What
are the Panchatantra Stories?
The Panchatantra stories are fables based
mostly on animals which always end with a moral. The animals portray a
constant character, e.g. the lion is always strong, the fox is always
cunning etc. These stories illuminating the qualities of human nature, are as relevant today in the space age, as they were, when
they were first written and form a wonderful part of
the Indian heritage.
The Panchatantra, published in Sanskrit dating probably from the 4th
century AD, in India, are perhaps the oldest of the children's stories
ever written. They were originally intended to instruct a young prince in conduct,
that would ensure his worldly success.
The
Panchatantra stories were written by Pandit Vishnu Sharma.
The
Panchatantra is a 'niti shastra' or textbook of 'niti' - 'wise conduct of
life'. The original stories were written in prose. It begins by
saying that the King Amarshakti of Mahilaropya in South India had
four mischievous sons, who were badly in need of being disciplined. The
king put them in charge of Pandit Vishnu Sharma, who taught them all about
politics, administration and morals through a series of stories or fables.
These stories are an easy way to disperse wisdom to the little ones, using animals and short interesting stories. Nowadays kids don't want to listen to the usual " You should not do this because it's
not good for you" routine from the parents.
It is said that an ounce of sense contained in the Panchatantra is better than a ton of books. The word, 'Panchatantra' means, the 'Five Books'. The tales, primarily about animals, are organized into five books on such topics as winning friends, losing property and waging war.
The
Panchatantra is broken up into 5 volumes which are:
1. Differences Between Friends
2. Union With Friends
3. Friendship Of Former Enemy Is Untrustworthy
4. Unwavering Intelligence Even During Emergencies
5. Accomplishment Of Ones Task Using Discriminative Intelligence
Kids rarely forget these fun and interesting stories. They are a great way to bond with your kids......handing them down a part of history and wisdom!
This is an Audio
read-along book for children. Children can sing along with the jungle
music. Several songs are presented in a world music format, concluding
with a key "take home message". One full color soft bound
22-page book, one 22-minute audio tape, lyrics to the songs, and a special
learning insert. Narrated by Saeed Jaffrey.
