Panchatantra- fables

Why are the Panchatantra fables famous?

                                                               

The Panchatantra is the oldest collection of fables in India .The Panchatantra fables were written around 200 B.C., by the scholar Vishnu Sharma. There is a fable behind the origin of the Panchatantra. King Amarasakthi the ruler of a small kingdom in South India, who wanted his sons to be well- versed in politics and diplomacy asked Vishnu Sharma to educate his children. The children were not interested in learning and Vishnu Sharma realized that it will not be easy to teach the children through conventional methods. He then thought of employing creative methods to teach the children. He came up with the idea of writing allegorical stories with a didactic purpose. These short stories that contained a lesson made the children learn with keen interest. The Panchatantra or the collection of five books is also known as ‘Nitishastra’. ‘Nitishastra’ literally means a treatise or a book of wise conduct in life. The fables of Vishnu Sharma are famous due to its moral and philosophical themes that hold good even today. The Panchatantra fables are enchanting not only because of its themes but it is an entertaining work by itself thence engraved in the minds of its readers regardless of age.

Written by.,
Aishwarya Barathi
II B.A English.,
Kg Cas.,
Coimbatore.