PT3-12-ShapeShiftingMouse
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.    Muni sat under a tree and did Dhyana. A hawk Lew by with a mouse in its beak. The mouse somehow wriggled itself out of the beak and fell on the hands of a Muni's hand. 

 

2.      Muni looked at the mouse intently after the fall of the mouse into his palms interrupted his Dhyana. Then, by the strength of his Tapas, he shapeshifted the mice into a beautiful girl child and asked his wife to raise her. The Muni's wife raised the girl into a beautiful damsel. 

 

3.      She was of the age of marriage. The Muni desired to marry her to a physically powerful man. He wondered who the strong man in this world is, and the sun appeared to fit the bill. So, by the power of his Tapas, the Muni ordered the sun to appear before him. 

 

4.      The Muni said to the sun, "Get married to this girl."

 

5.      The sun replied, "O Muni! More powerful than me is the cloud that has the power to hide me. You better get her married to the cloud." The sun left the Muni's presence.  

 

6.      The Muni called the cloud. 

 

7.      The cloud replied, "Dear Muni, the Wind is more robust than me because it scatters me into bits. The Wind is the fit candidate to marry your girl. The Wind left the premises. 

 

8.      The Muni called Wind to marry her girl. 

 

9.      Wind: "The Mountain is stronger than me because it has the power to stop me. The Wind is the fit candidate to marry your girl. "He left through the open front door. 

 

10.       The Muni called the kingly Mountain and asked him to marry his daughter. 

 

11.       The Mountain: "I am not the strongest of the earth elements. The mouse burrows into me. The Mouse King is the fit one to marry your daughter."  

 

12.       The Muni called the Mouse king. 

 

13.       The Mouse king did not refuse to marry Muni's daughter. 

 

14.       The Mouse King: "Dear Muni! If your daughter comes to my hole, I will marry her."

 

15.       How could a girl go to a mouse hole? The Muni shapeshifted the girl back into a mouse and sent her to a mouse hole. 

 

16.       The mouse that became a girl was back again a mouse. 

 

17.       The mouse king married him and lived happily with her. 

 

18.       No one can rise to a higher station in life by artificial means.