Summary of Chapter 2—Mitrasamprapti (Aquisition of Friends)

As the very title of this section suggests, the stories narrated here, have the sole theme of acquisition of good friendship by adding sam preposition to the word praptih. The author implies that mere friendship does not lead to one's betterment. It is only a good (sam) friendship that fulfils one's welfare. The term 'friend' in English is not on par with the word mitram in Sanskrit, as the former one does not carry the fullfledged significance that the word mitram inherits. In this way the word mitram is all comprahensive, thus declares Visnusarma. Who made a two letter word called mitra which is a heavenly drink. They are those who help in difficulties, share our happiness and sorrow like a medicine.¹ 1. kenamrtamidam srstam mitramityaksaradvayam | apadam ca paritranam sokasamtapabhesajam || Pancatantra, Mitrasamprapti, verse - 61, p.22.

73 Who has made the beautiful two letter word mitra who supports with love, confidence and conquer the fear.2 This integrated value of good friendship has been illustrated in this connection throughout eight stories. 1. The story of Laghupatanaka : Visnusarma introduces the first story by declaring that "wise man, gifted with generous and well informed, accomplished their purposes in no time without any means like the crow, the mouse, the dear, and the tortoise. The first story wherein Laghupatanaka (the crow) Hiranyaka (the mouse), citranga (the deer) and Mantaraka (the tortoise) play their role is found divided into three stories. Laghupatanaka a crow living in a tree, once happened to see in the forest the pegions being caught in the net spread on the ground by an hunter. The Citragriva pegion-leader took off in the air along with the net and got freed from the net by Hiranyaka, the mouse-king. Being impressed very much by the friendly nature of Hiranyaka, Laghupatanaka become his friend. So also Citragriva the deer and Mantaraka the tortoise happened to have the friendship with the former one. Thus, all these are described as interwoven with a strong thread of friendship. 2. prapte bhaye paritranam pritirbisrabhabhajanam | kena ratnamidam srstam mitramityaksaradvayam || Pancatantra, Mitrasamprapti, Katha - 6, verse - 190, p.77.

74 While introducing Hiranyaka to Mantaraka, Laghupatanaka said that Hiranyaka is the store of merits and of magnanimous personality. But, being greatly disgusted with the world, he has come to Mantaraka. Listening to this, Mantaraka asked the reason for Hiranyaka's being disgusted with the world. In response to this, Hiranyaka tells the incident which took place in his life and which led to his disgusted. He tells the story of Tamracuda an ascetic living in a Mutt near Mahilaropya city. Herein it is described that the money accumulated by Hiranyaka was snatched away by Tamracuda, and thereby as Hiranyaka states he became disgusted with. However, the first story in the Mitrasamprapti gives the information that the lustre of a person gets increased in accordance with the weight of the wealth he possesses.³ 2. The story of brahmin : In order to illustrate the point of being lustrous as depending upon the wealth, the story of brahmin is described. In this story, the wife of brahmin is avaricious, but brahmin is generous. Looking into his wife's greediness that brahmin suggests that there should not be excess desire nor should one give up desire altogether. The person who is overpowered by the 3. usmapi vitta vrddhim tejo nayati dehinam | ki punastasya sambhogastyagakarmasamanvitah || Pancatantra, Mitrasamprapti, Katha - 1, verse - 70, p.18.

75 excess greed becomes destitute knowledge of descrimination and makes him blind to see the things in proper manner.4 3. The story of hunter : The story of a hunter strengthens the idea that one should not be overpowered by excess greed. If otherwise such greed will make the person perish in no time. Therefore the greedy animal jackal being dis-satisfied with what it gets to eat, goes on accumalating the dead bodies of a hunter and a pig. But it perishes by itself being hit at its mouth by the sharp round edge of the bow, while it starts eating the string of sinews tied to the end of the bow. On the advice of brahmin, his wife gives up excess desire for wealth. Hiranyaka further says that he was beaten by Tamracuda but some how he could save his life though his money was snatched by Tamracuda. Having such bitter experience due to the accumalation of wealth, Hiranyaka states that "Indeed a person obtains the thing he destined to get, even god is not able to prevent it from being so obtained. That is why he does not mourn his lot nor is he amazed at it. What is ours cannot belong to others ? 5 4. atitrsna na kartavya trsnam naiva parityajet | atitrsnabhibhutasya sikha bhavati mastake || Pancatantra, Mitrasamprapti, Katha - 2, verse - 80, p.31. 5. praptavyamartha labhate manusyo devo'pi tam langhayitum na saktah | tasmanna socami na vismayo me yadamasmadiyam na hi tatparesam || Pancatantra, Mitrasamprati, Katha - 3, verse - 111, p.42.

76 With a view to elucidating the point above, Hiranyaka narrates another story of a merchant called Sagaradatta. 4. Story of Sagaradatta : Hiranyaka states that any person acquires that which he is destined to obtain; and he concludes the reason for his being disgusted with the world. In addition to Hiranyaka's standpoint Mantaraka also reiterates that a man is not able to enjoy the wealth even after acquiring it by efforts. Because the fate so called wills it. In this connection Mantaraka describes the story of a weaver called Somilaka who though acquires lot of wealth by efforts does not enjoy the same due to the working of his fate.6 5. Story of Somilaka : As Somilaka is very much intend upon getting wealth back, he asked the divine person appeared before him for his wealth. For, he gives the reason that the person having the store of wealth is served in this world though he may be miserly, low born, and unworthy to associate himself with good men." 6. 7. arthasyoparjanam krtva naiva bhogam samasnute | | aranyam mahadasadya mudhah somilako yatha || Pancatantra, Mitrasamprapti, Katha - 4, verse - 127, p.52. krpane'pyakulino'pi sajjanairvarjitah sada | sevyate sa naro loke yasya syadvittasancayah || Pancatantra, Mitrasamprapti, Katha - 5, verse - 140, p.58. Note: At this juncture a point regarding wrong reading of the text, is worthy of consideration i.e. M.R. Kale's edition (published by Motilal Banarasidass →

77 In spite of this, as that divine person says, Somilaka does never get the more wealth than what is necessary to his livelihood. This is however exemplified by the story of a bull and a jackal-couple. 6. Story of jackal-couple : Herein the male jackal inspite of his observation for fifteen years by closely following the bull, he could not get the two scrotum which hang loose but firmly attached to it. Quoting this story that Akasapurusa asks him to visit the residences of Bhukta Dhana and upabhuktadhana and to observe the behaviour of both of them. So too having done so, Somilaka considers that it is better to possess the wealth, which can fetch the need of one's livelihood. Delhi 1995) and Ramachandra Jazz edition (published by Chowkamba Vidyabhavan Varanasi) of the Pancatantra, read the story of a bull and jackal-couple as being described by Somilaka to Akasa purusa but it needs to be corrected vice-versa. ---Because, at the end of the fifth story Somilaka asks for the wealth he had obtained, to Akasa purusa for the reason that, due to wealth any person gets honour in the society. (krpano'pyakulino'pi vittasancayah ). This verse is thus clear to show its injunctive emphasis on the possession of wealth. Further, the very next verse (sithilau ca varsani panca ca ) to the above means to imply its prohibitive emphasis on excessive desire for anything else. As a matter of •fact the same person in the same context cannot make contradictory statement to what said immediately after the previous one. Hence there remains no concordance between the former (140 and 141 verse) and the latter portions. In order to remove such disconcordance and to show the contextual significance of the latter portion, the last verse (141) and the story sixth of a bull and jackal-couple should be read as being narrated by Akasapurusa himself but not Somilaka.

78 On the basis of all these stories Mantaraka tells Hiranyaka that it is not proper to mourn at the loss of wealth. .As Mantaraka, Hiranyaka and Laghupatanaka were speaking these words to one another, there came to that lake a deer named Citranga terrified by an hunter. Perhaps that Citranga too was protected by all these three, from the clutches of that hunter and remained with them in close friendship. Thus ends the Tantra II that is Mitrasamprapti with a declaration as below. "He who gains friends in the world and does not act croockedly towards them, does not under any circumstances suffer the pain of humilitation."8