PT5-04-PoemSoldForGold
Panchatantra Stories  
பஞ்சதந்திரம் pañca-tantiram , n. pañcan +. The Tamil version of Pañca-tantra consisting of five books, viz., mittira-pētam, cukirl- lāpam, canti-vikkirakam, artta-nācam, acampirēṭciya-kārittuvam; மித்திரபேதம், சுகிர்ல்லாபம், சந்திவிக்கிரகம், அர்த்தநாசம், அசம்பிரேட்சியகாரித்து வம் என ஐம்பகுதியுடையதாய்த் தமிழில் மொழிபெயர்க் கப்பட்ட நூல்.
1. மித்திரபேதம் = mittira-pētam = Sowing discord among friends.
2. சுகிர்ல்லாபம் = cukir-l-lāpam = the acquisition of friends.
3. சந்திவிக்கிரகம் canti-vikkirakam  = Associating with a foe with a view to ruin him.
4. அர்த்தநாசம் artta-nācam  = Loss of wealth.
5. அசம்பிரேட்சியகாரித்துவம் a-campirēṭciya-kārittuvam , n. a-sam-prēkṣya-kāri-tva. Action without forethought.
Inspiration: N.Natchiyappan 
1. A Vedhiyan (Exponent of Vedas) in the town had a son, was always angry with his son and never spoke to him kindly with a pleasant face. The son with the dejection, addressed his mother saying, "Father has been always harsh on me. I will go abroad and make a living." As he walked out of the house, his anger mounted to a level of passion, that he thought he could calm down after killing his father. He picked a huge rock, entered the house surreptitiously and hid himself in the loft above his father’s head.
2. The Vedhiyan came home in the evening. Finishing his evening meals, he came and sat on his bed with his wife accompanying him.
3. The father addressed his wife. "Endi! Where is our son?"   Endi = What woman = Endearing and condescending cordiality to a wife, daughter, maid...
The wife: With tears running down her face, she said, "Ennanga, why do you get angry with a grown son? Does he not study the four Vedas? He is our brilliant son to whom you show anger. He went away to a foreign country out of frustration and anger. I have no idea what hardships he will face?"   Ennanga = What sir =  Endearing, respectful addressing of a husband.
4. The father: "Adiyē! You cry out of ignorance. Don’t I know our son? If I praise him, will he not become arrogant and self-important? Because of that, I offered him advice to sharpen and enhance his Buddhi."
5. The son listened to his father, jumped off the loft, and fell at his father’s feet.  Adiyē = Addressing a wife in a condescending and loving manner.
6. The son spoke to his father about his plan to kill him and requested him to order him to expiate his sin.
7. The father: "Son, Go and stay in your father-in-law’s house for a few days. The sin will vanish."
8. The Vedhiyan’s son went to his father-in-law’s house. The Vedhiyars in the house invited him eagerly and extended their hospitality with sweets, milk, ghee, and sweet porridge. They showered him with gifts and cheered him. He ate well and was happy.
9. Everyday, he composed poems on ethical issues and kept them under his pillow.
10. The initial hospitality faded, and the in-law crowd levelled words of hatred to him. They asked his wife to give him some advice.
11. The wife said to them, "What am I to say to him?"
They said, "If you keep eating like this (free-loader), where is the money to spend further?"
The wife went to the husband and narrated to him what they said.
Immediately the Vedhiyan pulled out one of his many compositions (poems) written on a scrap paper, gave it to her and said, "Here, take it, sell it and get money. This poem’s worth is a thousand gold coins."
12. His wife took the scrap of poetry, gave it to her brother and asked to sell it for a thousand gold coins as claimed by her husband. Her brother read the poem, thought it was worth more than a thousand gold coins and went to town to sell it.
13. He showed the scrap poetry to people and asked for a thousand gold coins. People read the poetry, called him a lunatic and left.
14. He came across a young man in front of a merchant’s house.
15. The young man was the son of a prosperous overseas merchant. Once when the young man was a child, the father told him before departure overseas, to buy ancient and rare objects with even a thousand Kazhinju,(gold coins).
16. The father’s ship lost its way because of storm and reached a different island. He stayed there for a long time and did not return home.
17. When the young man recalled his father’s advice from his childhood, he bought that sheet of musical poetry for a thousand gold pieces. He brought the sheet and hung it over his bed with a silk string.
18. The merchant stranded on the island earned plenteous money and returned home after ten years. He boarded a boat and reached the shore and desired to see his old house. During the night, he entered his house, reached the bedroom and found a young man sleeping with his wife. It did not enter his mind it was his son sleeping on the bed. He thought his wife was sleeping with a young man in his absence and drew his sword to kill them. Then he saw a sheet of paper hanging over the bed attached to a silk string. He read the entry on the sheet in the early morning glow.
19. "Those who act without deliberation will face destruction unnecessarily, will face destruction unnecessarily!
Those who act after deliberation will accumulate wealth and find happiness."
After reading it and willing to  inquire  before conclusion, he sheathed his sword and retuned back to the shore.
20. After dawn broke, he came to the house. His wife, seeing him after many years, fell at his feet, got up and invited him home. His son also fell at his feet and paid homage. The merchant looking at his wife enquired who that man was.
21. Wife: "Don’t you recognize? Our son! When you left, he was a child and now he is all grown up.
22. Immediately, he embraced his dear son. He narrated his mindless eventful interlude the night before and his son survived because of the good poetry on the sheet. The father asked him how and where he got the sheet of paper with the poem.
23. When you went abroad, you advised me at my tender age, "You must buy any rare object though it costs a thousand gold coins. That precept left a deep impression on my mind. Therefore, I bought that scrap of poetry for a thousand gold coins.
24. The merchant said, "Son! You did a great job. That scrap saved you." And he embraced his son. They lived long with love and happiness.