the herbs as the king of this forest. From today, therefore, all business in the forest should be done only as I command.’

  Observing the jackal’s distinctive colouration, the other jackals prostrated themselves in homage before him. ‘As you command, sire,’ they said, and in the same way his sovereignty came to be acknowledged by all the animals who lived in the forest.

  Surrounded by his kinsfolk, the jackal soon gained supreme power. But, having acquired the noblest of animals, like the tiger and the lion, as his servants, he was ashamed to see other jackals in his court. So he spurned them, and sent his kin away.

  The other jackals were deeply distressed. Seeing them in this condition, an ancient jackal spoke up. ‘Do not be dejected. This animal does not know what is in his own interest. If we, who understand statecraft and know his weaknesses, have been spurned by him, then we too should do something which will bring about his destruction. The tiger and the others consider him as their king only because they have been deceived by his colour. They do not realize that he is no more than a jackal. So, we should have him exposed.

  ‘This is what should be done. In the evening all of you should set up a loud howl in unison near him. On hearing it, he too is bound to follow the nature of his species and do the same. For,

  (58) Its always hard for any creature

  To go against its basic nature;

  A dog can be crowned king, it’s true,

  But will it cease to gnaw a shoe?

  ‘Recognized by his howls, he is then bound to be killed by the tiger.’

  And this is exactly what happened. As it is said:

  (59) When your kin becomes a foe,

  All your secrets he does know—

  Your weaknesses and strengths entire.

  He can burn you like the fire

  Sparked inside a withered tree,

  To incinerate it utterly.

  ‘That is why I spoke about the fool who forsakes his own side,’ the goose concluded. ‘That is so,’ said the king, ‘still the crow should be received as he has come from far away. We can consider later if he should be kept here.’

  The goose said, ‘Sire, our spy has been despatched, and our fortress prepared. Let the parrot also be dismissed after you have seen him. But,

  (60) Ćāṇakya did Nanda destroy5

  By using a skilled envoy.

  The king should meet an emissary

  In brave but sober company.’

  An assembly was then held, and the parrot and the crow summoned to it. The parrot, his head held rather high, assumed the seat offered to him and stated, ‘O Goldegg, the great king His Majesty Dapple commands you, “If you care for your life and your wealth, come immediately and bow before our feet. Otherwise think of living somewhere else.’”

  The king was enraged. ‘Aah!’ he cried, ‘is not there anyone in our assembly who will catch this creature by the neck?’ Goudcolour stood up and said, ‘Command me, sire! I will kill this vile parrot.’ Knowall pacified the king and the crow, saying, ‘First listen:

  (61) A council true it cannot be

  Which lacks men of maturity.

  And no man can be called mature

  Who speaks not that which is the law.

  Law cannot be of truth remiss.

  To verge on fraud: no truth is this.

  ‘And the law is that:

  (62) An outcaste though the envoy be,

  From death he has immunity.

  For he is but his sovereign’s voice,

  And in speech he has no choice,

  Even if the enemy raise

  The sword on every word he says.

  ‘Furthermore,

  (63) If and when an envoy says

  Words which are in one’s dispraise,

  Or he lauds the enemy,

  Whoever takes that seriously?

  All kinds of things ambassadors rant,

  Their status being sacrosanct.’

  The king and the crow then calmed down. The parrot also got up and withdrew, but he was brought back by the goose, and presented gold ornaments and other gifts with suitable words before he was seen off.

  The parrot returned to the Vindhyā mountain and saluted his king. On seeing him, King Dapple asked, ‘Parrot, what is the news? What is that country like?’ The parrot said, ‘Sire, the news in brief is that we must now prepare for war. As for that country, how can I describe it? It is like a bit of paradise.’

  The king then summoned all his councillors and sat down to deliberate with them. ‘We have now to go to war,’ he said. ‘Give your advice as to how this should be done. But war there has to be, that is quite certain. For,

  (64) For kings its ruin to be sated,

  As for priests to yearn for more,

  For ladies to be shameless rated,

  For courtesans to turn de
mure.’

  The vulture, who was named Dīrdarśī or Farsighted, spoke up. ‘Sire, it is not advisable to make war in unfavourable circumstances. For,

  (65) When your friends, well-wishers and

  Aides in firm devotion stand,

  And the case is to the contrary

  In camps of your adversary—

  That is then the moment for

  Marching out and making war.

  Further,

  (66) Allies, gold and territory:

  Of war are these the benefits three.

  Of gaining them if you are sure

  Only then should you make war.’

  ‘Let the minster first review my forces,’ said the king, ‘so that their fitness may be judged. Let the soothsayer also be called to determine and tell us an auspicious time to march out.’

  ‘Even so,’ said the minister, ‘it is not good to be in a hurry to march out. For,

  (67) The fools who rashly choose to face

  The enemy’s force without due thought,

  It is but his sword’s embrace

  That for certain they have got.’

  ‘Minister!’ the king exclaimed, ‘do not keep demoralizing me. Tell me how someone wanting to win should attack another’s territory.’ ‘I will,’ said the vulture, ‘but this will give results only if carried out as explained. As it is said,

  (68) As with the holy writ, O King,

  Can counsel any benefit bring,

  If it is not carried out?

  Mere knowledge of the remedy

  Will never cure a malady—

  Of this can there be any doubt?

  ‘But the king’s command cannot be disregarded, and I will relate what I have learnt. Listen,

  (69) River, mountain pass or wood—

  Wherever, I King, threats may lie,

  To each such point the general should

  Go forth with forces, speedily.

  (70) The captain should march in the van,

  And with him every fighting man.

  King, treasure and seraglio—