The Panchatantra - Story 66a

STORY NO. 66a. JARADGAYA AND DIRGHAKARNA

In the hollow of a big tree in Gridhrakuta hill on the banks of the Ganges, there lived a vulture called Jaradgava with his eyes and talons gone by an adverse fate. Out of pity for his plight, the birds living in that tree used to give him small portions from their food. He lived on them and in return watched the young birds while their parents were away in search of food. Once when the parent birds were away, a cat called Dirghakarna came to the tree to eat the young ones of the birds. Seeing him coming, they were terror stricken and raised a cry, Dirghakarna, seeing the vulture rush up said to himself, 'Alas, all is over with me. Still a danger should be dreaded only so long as it has not happened. When it has come, one should do his best to get out of it I am now in his presence and cannot escape by running away. So let what is destined to happen occur. I shall first create confidence in him and then approach him.' So he went to him and said, 'Sir, please accept my salutations.' The vulture asked, 'Who are you ?' He replied, 'I am a cat.' The vulture said,

'Get away; else, I shall be obliged to kill you.' The cat said, 'First, hear me, and then, if you consider me worthy of death do as you like. 

Is anyone honoured or killed merely because he happens to belong to a certain caste or tribe ? It is only after fully ascertaining one's conduct that we can know if he deserves to be honoured or killed.' The vulture said, 'Why have you come here ?' The cat replied, I live here on the banks of the sacred Ganges, bathing everyday, leading a life of celibacy and observing the Chandrayana(A fast of a severe type with graded meals) fast. Trustworthy birds told me that you were devoted to the study of the religious law books. So I came here to hear the holy law correctly expounded by you who are advanced in years and knowledge. Now I find that you are so ignorant- of it that you want to kill me, your guest. The sacred laws say, "Fitting hospitality should be shown even to a foe coming to one's house. The tree does not withdraw its shade from the cutter. Even if a man has not got wealth to entertain a guest he should entertain him with kind words at least. A grass mat, a place to sit in, water for washing the feet, and kind words are never absent for a guest in a good man's house. The good show kindness even towards creatures devoid of merit. The moon does not withhold his rays even from the out caste's hut. Fire is honoured by the Brahmins, the Brahmins by the four castes, the husband by a wife, and the guest by all men.

A guest turned back takes away all the accrued merit of the householder who has turned him back. Even a low caste guest should be duly honoured when he comes to the house of a high caste man, for every guest represents- all the gods."The vulture said, 'The cat is fond of flesh, and the young unfledged birds live here. So it is that I told you like that.' The cat thereupon touched the ground and his ears and said, 'I have learnt the sacred laws, am free from passion, and am undergoing the arduous Chandrayana fast. Though the sacred laws differ regarding many things, they are absolutely unanimous on abstinence from inflicting injury being the highest duty of a man. The reason is dear. Those who abstain from inflicting any injury, who forgive every injury to themselves and who give

refuge to all go to heaven. Only one's secured merit follows one after death as a friend. All else is destroyed with the body. When one eats the flesh of another, note the disproportion' between the evil done and the good secured. The eater enjoys but momentary pleasure of the palate. The eaten loses its very life. The agony that a creature suffers at the thought of approaching death cannot be imagined or described by another. Which sane person will commit deadly sin by killing animals for eating when he can easily fill this accursed belly with herbs growing by themselves in the forest?' 

The vulture was taken in by these words and allowed the cat to live in the hollow of the tree without telling the birds. Every day the cat swooped on some young bird or other stealthily, took it to the hollow and gobbled it up. After some days the sad parent birds whose young ones had been eaten up held a vigorous inquiry to trace the murderer. On seeing this, the cat quietly slipped out of the hollow and ran away. The birds made a close search all over the place, discovered the bones of their young ones in the hollow of the tree, came to the unanimous conclusion that the vulture had eaten their young ones, and killed him.