![]() The Jataka tales were written in 300 B.C, for mankind to gain knowledge and ethics. The luminous fables of 'Jataka' are intended to convey values of self-sacrifice, morality, honesty and other informative values to people. Jataka stories symbolise previous incarnations of Lord Buddha, at times like an animal, a bird and sometimes like a human being, the future Siddhartha Gautama. The setting of the stories is made in or near Benaras (Varanasi), which is a holy city in north central India. Each story in the Jataka tales comes with a moral, for example, the story of the golden swan instructs that greed brings nothing and people should be content with what they have. The Talkative tortoise is another interesting story from the Jataka tales which preaches against the pitfalls of talking too much. The tale of the Penny Wise monkey explains the importance to value things that one have. Other stories from the album of Jataka Tales are Cunning Wolf, Wind and Moon and Power of a Rumour. ![]() The Panchatantra is a legendary anthology of Indian short stories. It was composed in the 2nd century B.C, and is believed to be written by Vishnu Sharma along with many other scholars. The idea behind the work was to instill moral values among the readers. The grand assortment has extraordinary tales that are liked and loved by people of every age group. The Panchatantra is the best guide to implant moral values in children since its each tale has a moral lesson in its end. The etymology of the word 'Panchatantra' is an amalgamation of two words, 'Pancha' (five) and 'Tantra' (principle). So, the five principles or practices demonstrated by Panchatantra are 'Mitra Bhedha' (Loss of Friends), 'Mitra Laabha' (Gaining Friends), 'Suhrudbheda' (Causing conflict between Friends), 'Vigraha' (Separation) and 'Sandhi' (Union). The stories of Panchatantra are quite interesting. The story of the Blue Jackal depicts that the one who abandons one's own folk would perish. Monkey and the Crocodile, Hunter and Doves, Heron and the Crab and the Foolish Lion Clever Rabbits are some of the popular stories from the album of Panchatantra. Numerous written compilations of Indian folk tales have been in existence for more than a thousand years. Apart from the Jataka tales, Hitopadesha and Panchatantra there are also several stories which are very popular in India. Stories of Tenali Raman and Birbal are quite fascinating. Kathasaritsagara is another famous 11th century collection of Indian legends, fairy tales and folk tales. |