Page 39 - Śrī Pañcatantra - Eng
P. 39
Mitra-bheda (Confict among Friends) 11
Hiding his anxiety behind a pretended smile King Piṅgalaka
replied, “Oh, for no reason in particular.”
“Well, then,” Damanaka countered, “if it happens to be a personal
matter that you do not care to discuss, then so be it, for ...
There are subjects that can be discussed with your wife, and
there are other subjects that may be discussed with sons or
other family members. But no one can tell everything to
everybody. (1.17)
Listening carefully, King Piṅgalaka thought over the matter and
said to himself, “Damanaka’s reasoning is quite profound and
he appears worthy of my confidence for ...
A man becomes relieved of burdens when he can discuss his
problems openly with a trusted friend, a devoted servant, a
caring master, or a faithful wife. (1.18)
Thus Piṅgalaka inquired of the sly jackal, “Do you hear those
fearsome sounds coming from the distance?”
Damanaka replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty, what do you
make of it?”
“My dear friend,” Piṅgalaka replied thoughtfully, “I am thinking
of leaving this area and moving far away.”
“Why is that?”
“Because some great beast has moved to this neck of the woods
and I fear that he must be as terrible as he sounds.”
“Please, Your Majesty,” replied Damanaka. Choosing his words
carefully, he continued, “It does not behoove you to flee from
a mere noise. You and your forefathers have ruled this very
jungle for generations. It would be a mistake to run away
simply due to some loud sound. Noises also originate from the
