“The Universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” - Muriel Rukeyser
Not one ounce of doubt about that! Considering the number of stories we hear throughout our lives- the stories we are told by our grandparents and parents as children, the stories shared between friends in school time, the life-lesson-like tales as we grow up, and even the daily discussions we have with our near and dear ones. In essence, these are all stories.
However, there are some stories, a handful, which reach a truly timeless character. Traveling across time and space, these stories reach the hearts of the audience and reader so deeply, that their place of origin, author, language, and characters do not matter.
What matters is their ability to awe, please, entertain, and guide anyone who picks them up. Lucky for us, India has more than a few stories that gathered an international audience even before the modern period. Three of these- the Panchatantra, the Jataka, and the Hitopadesha are exceptional and stand apart due to the way they have aged.
From the traders of ancient times to the leaders of the contemporary age, the stories of these books have mesmerized everyone. With multiple translations done to date, these works are a guidebook for readers and writers, on how a story is told.
All three texts emerged in different periods of time, but what brings them together is that they are rooted in the story-telling culture of India. Nowadays, we have our podcasts, which we can tune into and listen to the narrator tell us interesting tales from our favorite genre. For the ancestors, the narrator, or Katha-vachak was the source of all the amazing stories.
Created for the public, these stories contained a perfect balance of drama, comedy, politics, and teachings derived from the Shastras of India. Drawing from the folk as well as classical literature of Sanskrit and regional languages, these stories were written for the common people, which is why they have a simple language in which elements of education, morality, and wisdom are presented smartly as a part of
All the tales of Panchatantra, Jatakas, and Hitopadesha are set in everyday life- court of kings, forests, villages, and cities, with characters that inhabit these spaces, giving the narrative a relatable and colorful element. For scholars and students of society, history, and literature, these books are a lens into what was ancient Indian life like.
The compilation of these texts that we get today is a result of centuries of collection by different people. Though the tradition around the books relates them to certain authors, in reality, no one person can be truly said to have written these oceans of stories. For a good enough, creative answer, one can say that the author of these tales is Indian culture, whose diverse, rich, and fascinating knowledge, gives these stories their color that never fades.
Pancha (five) Tantra (ways) according to many is the oldest collection of Indian stories. Credited to the wise Pandita Vishnu Sharma, the stories are divided into five sections, namely-
☀ Mitra Bheda (estrangement of friends)
☀ Mitra Samprapti (losing friends)
☀ Kakoolukiyam (Related to Crows and Owls)
☀ Labdha Pranasam (Loss of Gain)
☀ Apareekshitkarakam (Impulsive Actions)
In the text of Panchatantra, we are told that it is a part of the ancient philosophy of Nitishastra, a branch of studies that focuses on morality and conduct in everyday life. The main narrative is that of a king who has three sons, who are incapable of leading the kingdom after him. To teach them the ways of the world, the king entrusts them to the learned Vishnu Sharma, who uses storytelling as the tool for educating the three boys.
Presented in a “story-within-a-story” format, the tales of Panchatantra have animals as their characters, with an interesting narration, seemingly simple themes, and everyday settings, where the narrator gives us life-changing advice on real, social, and political situations. According to the author, Vishnu Sharma, anyone who reads this “nitishastra” or treaty on Niti (moral conduct), “will never be defeated, not even by Indra, the Lord of Heavens”.
Study of Acharanga's Nitishastra (An Old and Rare Book)
“Hita” (welfare, benefit) and “upadesha” (teachings), this ancient compendium of stories is the second text translated to English by the British after Bhagavad Gita. It has been attributed to Pandit Narayana (Narayana being another name of Vishnu), who is often identified as Vishnu Sharma by many, while others see him as a separate author inspired by the writer of Panchatantra.
The stories of Hitopadesha are based on animal and human characters, with a simpler language than Panchatantra. The overall structure of Hitopadesha heavily borrows from the work of Vishnu Sharma, with its contents divided in a similar manner, into 4 sections-
1. Mitra Laabha (Gaining Friends)
2. Surbhedah (causing differences between friends)
3. Vigraha (separation)
4. Sandhi (union)
Hitopadesha by Narayana
The text begins with the evocation of Shiva and states that listening (shruto) to Hitopadesha helps strengthen one’s knowledge of Sanskrit, sharpens conversational skills, and trains them in Niti Vidya (principles). The author tells us that intelligent people value vidya or wisdom above all else as it is the only treasure that can not be stolen.
“Vidya dadati vinayam, vinayadyaati Paatratam” (Wisdom brings modesty, and modesty makes one deserving, of success).
It is such worldly, useful, and simply put advice and guidance that makes Hitopadesha another timeless read, for anyone looking for a life well-lived.
As the name suggests, these stories found in the ancient Buddhist collection called Suttapitaka (one of the Tripitakas), are related to the birth, of Buddha. This is a grand corpus of tales, each a story of Buddha’s previous life- the many births of Buddha before becoming Siddhartha form a central point of Buddhist philosophy, where even in his earlier births he displayed qualities of Bodhisattva, attaining perfection in his birth as Siddhartha Gautama.
Jataka Tales- Birth Stories of Buddha
Buddha appears in various animal and human forms, with trouble caused by circumstances in the middle of the narrative and Buddha coming up with a solution resulting in a happy ending. The stories have been divided by scholars into three sections-
1. Paccupannavatthu (narrative in present)
2. Atitavatthu (narrative in the past)
3. Samodhana (the protagonist identified as Buddha as a link between past and present)
The stories are around 500 in number and are written in Pali, the language rooted in local and popular culture, with its content divided into gatha or stanzas, which traveled with the itinerant monks, who took the tales of Buddha’s many lives to the corners of the world.
For many readers, the stories of the Jatakas focus on the Ten (10) Perfections- dana (donation), shila (restraint), nekkhama (renunciation), panna (wisdom), virya (efforts), khanti (forbearance), sacca (truth), adhitthana (resolve), mitta (loving-kindness) and upekkha (equanimity), meant to teach and guide the listener to follow in the footsteps of the enlightened being.
Not only in oral narrations, the Jatakas also have a beautiful presence in visual narratives, beginning from the ancient Buddhist sites of Sanchi, Bharhut, and Amaravati where stories of Jatakas are used to decorate the walls and corridors of the monastery and Stupa complexes. Art inspired by the Jatakas has also been identified in regions beyond India- Fa Hien noticed visual narratives of these stories in Abhayagiri (Ceylon).
Upon reading any of these three books, you reach the conclusion that these are simply the observations of the authors, based on what they saw in their surroundings. Friendships, familial bonds, conflicts, politics, conversations between people, overcoming obstacles- every possible human situation that one can think of, are discussed in these stories, which is what makes them an unforgettable part of world literature.
Story after story unfolds in these three works, transcending regions and time, creating a world of wonder for the audience who is left awe-inspired. With every tale that you read, a perfect balance of intrigue and wisdom is delivered to you.
Usually presented as children’s stories or moral stories, Panchatantra, Hitopadesha, and Jatakas are meant for everyone. Whether you are a young reader looking for a compelling collection of stories or you are a polished connoisseur of tales, picking up one of these books or all of them for your to-be-read pile will bring you a magical land of narratives, which have traveled through centuries to reach you and enchant you!
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