Read the previous part here… Elephants kill with a mere touch. Snakes kill just by smelling their prey. A king sentences a man to death while laughing, and a wicked person kills even as he pretends to respect you. “And so, we have to think how to save ourselves…” One of the rabbits replied “I …
Read the previous part here… “This is so funny! Of all the peacocks, swans, cuckoos, parrots, pigeons, ducks and cranes of this world – you chose an ugly owl?” He laughed louder. “This owl will be blind during the day, when you are all awake, and the only one awake at night, when you are …
Read the previous part here… MeghaVarna thought for a while, and then said “Oh revered Sthirajeevin, I understand what you have said. But I have a question – how did this enmity arise in the first place? Why are crows and owls such bitter enemies, that they are ready to kill each other?” Sthirajeevin sat …
Read the previous part here… Sthirajeevin looked at MeghaVarna and smiled. “My son, your ministers are capable, and have given you the proper advice – such advice is useful provided the circumstances are such. However, the current situation is very different. We cannot take this lightly – our very existence is at stake. “ “And …
Read the previous part here… “My king, निज-स्थान-स्थितो ऽप्य् एकः शतं योद्धुं सहेन् नरः शक्तानाम् अपि शत्रूणां – a warrior, if he is at his secure fort, can face hundreds of enemies and defeat them as well, and so you should not leave this fort at any cost. Strengthen the fort, store all food and necessities, …
Read the previous part here… Anujeevin replied “My dear king, our enemy is very strong, and very wicked. He is also untruthful and uncultured. Seeking peace, or waging a war – both will be wrong courses of action. In my opinion, we should go into hiding.” It is said that when the enemy is strong, …
Read the previous part here… “My dear king”, said Sanjeevin, “I don’t think that seeking an alliance with a stronger enemy is a good idea.” “And why do you say that?”, asked MeghaVarna. Sanjeevin replied… It is said… शत्रुणा न हि सन्दध्यात् सुश्लिष्टेनापि सन्धिना ।सुतप्तम् अपि पानीयं शमयत्य् एव पावकम् ॥ २३ ॥ śatruṇā na …
That owl has always won when fighting us, and hence fighting him again is futile. We should seek an alliance with him… It is said… अनेक-युद्ध-विजयी सन्धानं यस्य गच्छति ।तत्-प्रभावेण तस्याशु वशं गच्छन्त्य् अरातयः ॥ १० ॥ aneka-yuddha-vijayī sandhānaṃ yasya gacchati |tat-prabhāveṇa tasyāśu vaśaṃ gacchanty arātayaḥ || 10 || If a king has an alliance with a …
“According to Manusmiriti, there are six policies of dealing with such an issue – Sandhi (peace treaty), Vigraha (war), Yaana (preparation for war), Asana (neutrality), Samsraya (forming alliances) and Dvaidhibhava (double-dealing or pretending to be friendly). So please discuss among yourselves and let us reach a consensus on how we are going to tackle this …
न विश्वसेत् पूर्व-विरोधितस्य शत्रोश् च मित्रत्वम् उपागतस्य ।दग्धां गुहां पश्य उलूक-पूर्णां काक-प्रणीतेन हुताशनेन ॥ १ ॥ na viśvaset pūrva-virodhitasya śatroś ca mitratvam upāgatasya |dagdhāṃ guhāṃ paśya ulūka-pūrṇāṃ kāka-praṇītena hutāśanena || 1 || One should not trust a person who has been an enemy before, but now offers the hand of friendship. Look at the cave, that was …
