To tackle a mouse…

Read the previous part here… One day TaamraChooda decided to catch me and beat me up. He bought an old bamboo stick, and kept hitting the bowl throughout the night, as he lay half-awake. I was frightened – I didn’t want the stick to hit me, and so stayed away from the bowl. He spent …

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And then there were three…

Read the previous part here… LaghuPatanaka set Hiranyaka down at the side of the lake, climbed onto a branch, and yelled out “Hey Mantharaka! Look, it’s your old friend LaghuPatanaka the crow! I have been longing to see you! Come, come fast and hug me!” It is said that fragrant sandal paste, the coolness of …

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Meeting new friends…

Read the previous part here… And so Hiranyaka and LaghuPatanaka become as inseparable as the nail and the finger. Forget not stepping out of his fortress, Hiranyaka now started to sit close to LaghuPatanaka, shielded from the sun under his wings, discussing matters of the world. One day, LaghuPatanaka approached Hiranyaka with tears in his …

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The beauty of friendship…

Read the previous part here… Hearing Hiranyaka’s arguments, Laghpatanaka was at a loss of words. He didn’t know how to give an answer to these clever responses, and instead thought to himself “Amazing! Hiranyaka is so learned, and so well-versed in the strategic and administrative sciences! Its no wonder that I thought of becoming his …

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Developing a friendship…

Read the previous part here… And so, to make friends with me, at least come out once and meet me. I feel what I ask is fair”, said LaghuPatanaka. Hiranyaka said “I have to be careful. If I think that no one will harm me just because I am good at heart or talented, then …

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Convincing new friends…

Read the previous part here… And having thought this, LaghuPatanaka climbed down from the tree and stood near the entrance of the fortress where Hiranyaka lived. He imitated ChitraGreeva and called out “Hiranyaka, come out, come out fast!” Hearing this, Hiranyaka thought to himself “Is there any other pigeon that was not freed the first …

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Making new friends…

Read the previous part here… “And this is why, as a consequence of my greed, we all got caught in this web. I need your help. Please free us!” Hearing him speak, Hiranyaka said… अर्धार्धाद् योजन-शताद् आमिषं वीक्षते खगः ।सो ऽपि पार्श्व-स्थितं दैवाद् बन्धनं न च पश्यति ॥ २० ॥ ardhārdhād yojana-śatād āmiṣaṃ vīkṣate khagaḥ |so …

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Meeting old friends…

Read the previous part here… The Sun is red at the time of rising, and red at the time of setting too. Likewise, great men remain alike in both good times and bad times. And so, here is what we will do… Let us all rise up in the sky together, along with net which …

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The pigeons and the hunter…

असाधना अपि प्राज्ञा बुद्धिमनोत् बहु-श्रुताः ।साधयन्त्य् आशु कार्याणि काकाखु-मृग-कूर्मवत् ॥ १ ॥ asādhanā api prājñā buddhimanot bahu-śrutāḥ |sādhayanty āśu kāryāṇi kākākhu-mṛga-kūrmavat || 1 || The wise and the intelligent can accomplish their goals even in the absence of guidance, much like the crow, the mouse the deer and the tortoise who got together and were able to …

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