Introduction

Panchtantra Stories

The Panchatantra is a series of inter-woven colourful tales, mostly fables. According to its introductory narration, these inter-woven tales are meant to illustrate, for the benefit of three ignorant princes, the primary Hindu principles of nïti - "the wise conduct of life" or "prudent worldly conduct". In a brief introductory narrative - Vishnu Sharma, is introduced as reciting and explaining the rest of the work to the three young princes. The book is then divided into five parts - each of which revolves around a main frame story, with several stories "emboxed" in it, sometimes three or four levels deep, as one character narrating a story to another. Often, these emboxed stories snap from each other, unexpectedly and irregularly at times, to sustain attention. Apart from the stories, the characters are noted to quote various epigrammatic verses to illustrate their objectives.