Translation
Panchatantraपञ्चतन्त्रम्
By Anonymous (traditionally attributed to Viṣṇuśarman). Translated by Arthur W. Ryder, 1925. Public domain.
An ancient collection of interlinked animal fables organised into five books on the conduct of life — the loss and winning of friends, the wars and peace of kings, and the consequences of ill-considered action. Composed in Sanskrit by the 3rd century CE; travelled west through Pahlavi, Arabic, and European translations to become a major source for European fable tradition (Aesop, Reineke Fuchs). Ryder's 1925 translation entered the public domain on 2021-01-01.
Chapters
Chapter 101
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Wedge-Pulling Monkey
Chapter 102
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Jackal and the War-Drum
Chapter 103
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — Merchant Strong-Tooth
Chapter 104
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — Godly and June
Chapter 105
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Jackal At the Ram-Fight
Chapter 106
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Heron that Liked Crab-Meat
Chapter 107
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — Numskull and the Rabbit
Chapter 108
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Weaver who Loved a Princess
Chapter 109
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Ungrateful Man
Chapter 110
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — Leap and Creep
Chapter 111
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Blue Jackal
Chapter 112
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — Passion and the Owl
Chapter 113
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Lion and the Carpenter
Chapter 114
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Plover who Fought the Ocean
Chapter 115
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — Sparrow
Chapter 116
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Shrewd Old Gander
Chapter 117
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Lion and the Ram
Chapter 118
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Monk who Left His Body Behind
Chapter 119
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Girl who Married a Snake
Chapter 120
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — Poor Blossom
Chapter 121
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Unteachable Monkey
Chapter 122
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — Right-Mind and Wrong-Mind
Chapter 123
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — A Remedy Worse Than the Disease
Chapter 124
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Mice that Ate Iron
Chapter 125
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Results of Education
Chapter 126
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Sensible Enemy
Chapter 127
Book I (The Loss of Friends) — The Foolish Friend
Chapter 201
Book II (The Winning of Friends) — The Bharunda Birds
Chapter 202
Book II (The Winning of Friends) — Self-Defeating Forethought
Chapter 203
Book II (The Winning of Friends) — Mister Duly
Chapter 204
Book II (The Winning of Friends) — Hang-Ball and Greedy
Chapter 205
Book II (The Winning of Friends) — The Mice that Set Elephants Free
Chapter 301
Book III (Crows and Owls) — How the Birds Picked a King
Chapter 302
Book III (Crows and Owls) — How the Rabbit Fooled the Elephant
Chapter 303
Book III (Crows and Owls) — The Snake and the Ants
Chapter 304
Book III (Crows and Owls) — The Snake who Paid Cash
Chapter 305
Book III (Crows and Owls) — The Unsocial Swans
Chapter 306
Book III (Crows and Owls) — The Self-Sacrificing Dove
Chapter 307
Book III (Crows and Owls) — The Old Man with the Young Wife
Chapter 308
Book III (Crows and Owls) — The Gullible Carpenter
Chapter 309
Book III (Crows and Owls) — Mouse-Maid Made Mouse
Chapter 310
Book III (Crows and Owls) — The Bird with Golden Dung
Chapter 311
Book III (Crows and Owls) — The Cave that Talked
Chapter 312
Book III (Crows and Owls) — The Frogs that Rode Snakeback
Chapter 313
Book III (Crows and Owls) — The Butter-Blinded Brahman
Chapter 401
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — The Monkey and the Crocodile
Chapter 402
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — Handsome and Theodore
Chapter 403
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — Flop-Ear and Dusty
Chapter 404
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — The Potter Militant
Chapter 405
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — The Jackal who Killed No Elephants
Chapter 406
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — The Ungrateful Wife
Chapter 407
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — King Joy and Secretary Splendor
Chapter 408
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — The Ass in the Tiger-Skin
Chapter 409
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — The Pert Hen-Sparrow
Chapter 410
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — How Supersmart Ate the Elephant
Chapter 411
Book IV (Loss of Gains) — The Dog who Went Abroad
Chapter 501
Book V (Ill-Considered Action) — The Loyal Mungoose
Chapter 502
Book V (Ill-Considered Action) — The Four Treasure-Seekers
Chapter 503
Book V (Ill-Considered Action) — The Lion-Makers
Chapter 504
Book V (Ill-Considered Action) — The Musical Donkey
Chapter 505
Book V (Ill-Considered Action) — The Unforgiving Monkey
Chapter 506
Book V (Ill-Considered Action) — The Credulous Fiend
Chapter 507
Book V (Ill-Considered Action) — The Three-Breasted Princess
Chapter 508
Book V (Ill-Considered Action) — The Fiend who Washed His Feet