Stories from Panchatantra

 On 17th October, 2001, India Post issued four SE tenant stamps featuring four stories from Panchatantra.

Following are the stories depicted on the stamps: 

• The Lion and the Rabbit
• The Monkey and The Crocodile
• The Tortoise and The Geese
• The Crows and The Snake

Panchatantra is a collection of stories compiled by Pandit Vishnusharma to teach dim-witted sons of king Amarshakti and make him well-learned in six months.

The stories are grouped in to five (pancha) different strategies (tantra).

• Mitra-bheda: The Separation of Friends. It contains 34 stories starting with the story of how two jackals break the friendship between Lion King and it’s friend, bull.
• Mitra-lābha or Mitra-samprāpti: The Gaining of Friends. It contains 10 stories starting with the story of four friends; a crow, a rat, a deer and a turtle, and how they help each other in the time of calamity.
• Kakolukia: Of crows and owls. It contains 18 stories, starting with the story about the enmity between crow and owl and teaches to never believe a friend who was your enemy at some point of time.
• Labdha Pranasam: Loss Of Gains. It contains 10 stories, starting with the story of how a crocodile loses benefits from a monkey because of its foolishness.
• Apariksitakarakam: Ill-considered actions. It contains 12 stories, starting with  story of a merchant and a fool guest at his house and how the hasty deeds of the guest later on leads to death of some monks.

The oldest surviving written texts of Panchatantra are from 200 BCE. Since the stories were orally passed, the stories are believed to be much older.

The stories have been translated in to multiple languages across the world as well as presented as animated cartoon series.

Related themes: Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm stamps.