The Wise Hare(Rabbit) and the Foolish Lion - Panchatantra Stories

In a jungle, there lived a powerful lion named Bhasuraka. He hunted many animals like deer, boars, rabbits, and bisons. But he wasn't happy with his kills. The animals came together and asked Bhasuraka why he killed so many when he only needed one meal. They proposed sending one animal each day to save their lives and make things easier for him.

They explained that a good king should protect his subjects and not harm them. Bhasuraka agreed with a condition: if they failed to send an animal, he would kill them all. The animals agreed, and the arrangement began. Each day, one animal would go to Bhasuraka to be his meal.

One day, it was the hare's turn. On his way, the hare saw his reflection in a well and got an idea. He reached Bhasuraka's den and told him that a big lion claimed the jungle and challenged Bhasuraka to a contest for the king's position. The hare suggested they go see this lion.

Bhasuraka agreed and followed the hare to the well. The hare told him that the big lion was inside the well. Bhasuraka, mistaking his reflection for the big lion, jumped into the well and drowned.

With the foolish lion gone, the animals were free and lived happily. The clever hare had saved them all.

Damanaka, a jackal, wanted to use his skills to create conflict between two other animals, Pingalaka and Sanjeevaka, to protect himself. He warned Pingalaka about Sanjeevaka's plans to harm him and advised Pingalaka to be cautious.

One day, Damanaka visited Pingalaka and shared this information. Pingalaka was surprised because Sanjeevaka was his friend. Damanaka reminded Pingalaka that friendships can change and that it's wise not to trust blindly. He suggested that because Pingalaka was carnivorous and Sanjeevaka was vegetarian, they might not stay loyal to each other.

Damanaka advised Pingalaka to reconsider his friendship with Sanjeevaka and not to trust him completely. He told Pingalaka the story of a flea that suffered due to the actions of a bug, emphasizing the importance of being cautious.

Pingalaka was curious about the flea story, and Damanaka began to tell it.

Moral of the Story
The moral of the story is that wisdom and cleverness are more powerful than brute strength.