The Panchatantra - Story 74

STORY NO. 74. THE SWAN KING AND THE PEACOCK KING

In the island of Karpura(Kashmir, considered to be an island, as it was isolated, from India by high mountain ranges) in the North, there was a lake called Padmakeli(Dal Lake, full of lotuses at times), There lived in it a royal swan called Hiranyagarbha(Golden-Germ)

who was crowned by all the water birds as their King. He protected his subjects, and, in turn, they enhanced his pomp and glory. In the Vindhya mountains, five hundred miles to the south, there lived a royal peacock called Chitravarna(picturesque colour) who was crowned King by all the land birds. 

One day, a crane called Dirghamukha(Long-Face) went to the Vindhyas reconnoitering. He was searching for some food there when some land birds met him and asked him about his land and King. He replied that he was from the island of Karpura and was a subject of King Hiranyagarbha. He added proudly, "Our land is a bit of paradise on earth and our King is a celestial. He asked all of them to leave their jungle country and migrate to Karpura. The land birds rebuked him for his boastful words and pointed out that he had to go to their country for his very food. Thereupon a quarrel started. 'The land birds asked him who had made Hiranyagarbha King. He asked them who had made Chitravarna King. They told him that King Chitravarna was King of all Jambudvipa(India) which included Karpura also. He replied "That will be so if words will do to conquer Kingdoms. Our King Hiranyagarbha will also assert his over-lordship over Jambudvipa.""How?" asked they, "By waging War" said Dirghamukha. The land birds said, "We can easily meet him in War, however powerful he is. Even by a fiction, as in the Story of "The Lake of the Moon", we can defeat him in war, as the rabbits did the elephants."

Then they took him to Chitravarna and reported the incident. An ambassador, a parrot, asserted to the king that Karpura-desa was in Jambudvipa, Chitravarna too asserted that

he was King of all Jambudvipa and was therefore, overlord of Karpura-desa too, Dirghamukha retorted that his king Hiranyagarbha was overlord of Jambudvipa. "How will he prove it?"asked Chitravarna. "In War" said Dirghamukha. He asked Chitravarna to send an ambassador to Hiranyagarbha with an ultimatum threatening invasion and war unless he acknowledged his suzerainty, and see what happened, Duradarsin, a wise Vulture, was Prime Minister of Chitravarna. He asked Dirghamukha who the Prime Minister of Hiranyagarbha was, and was told that it was the chakravaka(A Brahminy Duck) Sarvajna(All-knowing) He remarked that it was a good choice as was a native of the country and fit for the post. 

After consulting Duradarsin, Chitravarna chose the parrot as his ambassador to Hiranyagarbha. The parrot agreed, but refused to go to Karpura-desa with Dirghamukha

a!s he was a villainous person, like the crow in the stories "The Crow and the Gander" and "The Crow and the Quail" and unfit to be associated with. He said he would prefer to travel alone to Karpura-desa after Dirghamukha had left. Dirghamukha asked, "Why do you call me a villainous person ? 1 shall accord to you, as ambassador, the same respect I accord to His Majesty Chitravarna. "I call you a villainous person because of your stirring up a war by your provocative words and conduct. Conciliatory, tactful words would have smoothed the position and even earned you adulation and admiration just as in the story of "A Fool's Rejoicing" the foolish wheel-right carried on his head with pride his adulterous wife and her paramour, and danced about in joy despite the gross offence committed by them in his very presence."

Dirghamukha returned to Karpuradesa and narrated the whole story to Hiranyagarbha when he was sitting on his throne of lotuses surrounded by his prime minister, the chakravaka Sarvajna, and other ministers and courtiers. Hiranyagarbha told him that in threatening War he had acted rashly and without due consideration of the strength of his country, like the "Ass in Tiger's Skin" Sarvajna said that Dirghamukha had acted like a fool in provoking a quarrel and threatening War. He then took the King aside and told him privately that Dirghamukha must have acted thus at the instance of some of their chauvinistic army officers. The King said, ''Let us ignore the past. Suggest what should be done at present."Sarvajna suggested the sending of two spies to Jambudvipa, one to spy out everything, and the other to act as his messenger to report to his King. Dirghamukha and another crane were chosen as the two spies, and their families were held in court as hostages. 

The door-keeper then announced the arrival of the parrot as ambassador from Jambudvipa. Sarvajna asked the parrot to be taken to the embassy room and brought later on, when directed, to the King. Hiranyagarbha said with enthusiasm, So, now, war is in sight.""Sire,"said Sarvajna, ''Do not be enthusiastic as if war is a desirable thing. War should not be resorted to in a hurry any mere than object surrender of one's country to the enemy. Only when soft words, gifts, and threats and breaking off of diplomatic relations fail should War be resorted to by the wise. Every man fancies himself a hero who has not engaged in a life and death struggle. People merrily ring the bells welcoming the declaration of War, but soon they wring their hands when theirs beloved ones die and their country is invaded by the ruthless enemy. All wars must end in peace, some day or other. So peace is the normal state and is far more to be desired than War. But now that War is at hand, let all preparations be made to prosecute it to a successful end. Let us remember that Chitravarna is a powerful King and that the land birds are far more numerous and stronger than sea birds. Our position is like that of a whale fighting an elephant on land. A prudent man will retreat like a tortoise when a strong foe attacks. 

But, when the time comes he will attack in turn like an angry serpent. Let the ambassador, the parrot, be detained and given light refreshments, and made to rest, while we put the fortress in order."General Sarasa, the crane general, was called in and asked to put the fortress in a fit condition to stand an assault or siege. He said that he had done it already, but wanted enough grains and salt to be stored for the garrison inside the fort. The king and Sarvajna nodded approval. The door-keeper announced the arrival of Meghavarna(Cloud-coloured, black), the crow king of Simhala-dvipa with his attendants and his wish to have audience with the king. Hiranyagarbha said that Meghavarna was wise and deserved to be received. "How is he to be received ? As friend, foe or neutral ?", asked Sarvajna. "He is a land bird and therefore prima facie ranged with Chitravarna. Any one who deserts his kith and kin the land birds, deserves to be killed like the Blue Jackal in the story King Kukudruma" "As he has come from a distance, let him be admitted to our presence.", said the king. "All right", said Sarvajna. "We shall also call in the parrot as the spy has been dispatched and the fortress put in order. But as Chanakya slew Nanda by employing an assassin as messenger, let the sovereign be at a distance from him and he surrounded by his warriors."

After the court had assembled, the parrot and Meghavarna were both called. The parrot bowed and took his seat on the seat allotted to him and said, "O Hiranyagarbha! the prosperous and powerful Chitravarna, King of kings, commands you to go to him speedily and do homage to him if you have any love for your life and if you do not intend to flee from your kingdom". Hiranyagarbha cried out loudly, "Is there none in this assembly who will stop his throat?" Give the order, sir, and I shall put this base parrot to death", said Meghavarna. Sarvajna said, "Sire, an ambassador's person, even if he is a barbarian, even if he is insolent, is inviolable, for he only represents his king. And because of the inviolability of his person he talks arrogantly. Leave him alone and send him back."Hiranyagarbha recovered his temper and allowed the parrot to depart in peace. Sarvajna took the parrot out, and gave him the customary gold and other presents and sent him away. 

The parrot went back to his country. Chitravarna asked him, "What news?"The parrot replied, "Your majesty, Let preparations for war be made immediately. Karpura is a powerful country and is indeed a bit of paradise. But King Hiranyagarbha and Prime Minister Sarvajna are adamant." Chitravarna held a meeting of his ministers to consider what was to be done now that war was inevitable. Duradarsin the vulture prime-minister said that war should be resorted to only in the last resort and then too only after full consideration of one's strength compared with that of the enemy, and the possibility of avoiding war by small concessions and that war should not be undertaken in haste. ''Again", said he, a small but good army is better than a rabble of shavellings(A contemptous term for buddhist and jain monks) or cowards or ill-trained men for the flight of the worthless will surely cause the rout also of the good. Fame and reward are the spur to bravery. We must discuss everything fully." The king said impatiently, "What need for so much talk ? We must invade the enemy country at once."He rose and set out with his army at the time already fined by the astrologer. 

Soon after, a messenger appeared before Hiranyagarbha and told him that he had been dispatched by the master spy to tell him that Chitravarna had begun his invasion and that he was camping in the Malaya mountains(Banihal hills, part of the Himalayan foot hills) leading to Karpura valley, and that there was some ground for believing that there was a fifth columnist agent of Chitravarna inside the fort, and that the fort should there- fore be cleared. Sarvajna said that he suspected the crow Meghavarna, a land bird, to be an enemy agent. "That' can never be", said Hiranyagarbha. "Why was he then so eager to suppress the parrot? Besides, he arrived long before the declaration of war". Nevertheless, he is a stranger and is to be suspected", said Sarvajna. "Even strangers deserve to be treated with consideration. Remember that a stranger, Viravara, engaged a few days before was ready to sacrifice his only son's life for King Sudraka'. There are good, bad and indifferent people among strangers as well as among natives.", said the king. 

"But ministers have to speak out what they feel to be the truth", said Sarvajna."A physician, a spiritual preceptor, and a minister who hides the truth from the king, soon deprives him of bodily health, morality and prosperity. Counting on great profits from unknown strangers will be acting like the barber who killed an unknown monk from an infatuation that he would get a treasure thereby though, in the result, he was himself put to death.""What shall we do now ?", asked the king* "I hear from our spy that Chitravarna has disregarded the advice of his wise prime-minister Duradarsin, the vulture, and has advanced headlong against our country. We can now attack bis army wearied by the march, and ignorant of the terrain in the mountains, rivers and forests, and otn the roads before they recover from their fatigue. Let General Sarasa and others do it."This was done and many of Chitravarna's advance guards were killed in the mountains and forests and on the roads and the banks of the river. 

The humbled Chitravarna asked Duradarsin's advice, Duradarsin chided him for his hasty declaration of war and rash and headlong advance. Chitravarna begged of him to organize a safe retreat to the Vindhyas. Duradarsin then said, "Do not despair. I have a plan. Attack, the fortress in force". This was done. 

The crane spy reported it to Hiranyagarbha and Sarvajna advised Hiranyagarbha to put the fortress in order, and, forgetting economy, to give the soldiers big largess-es to induce them to defend it bravely regardless of their lives. Meghavarna offered to sally out of the fort to fight the foe. Sarvajna was against this course and was for all taking shelter in the fortress and offering fight to the foe. So, when Chitravarna's army advanced on the fortress, a great battle ensued at all the gates. When Hiranyagarbha's troops were thus engaged, Meghavarna and his crows threw lighted brands on every house inside the fort and there were cries of. Fire' 'Fire' The fortress is captured.' In panic, most of the water birds left the fortress and entered the waters of the moat. Hiranyagarbha and his General Sarasa were sur- rounded by General Cock of Chitravarna. General Cock inflicted terrible injuries on Hiranyagarbha with his spurs. When Sarasa went to protect him, Hiranyagarbha told him "Leave me to my fate. Crown my son, Chudamani, king.'' Sarasa said, "The enemy can get at your majesty only over my body."He pushed Hiranyagarbha into the moat despite General Cock's attempt to prevent it. General Sarasa attacked General Cock fiercely and killed him, but was himself killed by a mass attack by the land birds. Then Chitravarna entered the fort amidst great shouts of "'Victory' 'Victory' The war has ended victoriously."

PEACE

Hiranyagarbha asked his followers, "Who threw the fire-brands at the houses in our fort ? Was it one of the enemy or an inhabitant of our fort employed by the enemy ?"''Sire", said Sarvajna, "Your disinterested friend Meghavarna the crow and his attendants are no longer to be seen here. I think that they did the mis- chief."The king said, "It is our destiny, our misfortune."' "Why blame destiny ? People who will not listen to good advice sustain misfortunes like the tortoise Kambugriva who disregarded the advice of his two geese friends, Sankata and Vikata", said Sarvajna. An emissary came then and told Hiranyagarbha and Sarvajna that Chitravarna had proposed to make Meghavarna King of Karpura for his services in capturing the fortress but that Duradarsin had advised him not to do so but give him gold and robes as a mean and treacherous fellow like Meghavarna should never be put in the position of the great as the meanness would persist as in the story of the Mouse and the Hermit*^, Chitravarna had said, "If I make him the king of Karpura, be will be daily sending me the famous Kashmir shawls and fabrics, saffron and fruits-"Do not build castles in the air like Devasarma", Duradarsin cautioned him. 

Chitravarna asked Duradarsin to advise him as to what he should do. Duradarsin asked him to make peace with Hiranyagarbha and go back to the Vindhyas. "If we linger here till the rainy season, we shall have another battle with the enemy and we shall fare very badly. We have captured the fort and acquired fame. Why take the chance of losing all that? In a battle between forces of equal strength, sometimes both perish as in the story of "The Two Demon". So we should seek peace with an equal like Hiranyagarbha."

Chitravarna, flushed with victory, was at first averse to concluding a lasting peace and alliance with Hiranyagarbha. So Sarvajna sent the junior General Sarasa, who had succeeded his deceased father as commander-in-chief, to Jambudvipa to spread disaffection there and to Simhaladvipa to provoke an invasion of Jambudvipa. Duradarsin asked Chitravarna to consult Meghavarna. Meghavarna too advised peace and alliance with Hiranyagarbha. "The king is a high minded soul and the minister an able and noble person. Both will make worthy allies.'* Chitravarna asked, ' Then how did you deceive the king and minister?' 'Sire'', said Meghavarna. "What credit is there in deceiving the noble ones who trust you, any more than in killing one who trusts you and sleeps on your lap ? A noble soul who takes a rascal for a good man judging him by his own nature may be deceived like the brahmin in the story who was induced by rogues into believing a goat to be a dog'. Rogues may also trap the good as the crow, tiger and jackal did the camel.*' But all this does not disprove my point. "Meghavarna !'' said the king, "How did you manage to live among them and serve them so long ?""I had to do so to achieve my object even as Mandavisarpa in the story' had to do. My lord, I advise you to conclude an alliance with Hiranyagarbha". Sarvajna nodded assent. Chitravarna said, "Let Hiranyagarbha, who has been defeated by me, at best pay tribute to me and act under my orders, as a vassal, Else, let us make war on him again."

Just then the parrot came from Jambudvipa and told him, "A king in Simhaladvipa, a Sarasa, has invaded Jambudvipa."Duradarsin exclaimed "Well done, Sarvajna!". "I shall soon go to the Vindhyas and tout Sarasa and his men", said Chitravarna. "Sire, no use getting angry", said Sarvajna. 'Ill considered action leads to sorrows as in the case of the Brahmin and the mongoose'" Chitravarna was convinced. He then asked Duradarsin to arrange for an honourable peace as suggested by him. Duradarsin then went to Hiranyagarbha with peace pourparlers. The crane spy announced his visit. Hiranyagarbha said to Sarvajna "This is again a trap as in the case of Meghavarna "No", said Sarvajna, "This is different. Duradarsin is an able and honest and noble soul. Do not go by past bad experience. Let us receive him honorably with a gift of jewels."That was done. Duradarsin said to Sarvajna, "Let us make a golden peace between our two kings and countries. Truth and peace based on truth are worth a thousand horse sacrifices."Sarvajna agreed with a joyful heart. A golden peace was accordingly concluded, and Chitravarna and Duradarsin return- ed to the Vindhyas and ruled in peace over a prosperous Jambudvipa. Hiranyagarbha and Sarvajna ruled over a peaceful and prosperous Karpura. Meghavarna ruled over a peaceful and prosperous Simhaladvipa.