Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 476

THE LION AND THE BULL
43(3
preying on his master, advised him to convene a general
meeting of all the Brahmins of his kingdom, in order to
ascertain whether there was not one amongst them who
would undertake the responsibility of educating the three
young princes and
them feelings more worthy
minister's advice was followed
but of all the assembled Brahmins there was only one,
instilling into
of their high birth.
The
;
named Vishnu-Sarma l who felt himself capable of accom-
plishing so difficult a task.
Vishnu-Sarma, after carefully studying the characters
and dispositions of his pupils, began the work of reforma-
tion
and in order to accomplish his task, related to them
a large number of fables, the lessons of which he took great
pains to instil into their minds.
The dramatis personae of the first of these fables are
a lion holding sway in a vast forest, a bull named Sanjivaka,
and two foxes, one called Damanaka and the other Kara-
taka, both in the service of the lion king.
The bull Sanjivaka had been accidentally lost by his
master in the lion king's forest, where he was leading
a peaceful, harmless life. Now the two foxes, as it happened,
had been disgraced and ignominiously expelled from the
court of the lion.
One day the lion was quenching his
thirst in the river Jumna, which flowed through the forest,
when suddenly, while returning to his cave, he heard
a most frightful noise like thunder, the like of which he
had never heard before. It was in fact the bellowing of
the bull Sanjivaka.
Seized with sudden fear, and believing
that an animal which was able to utter such a dreadful
noise must assuredly be vastly superior to himself, the
lion was consumed with dread lest a rival had come to
dispute his forest kingdom.
Greatly troubled in his mind,
he reflected how he might get rid of this imaginary danger.
While in this dilemma, a happy thought struck him it
was to reconcile himself with his former ministers, the
two foxes, who might possibly help him with their advice.
He therefore sent messengers to them, beseeching them to
resume their former posts in his court, and promising to
honour them in future with unbounded confidence.
Karataka and Damanaka, aware of the real reason of
,
;
:
1
In the Telugu copy he
in
called tionui Jcntna.
— Dubois.