What do you do as a father and a King if your three heirs are indolent and ignorant, and, as a result, the very future of your kingdom is at stake?
You turn the three brats over to the intellectual powerhouse Pandit Vishnu Sharma!
The Panchatantra Retold is a collection of entertaining and enlightening folk-tales from Ancient India, originally narrated by Pandit Vishnu Sharma to the three Princes of Mahilaropya to infuse them with the much-needed worldly wisdom that traditional learning had failed to impart.
So the Panchatantra can actually be described as an Ancient self-help book on how to navigate successfully through the various vicissitudes of life. It is important to mention though that these stories are not didactic and moralistic in any sentimental, black and white way. The good do not always win here. This led the German scholar Dr. Johannes Hertel to describe the stories as 'Machiavellian' in tone. It is a possibility that Machiavelli himself was familiar with the stories from the Panchatantra and that they were something of an influence for his own work 'The Prince'.
The stories offer a vivid picture of life in Ancient India, and it is interesting to discover that, for all the progress made over the many centuries since the Panchatantra was written, the essential qualities of human psychology have not altered to that great an extent.
The stories are divided into five sections - Mitra Bheda (Loss of Friends), Mitra Samprapti (The Gaining of Friends), Kakolukiyam (The Fierce Enmity between the Crows and the Owls), Labdhapranasam (Loss of Gains), and Apariksitakaram (Ill-considered Action).
This is the first section, Mitra Bheda (Loss of Friends). The main story is about the conniving jackal Damnak, who tries to break up the friendship between the bull Sanjivak and the lion Pingalik, and the other stories evolve from this main story and expound further on its theme, supporting or criticizing Damnak's efforts.
About the Author: When I was seven, I decided I wanted to be an artist and a writer. I thought it would be an excellent way of finding out more about the world. It has since been a fine journey in staying balanced, making connections, and continually learning something new. I'm very happy to have such a creatively rewarding and fulfilling occupation. I write children's books, YA books, NA books, graphic novels, and romance books, and I have a Sunday comic-strip 'The Smartist'; if you haven't seen it yet, you should. I'm deeply interested in art, books, music, musical instruments, gardening, dog training, travel, languages, history, science, kind and humorous people, mindfulness, and lots and lots and lots of other things. I have a Bachelor's Degree in History, a Master's Degree in English Literature, and a Diploma in Fine Art. You can find me here - Maysun In C Book Page - http: //www.maysuninc.com/books Amazon Author Page - http: //www.amazon.com/Sonal-Panse/e/B00NK7NMM8
