[[Mohan K.V 2013-02-18, 01:57:22 Source]]
सदास्वाद
दीपे प्रज्वलिते प्रणश्यति तमः किं दीपमात्रं तमः ?
(dīpe prajvalite praṇaśyati tamaḥ kiṃ dīpamātraṃ tamaḥ ?)
Meaning
“Darkness is destroyed by a lit lamp – isn’t all darkness then just a matter of one lamp?”. The first half uses the sati saptami construction, which gives a meaning of either “When a lamp is lit, [darkness is destroyed]”, or a more urgent “Just as a lamp is lit”. The second half involves an difficult-to-translate use of ‘mātra’.‘mātra’ is a generic word with many meanings in context. Commonly, it gives a sense of ‘only’ or ‘after all’ or ’the same measure as’. Here, ‘dīpamātra’ means ‘just a matter of one lamp’ or ’entirely measurable/manageable by one lamp’. In totality, the line gives a David-vs-Goliath sense, of a tiny lamp being enough to destroy mighty all-enveloping darkness. Whence does this arise, and who is saying these brave words? Or, in the style of today’s feature,कथम् एतत्? (katham etat?)
Context
Today’s phrase is taken from the Pañcatantraof Viṣṇuśarman. Absolutely nothing, except his genius, is known about him. He is dated to some time around 2500 years ago, and thePañcatantra is his only known work. The only bit of information about him comes from a prelude story in the work itself, where he is depicted as an old man who teaches 3 wayward princes the arts of life. Their father the King is overjoyed, and grants him whatever he wishes, but his immortal response makes tome-long biographies redundant:नाहं विद्या-विक्रयं शासनशतेनाऽपि करोमि … किन्तु त्वत्-प्रार्थना-सिद्ध्यर्थं सरस्वती-विनोदं करिष्यामि ।(nāhaṃ vidyā-vikrayaṃ śāsana-śatenā’pi karomi … kintu tvat-prārthanā-siddhyarthaṃ sarasvatī-vinodaṃ kariṣyāmi ) “I will not sell my learning for even a hundred land-grants… but to fulfill your request, I’ll engage purely in Sarasvatī-vinoda (pleasingSarasvatī, i.e teach for its own sacred sake)”. Isn’t this the dream of everyone who is a true teacher at heart?
ThePañcatantra is a cornerstone of human literature itself. Before paper, printing and storage were even invented, thePañcatantra had traveled the world several times and ensconced itself in the folk tales of multiple civilizations. It was perhaps humanity’s first “international blockbuster hit”. Everything from Aesop’s fables which shares many common stories, to Persian translations which led to entire literary traditions, to multiple editions in all European languages, was born out of this monumental work. Till the 20th century, anyone who claimed to know a whit about the East would assuredly have known about thePañcatantra and possibly even read it in a translation.
There are several reasons why this work caught man’s imagination. The first is a very deep and profound suffusion of universality. Not only do we not really know who wrote it, we also can’t say where or when the story is happening. It could have been written by anyone, and could happen anywhere or anytime before modern times. All stories resonate harmoniously with this frame. So any reader who can imagine a far away forest can plunge right in, and oh boy, did they! The idea of animal characters, with readily recognizable stereotypes which were still finely nuanced, was a greatly detailed shared context, with the detail adding to the recognition and attraction (a monkey was foolish in a different way than a donkey; a crane, evil differently from a crocodile). The latent humor in characters breaking out into stories to qualify their words is also consistently endearing. The sheer intelligence of the plot twists were themselves the main calling, of course.
In the Sanskrit original, the list of attractions is even longer. One gets a distinct impression that the author is a incredibly well-read, jovial old man in a good mood sharing a funny but insightful story. For example, the characters, especially the most despicable of them, copiously quote the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, technical texts like Varahamihira’s Jyotish-shastra, and even echoes of Kalidasa and Bhartrhari! It’s always a pleasant surprise to come across a wily jackal, or a bedbug quoting a scripture one can recognize! Next, the detailing goes to the level of the character names. A very delicate and nice she-louse, whose bite is almost unrecognizable, is called Manda-visarpiṇī (“mild mover”). A much less discreet and very brash bedbug whose bite causes much pain, is called Agnimukha (“Fire mouth”). A fly who is the protagonist’s friend is given the lovely name of Vīṇārava (“He with the sound of aVīṇā”). A bullfrog is called Meghanāda (“Cloud roar”). Lastly, the simple beauty of Sanskrit shines through. The prose is tight and unornamented, but this provides an excellent backdrop for mock-heroism, sarcasm and distinct voicing. Classic compound-words, like Kṣutkṣāmakaṇṭaḥ (“He with his throat parched by hunger”), Catuṣkarṇa (meaning, “Secret”, but literally, “That which is heard by only four ears”), Anaikāntika (meaning ‘relative’ or ‘many-purposed’), Kopāṭopa-viśaṅkaṭa (“hideously puffed up in anger”) suffuse the work. Each story has tens of moral verses that are clever, perceptive, and reusable anywhere.
A word about a long-standing debate is perhaps in order. The question of ‘morality’ in these stories has been hanging like a tattered veil. For sure, there are several instances where the book surprises the reader unpleasantly; ‘good’ characters lose, ‘bad’ characters win, and lies, deception and deceit are very much present. Sacred verses are quoted by cheats and frauds. Indeed, it got so controversial that many translators have even added chapters where a final twist puts the evil-doers to death, while no such comeuppance exists in the original! To anyone expecting each story to end with a cleanly bumper-stickerizable moral, perhaps to chant and be indignant with modernity about, it is most certainly a disappointment.
ThePañcatantra is a far, far more intelligent work than that. Its main motive appears to be to give a glimpse of the world as it is, in all its complexity, goodness, petty badness, deep badness, innocence, deceit and variety. It tries to grant, in Kalidasa’s words, वृद्धत्वं जरसा विना (Vṛddhatvaṃ jarasā vinā) “Wisdom without old age”. Any moral is for the reader to discern with his intelligence. The contradictions in the work are very representative of the contradictions of life, then and now. For example, every single Nītiśloka (moral verse) quoted by every character, good or evil, is true and makes sense in its context. There’s no clean separation of good and evil, no overarching justice delivered to the good and no driving forces except chance, idiosyncrasies and intelligence – exactly like in the real world. To a weak mind, this concentrated dose of life, this “Total Perspective Vortex” is destabilizing, depressing and hurtful; but to a strong, discerning mind, it is necessary, joyous and greatly enriching.
Today’s verse is from a hilarious story involving a small bird and the ocean. It appears in first book, Mitrabheda, and is numbered between #15 to #20 in different editions. A confident Ṭiṭṭibha bird (commonly translated as a ‘plover’, ‘sandpiper’ or ‘strand bird’; essentially a small bird that lives near sea shores) takes on the mighty ocean, and wins! The story starts with the wife of theṬiṭṭibha requesting him to find a good spot for her to lay her eggs. TheṬiṭṭibha suggests a beautiful spot near the ocean. The wife is worried that the ocean is too dangerous – but theṬiṭṭibha pooh-poohs it with some grandiose decree of his valour:
मत्तेभ-कुम्भ-विदलन-कृत-श्रमं सुप्तम् अन्तकप्रतिमम् ।
यमलोक-दर्शनेच्छुः सिंहं बाधयति को नाम ? ॥
mattebha-kumbha-vidalana-kṛta-śramaṃ suptam antakapratimam |
yamaloka-darśanecchuḥ siṃhaṃ bādhayati ko nāma ? ||
“Which fool, rushing to death’s door, would dare trouble a mighty lion, an image of Death itself, napping after a hearty meal of a wild elephant’s forehead meat?” [i.e, the lion attacked the elephant head-on, not like a coward from the back]
The hilarity of a tinyṬiṭṭibha saying this! Anyway, the wife agrees. But the Ocean also hears this, and becomes angry. He decides to show his power, and with just one wave takes away all the eggs. The wife is distraught, and wails to theṬiṭṭibha about his foolish bravery. She promptly launches into a sub-story of a foolish tortoise, and after that another about three fish brothers.This is typical of the interwovenness of the stories in thePañcatantra. These stories of course are full of lovely moral verses and inner stories themselves.She then strongly discourages him to develop any further enmity with the mighty.
TheṬiṭṭibha isn’t disturbed, andsprightlytells the wife,
भद्रे, तत् पश्य मे बुद्धि-प्रभावम् यावत् एनं दुष्ट-समुद्रं स्व-चञ्च्वा शोषयामि ! येषां उत्साहशक्तिः भवति ते स्वल्पा अपि गुरून् विक्रमन्ते ।
bhadre, tat paśya me buddhi-prabhāvam yāvat enaṃ duṣṭa-samudraṃ sva-cañcvā śoṣayāmi ! yeṣāṃ utsāhaśaktiḥ bhavati te svalpā api gurūn vikramante |
“My dear, just watch. I’ll dry out this ocean with my very beak! Those with enthusiasm can win over even the mighty!”
In classicPañcatantra fashion as the characters launch into a moral verse, it says:aho sādhvidam ucyate (“Indeed, as it is well-told” or “Indeed, it is told rightly that:”
हस्ती स्थूलतरः स चाङ्कुशवशः किं हस्तिमात्रोऽङ्कुशः ?
दीपे प्रज्वलिते प्रणश्यति तमः किं दीपमात्रं तमः ?
वज्रेणापि शताः पतन्ति गिरयः किं वज्रमात्रो गिरिः ?
तेजो यस्य विराजते स बलवान् – स्थूलेषु कः प्रत्ययः ?
hastī sthūlataraḥ sa cāṅkuśavaśaḥ kiṃ hastimātro’ṅkuśaḥ ?
dīpe prajvalite praṇaśyati tamaḥ kiṃ dīpamātraṃ tamaḥ ?
vajreṇāpi śatāḥ patanti girayaḥ kiṃ vajramātro giriḥ ?
tejo yasya virājate sa balavān – sthūleṣu kaḥ pratyayaḥ ?
(śārdūlavikrīḍita, 19 syllables per line)
“An elephant is tamed by a mere hook – isn’t a hook then all an elephant is?
Darkness is destroyed by a lit lamp – isn’t all darkness then just a matter of one lamp?
A thunderbolt [which isn’t even material] destroys the very mountaintops – isn’t a mountain measured by just a thunderbolt?
Spirit alone gives strength – what is the point of physical size?
The wife finally starts seeing his point of view, and as a helpful tip tells the story of an elephant which was defeated by a sparrow, fly, woodpecker and frog (the delightful names mentioned earlier are from this story). In this story, a moral appears:
सुहृदि निरन्तरचित्ते गुणवति भृतेऽनुवर्तिनि कलत्रे ।
स्वामिनि शक्तिसमेते निवेद्य दुःखं सुखी भवति ॥
suhṛdi nirantara-citte guṇavati bhṛte’nuvartini kalatre |
svāmini śakti-samete nivedya duḥkhaṃ sukhī bhavati ||
“A friend who understands, a wife of the same heart, a powerful lord – tell your woes to them, and you’ll be happy”.
TheṬiṭṭibha agrees, and calls a conference of all birds. He tells them, quite calmly, that he’s thinking of drying out the ocean with his beak, and that he’d appreciate any help. Some birds grumble, but they eventually tell him that they are powerless, but the King of Birds, Garuḍa, the vehicle of Vishnu, may help. The birds then devise a strategy that would warm the cockles of any modern-day politician’s heart. They go toGaruḍa and tell him,
अहो अब्रह्मण्यम् अब्रह्मण्यम्! अधुणा सदाचारस्य टिट्टिभस्य भवति नाथे सति समुद्रेण अण्डानि अपहृतानि! तत् प्रणष्टम् अधुना पक्षिकुलम्! अन्येपि स्वेच्छया समुद्रेण व्यापादयिष्यन्ते !
aho abrahmaṇyam abrahmaṇyam! adhuṇā sadācārasya ṭiṭṭibhasya bhavati nāthe sati samudreṇa aṇḍāni apahṛtāni! tat praṇaṣṭam adhunā pakṣikulam! anyepi svecchayā samudreṇa vyāpādayiṣyante !
“Oh Fie Fie! Even under your Lordship, the Ocean has dared to steal this virtuousṬiṭṭibha’s eggs! Bird-hood itself is endangered! The Ocean can now wantonly kill any of us, citing precedent!”
They proceed to copiously quote several profound (real) scriptures about the duties of a king, how he acquires a share of his subjects’ virtues and sins, what the characteristics of a good King are (presently lacking), etc.Garuḍa buys it hook, line and sinker, and becomes righteously indignant. He immediately throws a tantrum to Vishnu, who happens to have an urgent appointment in Amarāvati. He can’t afford to miss his appointment for this trivial labour dispute, and yet can’t ignore his only vehicle’s demands. So he decides to solve it quickly with force – he mountsGaruḍa, goes to the Ocean, and issues a dire threat that he will dry it out unless it returns the eggs. The Ocean quickly acquiesces and does as commanded, and everyone lives happily ever after, and we pop back into the main story.
Thought for today
Just a little after this story, the evil Damanaka says this famous verse in the master story:
उद्योगिनं पुरुषसिंहम् उपैति लक्ष्मीः
दैवेन देयम् इति कापुरुषाः वदन्ति ।
दैवं निहत्य कुरु पौरुषम् आत्मशक्त्या
यत्ने कृते यदि न सिद्ध्यति कोऽत्र दोषः ॥
udyoginaṃ puruṣasiṃham upaiti lakṣmīḥ
daivena deyam iti kāpuruṣāḥ vadanti |
daivaṃ nihatya kuru pauruṣam ātmaśaktyā
yatne kṛte yadi na siddhyati ko’tra doṣaḥ ||
“Riches rush towards that lion of a man who actively tries –
only cowards say, ‘Fate has to please’.
To hell with Fate – be manly and use your own strength.
If, despite effort, one doesn’t succeed, that’s no fault!”
Even though these words come from one of the most evil characters in the work, they are perfectly sensible and true. This is a tantalizing feature of thePañcatantra – one simply cannot brand words or thoughts just because they happen to come from someone of one stereotype. This verse, for example, is perhaps the single most important exhortation to a society which even today is steeped in fatalism and inaction.