An introduction to Panchatantra

 

An Introduction

So when I said I will start with Panchatantra, I did not mean this. It will be stories. From next week.  From the first story upto the last one. This post  today, is to introduce Panchatantra - what is it, what it means etc.

Panchatantra (Sanskrit for “Five Principles or Five Systems“) is a collections of stories. Most of the stories deal with the animals and how they behave with each other. It is said to have been composed by Vishnu Sharma. This collection is known for its entertaining tales and how through these stories, lessons are taught. Lessons related to prudence, conduct and wisdom.

Panchatantra can even be considered a manual for statecraft, governance, and effective personal living. It aims to teach the principles necessary for a person to navigate the social and political world successfully.

The stories give human traits to animals and makes them characters in the stories. The animals provide a stage where the consequences of actions are immediately visible.

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What this means:

What does this mean to us?

For a modern reader, the Panchatantra shows the need for critical thinking and foresight. It teaches how to judge people’s motives, understand the dynamics of power and choose friends and allies wisely.

Panchatantra is a masterwork in the art of nested story telling. Stories are contained within other stories, which are themselves contained within a larger set of stories. This structure has the lessons being continuously repetitive. While they are repeated time and again, they are not boring. They are interesting and thereby making the didactic content highly engaging. The stories show ruin is caused when trust it broken, what happens when trust is broken, what is the value of friendship etc.

In essence, Panchatantra is a work of world literature that uses the stories to deliver a sophisticated, practical education in how to successfully and prudently operate within the social and political structure of the world.

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Why were these stories composed:

It is said that Vishnu Sharma composed these stories to teach three princes. Why did these princes need learning? Lets talk about that in the next post, next week.

A Fresh Start: Panchatantra, Vikrama Tales, and More Stories

Hello!!

So here is what has been going on.

I have my blogger here - which was mainly on Puranas - especially Markandeya Purana. Then something happened.

That something made me stop - or let's say, pause.

I need a break. There has been a lot going on at home, health, etc. Puranas take time.

And I had the Substack on Mahabharata and Ramayana of Kashidas. And the YouTube. Everything needs to pause.

I want to do something simpler.

So I thought - let me make a fresh start. And see how it goes.

December and Panchatantra: A New Focus

Why December and why Panchatantra?

So why December? It takes time to write. This is the last week of November, and I thought, I will start writing. So December.

The next - why Panchatantra? So a dear friend was telling me why don’t I work on an illustrated version of Panchatantra. Illustrated by AI - written by me. Not written - retelling it. So I decided to use this platform for that purpose. And I will take it slow - a story a week, not more.

Over the next months, I will tell stories from Panchatantra. And once that is over, another chapter.

The Tales of Vikrama: Greatness and Wisdom

Once the Panchatantra is complete, I will move on to stories of King Vikrama. There are stories surrounding the great king Vikramaditya, also known as Vikrama. Stories that show how great a king, he was. Initially, I wanted to do this - start with stories of Vikrama and the ghost/ Vetala. When I shared that idea with my friend, he said the ghost would scare kids away - and I kept telling him, this was a friendly ghost. So I will use this platform to fulfil that desire of mine.

There are two books about Vikrama - one that has 25 questions that the ghost asked the king and how he cleverly answered the spirit. The other one is about the throne of Vikramaditya and how when king Bhoja wanted to climb on that throne he was told 32 tales about the king’s greatness.

So I will start with the 25 stories told in the book Vetala Panchavimshati (Twenty-five stories of Vetala - the spirit). I will then start with tales from the book Simhasana Dvatrimsika (Thirty Two Tales of the throne).

Beyond These Stories

After I complete telling the stories from Panchatantra and stories about Vikrama, I will shift the scope to include stories from texts such as the Puranas. There are so many stories there - that I could go on for years.

So that is what I want to do with my blog.

Visual Storytelling: The Video Plan (Starting March)

Starting March, I want to slowly start working on a visual version of the stories. I will try, I will attempt that and see, how it goes.

I plan to start that in March. Why March - that is many months away? Well, I have a surgery scheduled in January and may take time off then, and while writing takes time, making a video is an even longer process. So that is why March. Not before mid-March.

While the blog will be the home for my weekly posts starting in December, I will be expanding my vision to video!  https://www.youtube.com/@PerspectivesbyBabu

Join the Journey and Schedule

So, I hope you will join me in this journey of mine. Subscribe to the blog. I will keep sharing updates here.

I will be sharing the content on my Substack page also.

Here is the plan - I will be posting every Friday here . 

Taking a break

 Taking a break.

Health reasons is main cause. 

I will be back, keep a lookout for updates.

The Great Wager: How Two Sisters' Pride Led to the Birth of Garuda

 My latest video unpacks an incredible narrative from the Hindu scriptures that highlights the unforeseen consequences of prideful competition.

It begins with Vinata and Kadru, two sisters who make a consequential bet over the colour of the horse Uchchaihshravas's tail. Kadru, determined to win, forces her snake children to cover the tail, making it appear black, and thus winning the bet and enslaving Vinata. This deceitful 'win' is immediately soured by her curse on the Nagas, establishing the conditions for the great snake sacrifice.

This story is a crucial setup for the emergence of the half-eagle, half-man being Garuda, who is born to Vinata. Garuda's power is so immense it frightens the gods, but he is fundamentally a force for balance and purpose. His brother Aruna's role as charioteer to Surya further reinforces this central idea of moderation.

A fascinating look at how personal conflict becomes the groundwork for the emergence of great characters in these ancient texts.

Watch the video now: 

A Lesson in Self-Control: Why Jagaddhatri’s Story is Relevant Today

 The story of Goddess Jagaddhatri, the Upholder of the universe , provides a direct commentary on the ongoing battle we face every day: the war against our own uncontrolled mind.

The key to her status as the "Slayer of the elephant demon Karindrasura" is what the elephant represents: ahamkara or the ego. This is the deluded, spiritually blind version of us that thinks it has everything figured out.

Jagaddhatri, an aspect of the Divine Mother, brings the quality of purity and stability (Satva guna) to confront this force. Her iconography is a visual instruction : courage (the lion) must conquer the unchecked ego (the elephant). The spiritual discipline for this conquest is represented by her bow and arrow: concentration and knowledge.

Discover how this powerful narrative confirms that spiritual mastery is possible for everyone willing to do the work.

 

Harihara: Unity in Contrast from Kashidas's Mahabharata

 A turning point in the Samudra Manthan: the introduction of Mohini, Vishnu's enchanting form. The Yogi Shiva is completely mesmerized, leading to an unexpected moment of surrender.

The story culminates in the emergence of Harihara, the combined figure of Shiva and Vishnu. It's a striking visual of integrated opposites: one side ascetic and one side adorned. This sequence offers a simple, clear statement on the necessity of balance and the idea that different forces can work together without conflict. Watch the full retelling.

 

More Than a Happy Ending: Shiva’s Act of Containment in the Mahabharata

 We often read stories until the happy ending—Lakshmi returns, Vishnu departs victorious. But the Mahabharata as told by Kashidas in Bengal doesn't stop there. This is the account of Shiva's furious, then steady, entry into the Ocean Churning and the unexpected, chaotic element he had to address.

Shiva's order to resume the churning, after everyone had left, was a challenge to the status quo. It revealed that the job wasn't about the treasures alone; it was about dealing with the consequences of the process. The poison that emerged was the mess everyone had created and tried to escape.

Shiva didn't back off. He simply stood there and contained the chaos in his throat, becoming Neelkantha. This action, Kashidas suggests, is the quiet, essential mechanism that holds everything together.

Understand the significance of this powerful narrative addition. Watch the video now: 

Why Neelakantha is the Ultimate Stabilizer: The Kashidas Mahabharata Account

 You know the story of the Samudra Manthana, but do you know the part where Shiva gets angry and forces a re-start?

This account, specific to the Kashidas version of the Mahabharata, argues that the process was not complete until Shiva intervened. When he commanded the exhausted devas and asuras to continue, the result was not the desired nectar, but a massive cloud of world-ending poison.

Shiva’s subsequent act—drinking the poison and holding it in his throat to become Neelakantha—is not just a heroic moment. It is a fundamental statement about the nature of existence: any creative process produces inevitable toxicity, and a stabilizing force is needed to absorb that chaos without being destroyed by it.

Read the complete analysis on this pivotal episode.

Click to read more: https://writtenbybabu.substack.com/

The Mother’s Care: The Story of Kali, Shiva and the Asura Daruka

 Happy Kali Puja! Let’s explore a fascinating story from the Linga Purana about Goddess Kali, the Asura Daruka, and the unexpected role of Lord Shiva.

Daruka, through intense penance, had acquired power that threatened the worlds. Kali emerged from Shiva’s third eye, born from the poison he held in his throat, making her the unique force capable of defeating Daruka.

The battle was won, but Kali’s fury burned on. Shiva intervened not with force, but with vulnerability, appearing as a little boy in the cremation ground. Kali’s rage dissolved into maternal tenderness, and as she nursed him, her anger was absorbed.

This moment, associated with the Tarapith spot , teaches a simple yet powerful idea: the world requires not just strength to fight its battles, but also deep care to heal from them.

Watch the full story: 

The Hidden Purpose of Fierceness: Kali in the Devi Mahatmyam

 Happy Diwali and Kali Puja! We explore a powerful chapter from the Devi Mahatmyam that highlights the necessary and focused action of Goddess Kali.

When the generals Chanda and Munda approached Ambika, Kali did not emerge in chaos. She emerged from Ambika's darkened forehead as a force that was the answer to injustice reaching its limits.

She is often misunderstood. We see the skulls and the sword, but not the intention: she does not destroy for pleasure. She clears the clutter, representing a fierce kind of care. Her fight against the Asura army was a strategic act to crush arrogance.

The lesson is in the aftermath: after bringing the heads of the generals, Ambika named her Chamunda, stating that fury must end in composure. Strength is born when anger learns to rest.

Watch the story:

Detachment vs. Dignity: Why Durga Challenged Shiva's Simplicity

 In the Bengali version of the Mahabharata by Kashidas, a simple visit from Rishi Narada to Mount Kailash ignites one of the most relatable conflicts between Shiva and Durga. The issue? What does a householder truly need?

After the great churning of the ocean, Narada reports that while Vishnu received Lakshmi and other deities got their treasures, Shiva's home received nothing.

Shiva's initial response is gentle and proud: he explains his philosophy of contentment, valuing the bull (Nandi), the tiger skin, and the ash—all things others cast aside. This is the voice of pure, simple living.

Durga, however, shifts the conversation from personal preference to worldly responsibility. She challenges the idea that detachment is sufficient, stating that prosperity and dignity are non-negotiable for a householder. Her insistence that turning away from these is 'cowardice' makes Shiva's calm crack, leading to a massive mobilization of his followers.

This narrative serves as a practical reminder: we must find the balance between a simple inner life and the need to engage practically and honorably with the external world.

Watch the full, dramatic story: