Page 3 - Viṣṇu Śarmā

Viṣṇu Śarmā

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विष्ण शर्मा

Compiled in Sanskrit and Pali languages, the

Pañcatantra comprises five parts (tantras) that cover five

principles or strategic themes one needs to keep in view

for intelligent living. They are Mitrabheda (The Loss of

Friends), Mitrasamprapti (The Winning of Friends),

Sandhi (Peace & War), Vigraham (Loss of Gains) and

Apareekshitkarakam (Imprudence or Considered Action).

Though the exact time-period of the composition of the

Pañcatantra is still debated, most scholars place it in the

3rd century BCE.

Although the original texts of the Pañcatantra

are long lost, the compilation has survived

through the numerous commentaries and

recensions available in different languages,

most notable of these being the Hitopadesha by

Narayana Pandit (8 th century), Durgasimha's

Kannada translation (11 th century),

Purnabhadra's recension (12 th century), and

Franklin Edgerton's reconstruction of the

Sanskrit text of the original Pañcatantra (1924).