Pancatantra: The Book of India's Folk Wisdom

by Patrick Olivelle

Overview

The Pancatantra is the most famous collection of fables in India and was one of the earliest Indian books to be translated into Western languages. No other work of Indian literature has had a greater influence on world literature, and no other collection of stories has become as popular in India itself. Patrick Olivelle presents the Pancatantra in all its complexity and rich ambivalence, examining central elements of political and moral philosophy alongside the many controversial issues surrounding its history. This new translation vividly reveals the story-telling powers of the original author, while detailed notes illuminate aspects of ancient Indian society and religion to the non-specialist reader.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199555758
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/02/2009
Series:	Oxford World's Classics Series
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	1060L (what's this?)

About the Author

University of Texas at Austin

Table of Contents

	Introduction	ix
	Sources, Author, and Date	x
	Structure and Content	xiv
	The Characters of the Pancatantra	xxi
	The Political and Moral Philosophy of the Pancatantra	xxxi
	Versions and Translations	xl
	Note on the Translation	xlvi
	Bibliography	xlviii
	Guide to the Pronunciation of Sanskrit Words	li
	Pancatantra	1
	The Prelude to the Story	3
Book I	On Causing Dissension among Allies	5
Story 1	The Monkey That Pulled the Wedge	8
Story 2	The Jackal That Tried to Eat a Drum	18
Story 3	The Adventures of an Ascetic	22
Sub-Story 3.1	The Ascetic and the Rogue	22
Sub-Story 3.1.1	How the Battling Rams Killed the Greedy Jackal	22
Sub-Story 3.2	A Weaver Cuts the Nose of a Bawd	23
Story 4	How the Crows Killed the Snake	27
Sub-Story 4.1	The Crab Cuts Off the Heron's Head	28
Story 5	The Hare That Outwitted the Lion	30
Story 6	How the Louse Got Killed Trying to be Nice to a Bug	37
Story 7	How the Lion's Servants Got the Camel Killed	46
Story 8	How the Sandpiper Defeated the Ocean	50
Sub-Story 8.1	The Turtle and the Geese	51
Sub-Story 8.2	The Fate of Three Fish: Far-sighted, Quick-witted, and Inevitable	52
Story 9	The Bird That Tried to Advise a Monkey	60
Story 10	Two Friends and Betrayed Trust	62
Sub-Story 10.1	How the Mongooses Ate the Heron's Chicks	64
Story 11	The Iron-Eating Mice	66
Book II	On Securing Allies	71
Story 1	The Ascetic and the Mouse	81
Sub-Story 1.1	The Woman Who Traded Sesame for Sesame	83
Sub-Story 1.1.1	How the Greedy Jackal Died Eating a Bowstring	84
Story 2	How Citranga Got Caught in a Trap	98
Book III	On War and Peace: The Story of the Crows and the Owls	105
Story 1	The Ass in a Leopard's Skin	112
Story 2	The Owl is Elected King of Birds	113
Sub-Story 2.1	The Hare Bluffs the Elephant	114
Sub-Story 2.2	Partridge and Hare Take their Case to the Cat	118
Story 3	How the Rogues Tricked the Brahmin	122
Story 4	The Old Merchant and his Young Wife	126
Story 5	The Thief, the Orge, and the Brahmin	127
Story 6	How the Unfaithful Wife Tricked her Foolish Husband	129
Story 7	The Mouse That Turned into a Girl	131
Story 8	Frogs Go for a Ride on the Back of a Snake	137
Book IV	On Losing What You Have Gained	146
Story 1	The Ass without Ears or a Heart	152
Book V	On Hasty Actions	155
Story 1	Building Castles in the Air	156
Story 2	The Barber Who Killed the Monks	158
	Appendices	160
I	Concordance of Stories	160
II	Stories in Other Pancatantra Versions	162
	Explanatory Notes	165
	Glossary of Names	181
	Index	187

Editorial Reviews

"A timely new translation and introduction, intelligent, and well informed. Olivelle has done a beautiful job in making these clear and faithful translations. His approach makes these timeless stories accessible to ordinary readers. His introduction offers background and sharp analysis."—William J. Jackson, Indiana University at Indianapolis

"This is an up to date modern translation which will be found useful for all those interested in ancient fables of India."—John Grimes, Michigan State University

"This is without question the best English translation of the Pancatantra."—Richard Lariviere, University of Texas at Austin

"A very useful introduction and an excellent modern translation suitable for all ages. A welcome and long-awaited translation."—N.S.Salgado, Augustana College

From the Publisher