Story of jackal and tiger

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
kathaṁ sāntvena dānena bhedairdaṇḍena vā punaḥ
amitraḥ śakyate hantuṁ tanme brūhi yathātatham

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Tell me in detail, how can a foe be desroyed by the arts of conciliation, or expenditure of money or by producing disunion or by employment of force.

kaṇika uvāca
śṛṇu rājan yathāvṛttaṁ vane nivasataḥ purā
jambukasya mahārāja nītiśāstrārthadarśinaḥ

Kaṇika said: O king! Hear what happened in the days of yore. O great king! There dwell in the forest a jackal, well acquainted with the science of politics.

atha kaścit kṛtaprajñaḥ śṛgālaḥ svarthapaṇḍitaḥ
sakhibhirnyavasat sārdhaṁ vyāghrākhuvṛkababhrubhiḥ
te ̍ paśyan vipine tasmin balinaṁ mṛgayūthapam
aśaktā grahaṇe tasya tato mantramamantrayan

Jackal was wise and mindful of his own interest. He lived in the company of 4 friends, namely tiger, wolf, mouse and mongoose. They saw in the woods a strong deer, the leader of his heard, whom however they could not seize for his fleetness and strength. Thereupon they held a consultation.

jambuka uvāca
asakṛd yatito hyeṣa hantuṁ vyāghra vane tvayā
yuvā vai javasampanno buddhiśālī na śakyate
mūṣiko ̍ sya śayānasya caraṇau bhakṣayatvayam
yathainaṁ bhakṣitaiḥ pādairvyāghro gṛhaṇātu vai tataḥ
tato vai bhakṣayiṣyāmaḥ sarve muditamānasāḥ

Jackal said: O tiger! You have many attempts to seize this deer, but your efforts were in vain, for this deer is youbg, fleet and intelligent. Let mouse go and eat its feet when it is asleep. When his feet will be thus eaten, let the tiger go and size it. Then we will all eat it with delight.

jambukasya tu tad vākyaṁ tathā cakruḥ samāhitāḥ
mūṣikābhakṣitaiḥ pādairmṛgaṁ vyāghro ̍ vadhīt tadā

Hearing these words of the jackal, they carefully did what he said. Feet of the deer being eaten up by the mouse, he was killed by the tiger.

dṛṣṭvāceṣṭamānaṁ tu bhūmau mṛgakalavaram
snātvā āgacchata bhadraṁ vorakṣāmītyāha jambukaḥ

Jackal said: Blessed be you! Go and perform your ablutions. I shall look after the deer.

śṛgālavacanām te ̍ pi gatāḥ sarve nadīṁ tataḥ
sa cintāparamo bhūtvā tasthau tatraiva jambukaḥ

Hearing what Jackal said, they all went to a river. Jackal waited there, deeply meditating what he should do next.

athājagāma pūrvaṁ tu snātvā vyāghro mahābalaḥ
dadarśa jambukaṁ caiva cintākulitamānasam

Greatly strong tiger came first after his bath and saw Jackal sitting in a pensive mind.

vyāghra uvāca
kiṁ śocasi mahāprājña tvaṁ no buddhimatāṁ varaḥ
aśitvā piśitānyadya vihariṣyāmahe vayam

Tiger said: O greatly wise one! What are you pondering over? You are foremost of all intelligent persons. Let us enjoy ourselves now by feasting on this carcass.

jambuka uvāca

śṛṇu me tvaṁ mahābāho yad vākyaṁ mūṣiko ̍ bravīt
dhig balaṁ mṛgarājasya mayādyāyaṁ mṛgo hataḥ

Jackal said: O mighty armed one! Hear what mouse has said: fie on the strength of the king of beasts - tiger. Deer has been killed by me.

mahāhubalamāśritya tṛptimadya gamiṣyati
garjamānasya tasyaivamato bhakṣyaṁ na rocaye

He will gratify his hunger today by the might of my arms.
When he has thus boasted, I, for my part, do not wish to touch this food.

vyāghra uvāca
bravīti yadi sa hyevaṁ kāle hyasmin prabodhitaḥ
svabāhubalamāśritya haniṣye ̍ haṁ vanecarān
khādiṣye tatra maṁsāni ityuktvā prasthito vanam
etasminneva kāle tu mūṣiko ̍ pyājagāma ha
tamāgatamabhipretya śṛgālo ̍ pyabravavīd vacaḥ

Tiger said: If mouse has really said this, my sense is awakened. I shall from this day kill with the might of my own arms the beasts of the forest and feast on their flesh. Having said this, he went away into the forest. At this time mouse came there. Seeing him come, Jackal spoke thus to him:

jambuka uvāca
śṛṇu mūṣika bhadraṁ te nakulo yadihābravīt

Jackal said: Blessed be you! O mouse! Listen to what moongoose has said:

mṛgamāṁsaṁ na khādeyaṁ garametanna rocate
mūṣikaṁ bhakṣayiṣyāmi tad bhavānanumanyatām

He said: Flesh of this deer is poisoned by the touch of tiger. I shall not eat it. If you give me permission, I shall eat the mouse.

tacchrutvā mūṣiko vākyaṁ saṁtrastaḥ pragato bilam
tataḥ snātvā sa vai tatra ājagāma vṛko nṛpa

Having heard this, mouse became alarmed and quickly entered his hole. O king! Then after his bath came there the wolf.

tamāgatamidaṁ vākyamabravījjambukastadā
mṛgarājo hi saṁkruddho na te sādhu bhaviṣyati
ekalatrastvihāyāti kuruṣva yadanantaram
evaṁ saṁditastena jambukena tadā vṛkaḥ
tato ̍valumpanaṁ kṛtvā prayātaḥ piśitāśanaḥ
etasminneva kāle tu nakulo ̍ pyājagāma ha

On his coming, Jackal spoke to him thus: King of the beasts - tiger, has become angry with you. No good will come to you. He will be soon here with his wife. Do now as you please. Wolf, ever found of animal food, fled contracting his body into the smallest dimensions and thus he got rid of by Jackal. At this time mongoose came.

tamuvāca mahārāja nakulaṁ jambuko vane
svabāhubalamāśritya nirjitāste ̍ nyato gatāḥ
mama dattvā niyuddhaṁ tvaṁ bhuṅkṣva māṁsaṁ yathepsitam

O great king! Jackal spoke thus to mongoose in the forest. I have defeated others with the might of my arms and they have already fled away. Fight with me first and then eat this flesh as you please.

nakula uvāca
mṛgarājo vṛkaścaiva buddhimānapi mūṣikaḥ
nirjitā yat tvayā vīrāstamād vīrataro bhavān
na tvayāpyutsahe yoddhumityuktvā so ̍ pyupāgamat

Mongoose said: When king of the beasts - tiger, wolf and intelligent mouse have all been defeated by you, heroes as they are, you seem to be a greater hero than they. I do not desire therefore to fight with you. Saying this, he went away.

kaṇika uvāca
evaṁ teṣu prayāteṣu jambuko hṛṣṭamānasaḥ
khādati sma tadā māṁsamekaḥ san mantraniścayāt

Kaṇika said: When thus they all went away, jackal was much pleased in his heart for success of folicy and he alone ate the flesh of that deer.