PT1-16-RatAteIronBeam
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: Inspiration: N.Natchiyappan

1.    Two Chettys were friends for a long time in a town. One of them went abroad, leaving a steel beam in the custody of the other Chetty.  

 

2.  Upon return from abroad, the home Chetty said that the rat ate all the iron beam. Accepting the loss, he resumed his friendship as before. 

 

3.  Once, the foreign-returned Chetty went to his friend’s house for a feast. He applied oil all over his body and used oil on his friend’s child. As customary, they all went to a lake for bathing. (This is called oil-bath.) He hid his friend’s child in a place and returned to the home of his friend without his child. 

 

4.      The hosting Chetty asked his friend where his child was. The guest Chetty told him that a kite snatched the kid and flew away with the child. The hosting Chetty became angry and said, ‘’Is it possible a kite can take away a child?’’ The fight escalated to a fistfight. The witnessing guests took both to the city judge. 

 

5.      The judge: Looking at the guest Chetty, the judge asked, “Is it a joke? How could a kite fly asway with a child?”

 

6.      The Guest Chetty: ‘’While a rat can eat a steel beam leaving nothing, what is the wonderment if a kite flew away with a child?’’

 

7.     The judge: “Where did this happen?”

 

8.    The guest Chetty narrated the story of the Rat and the Beam to the judge. 

 

9.      The judge: “What you say appears right. Looking at the hosting Chetty, the judge said, ‘If you return the steel beam to your friend, the guest Chetty will return the child to you. 

 

10.                         Both accepted the verdict and returned home. 

 

11.                         The cost of the steel beam went up since he sold it earlier. To buy back the steel beam, the hosting Chetty had to sell his house and other valuables to buy back the steel beam. That wiped him out, resulting in poverty.

 

12.                        Deceit never pays, and the deceiver never thrives in life.