SHREEVISHNUSHARMAPRANEETAM PANCHATANTRAM SANSKRIT TEXT WITH ENGLISH COMMENTARY by TEJASVINI FIVE COURSES OF ACTION PRESCRIBED IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCE {ANCIENT WISDOM} INTRODUCTION Salutations to the great PARAMAHAMSA who only saw divinity everywhere in this brain concocted picture of the world. Who is a PARAMAHAMSA? Supposedly, there once existed some swans of a unique kind in the Maanasa Sarovara (lake) in the Himalayan region, which had the capacity to absorb only the milk from a mixture of water and milk kept in a pot. The saints belonging to the ParamaHamsa category are supposed to be in such a high level of mind that they can never see anything but the Self or the Supreme in whatever they perceive. These types of saints are very rare to find. In the modern world we have only the worst kinds of minds, which only take the water and discard the milk in whatever is perceived. PANCHATANTRA is one such mixture of diluted milk prepared by the great scholar Vishnu Sharma for educating the children (and even adults) easily. The entire knowledge of all practical sciences was taught to his students through many amusing stories. Stories were there to create interest in the topic and helped them in remembering the advice that came along with the stories. With a two-lined story, there were some two pages of instructions taught which the students listened to as an unavoidable blabber, with the hope of hearing another amusing anecdote after the bitter lecture was over. Though not intent on learning, they unconsciously became experts in all the sciences. Stories always came to their help in memorizing the topics. The students wanted only the honey of the stories but had to swallow the bitter medicine that came along with it. The students consumed both the milk and water and got the benefit of the milk too. In the modern world somehow Panchatantra the treatise on wisdom has become famous as a story book for children rather than as a scripture of knowledge. Panchatantra is a practical guide to life. It discusses all the situations, best or worst that occur in our life and tells us how to tackle them wisely. It is a torch lit by the great scholar to guide us in the dark gullies of the world. But unfortunately we have managed to throw away the milk and are giving the children only the water from this great book. Panchatantra is not a collection of animal stories written to amuse the children but a book of guidance useful for even an aged person. This work is an attempt to present the creamy milk hidden in this great scripture. SALUTATIONS TO ALL THE GREAT MINDS OF THE ANCIENT INDIA. {FIRST SECTION} {CREATING RIFT AMONG FRIENDS} dr 5? 5 r=? - =?lc c 5| s