What is Panchatantra?

When I was growing up, I used to read Panchatantra stories from Amar Chitra Katha books. And I was told many stories from the Panchatantra by my grandmother and my mother. All this time, I thought Panchatantra was just a bunch of moral stories for kids. But I was very wrong.

First, Panchatantra is not for children. It was written for young princes to help them become wise rulers. We will see why this is true very soon. So, it also has many lessons for people working today.

Second, Panchatantra is not just about teaching good behavior. It teaches how to be smart in the real world. Sometimes it even talks about things that may not seem fair or right. It tells us that the world is not always fair. It doesn’t just talk about being talented, but also shows how luck plays a big role in success.

Third, Panchatantra is not just full of stories. Only about one-third of it is stories. The rest is made up of poems and short verses that teach us important lessons about life and how to do well in the world of money and work.

For you to get most out of this series, you need to first understand what Panchatantra is. Panchatantra is an ancient Indian book written in Sanskrit. It is part of a group of books called Nitisastra. ‘Niti’ means the things that help us live well in the real world. Panchatantra talks about many topics that help us do better in life.

It also belongs to Arthasastra. ‘Artha’ means money or wealth. So, Panchatantra gives us smart lessons on how to live and do well in the world of money and business.

We don’t know exactly who wrote Panchatantra. But the book says it was made by someone named Vishnusharma. Now, there’s another famous name – Vishnugupta – who is also known as Chanakya. Is Vishnusharma the same person as Vishnugupta? Or is it just a name Chanakya used?

We’re not sure. But some of the ideas in Panchatantra are like what Chanakya wrote in Arthasastra. So, reading Panchatantra is almost like getting taught by Chanakya – but in a fun and story-filled way!

Is Panchatantra relevant today?
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