The Panchatantra is an ancient Sanskrit collection of stories, probably first composed around 300 CE (give or take a century or two),[1] though some of its component stories may be much older. The original text is not extant, but the work has been widely revised and translated such that there exist "over 200 versions in more than 50 languages."[2] The actual content of these versions sometimes differs greatly.
The lists of stories in a few notable versions are compared below.
In addition to the stories listed below, many versions begin with a prelude in which a king bewails the stupidity of his sons, and the wise Vishnu Sharma[6] (the Panchatantra's reputed author) bets that he can teach them statecraft in a mere 6 months; the tales constitute his lesson. (Of the versions tabulated below, only Somadeva's Kathasaritsagara lacks this "master frame" — an unsurprising omission, since the Panchatantra section is placed within the "master frame" of the Kathasaritsagara itself.)
| Story | A-T | Edge[7] | Durg[8] | Soma[9] | Purn[10] | Nara[11] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The wily jackals- trouble between friends | data-sort-value="01" | I.Frame | data-sort-value="101" | I.Frame | data-sort-value="101" | 84 | data-sort-value="01" | I.Frame | data-sort-value="08" | II.1; II.3; II.7; II.9; II.10 | |
| The story of the evil King Kachadruma | data-sort-value="102" | I.1 | |||||||||
| The naughty monkey and the wedge | data-sort-value="02" | I.1 | data-sort-value="103" | I.2 | data-sort-value="102" | 84A | data-sort-value="02" | I.1 | data-sort-value="09" | II.2 | |
| The jackal and the war drum | data-sort-value="03" | I.2 | data-sort-value="105" | I.4 | data-sort-value="103" | 84B | data-sort-value="03" | I.2 | |||
| The wise minister | data-sort-value="04" | I.3 | |||||||||
| The adventures of an ascetic | data-sort-value="04" | I.3a | data-sort-value="05" | I.4a | |||||||
| The saint, his own pouch and the rogue | data-sort-value="05" | I.3a | data-sort-value="106" | I.5 | data-sort-value="06" | I.4a | |||||
| The wolf and the rams | data-sort-value="06" | I.3b | data-sort-value="107" | I.5.1 | data-sort-value="07" | I.4b | |||||
| The unfaithful wife Tantuvayika | data-sort-value="108" | I.5.2 | |||||||||
| A weaver cuts the nose of a bawd | data-sort-value="07" | I.3c | data-sort-value="08" | I.4c | data-sort-value="12" | II.6 | |||||
| The crows and the evil snake | data-sort-value="08" | I.4 | data-sort-value="109" | I.6 | data-sort-value="09" | I.5 | data-sort-value="13" | II.8; II.9 | |||
| The crab cuts off the heron's head | data-sort-value="09" | I.5 | data-sort-value="110" | I.7 | data-sort-value="104" | 84C | data-sort-value="10" | I.6 | data-sort-value="31" | IV.7 | |
| The hare that outwitted the lion | data-sort-value="10" | I.6 | data-sort-value="111" | I.8 | data-sort-value="105" | 84D | data-sort-value="11" | I.7 | data-sort-value="14" | II.9 | |
| Weaver as Vișṇu | data-sort-value="12" | I.8 | |||||||||
| The monkey who died by giving shelter to a hunter | data-sort-value="112" | I.9 | |||||||||
| The Brahmin and the ungrateful goldsmith | data-sort-value="113" | I.9.1 | data-sort-value="13" | I.9 | |||||||
| The guest | data-sort-value="11" | I.7 | data-sort-value="115" | I.11 | data-sort-value="106" | 84E | data-sort-value="14" | I.10 | |||
| The watersnakes and a cobra | data-sort-value="116" | I.11.1 | |||||||||
| The owl and the poor swan | data-sort-value="117" | I.11.2 | |||||||||
| The Blue Jackal | data-sort-value="15" | I.11 | data-sort-value="23" | III.8 | |||||||
| Goose and owl | data-sort-value="16" | I.12 | |||||||||
| The camel and the foolish offer | data-sort-value="12" | I.8 | data-sort-value="118" | I.12 | data-sort-value="107" | 84F | data-sort-value="17" | I.13 | data-sort-value="35" | IV.11 | |
| The lion and the carpenter | data-sort-value="18" | I.14 | |||||||||
| The sandpipers and the ocean | data-sort-value="13" | I.9 | data-sort-value="120" | I.14 | data-sort-value="108" | 84G | data-sort-value="19" | I.15 | data-sort-value="15" | II.10 | |
| The turtle and the geese | data-sort-value="14" | I.10 | data-sort-value="121" | I.14.1 | data-sort-value="109" | 84GG | data-sort-value="20" | I.16 | data-sort-value="27" | IV.2; IV.4 | |
| The Brahmin Devadatta, the story teller, and the ogre | data-sort-value="122" | I.14.1.1 | |||||||||
| The lady who didn't listen to her daughter-in-law | data-sort-value="123" | I.14.1.2 | |||||||||
| The tale of three fish | data-sort-value="15" | I.11 | data-sort-value="124" | I.14.2 | data-sort-value="110" | 84GGG | data-sort-value="21" | I.17 | data-sort-value="28" | IV.3; IV.4 | |
| The sparrows and the mighty elephant | data-sort-value="22" | I.18 | |||||||||
| Goose and fowler | data-sort-value="23" | I.19 | |||||||||
| The evil monster | data-sort-value="24" | I.20 | |||||||||
| Jackal outwits lion | data-sort-value="25" | I.21 | |||||||||
| King and ascetic | data-sort-value="26" | I.22 | |||||||||
| Girl who married a snake | 433[12] | data-sort-value="27" | I.23 | ||||||||
| Indra's parrot and the god of death | data-sort-value="28" | I.24 | |||||||||
| The stupid advice | data-sort-value="16" | I.12 | data-sort-value="307" | III.3 | data-sort-value="111" | 84H | data-sort-value="29" | I.25 | data-sort-value="16" | III.2 | |
| Two friends and betrayed trust | 613 | data-sort-value="17" | I.13 | data-sort-value="125" | I.15 | data-sort-value="112" | 84I | data-sort-value="30" | I.26 | ||
| The cranes, the black snake and the 'helpful' enemy | data-sort-value="18" | I.14 | data-sort-value="126" | I.15.1 | data-sort-value="113" | 84J | data-sort-value="31" | I.27 | data-sort-value="29" | IV.5 | |
| Tit for tat | 1592 | data-sort-value="19" | I.15 | data-sort-value="114" | 84K | data-sort-value="32" | I.28 | ||||
| The twins | data-sort-value="114" | I.10 | data-sort-value="33" | I.29 | |||||||
| The robber's sacrifice | data-sort-value="34" | I.30a | |||||||||
| Faithful but foolish monkey kills the king | 1586 | data-sort-value="35" | I.31b | ||||||||
| The monkeys that died due to a ram | data-sort-value="127" | I.16 | |||||||||
| (12 additional stories) | data-sort-value="115" | 85-96 | |||||||||
| The four friends and the hunter- gaining of friends | data-sort-value="20" | II.Frame | data-sort-value="501" | V.Frame | data-sort-value="201" | 97 | data-sort-value="36" | II.Frame | data-sort-value="01" | I.1; I.2; I.4; I.7; I.9 | |
| The pigeons and the fowler | data-sort-value="21" | (II.Frame) | data-sort-value="502" | V.1 | data-sort-value="37" | (II.Frame) | |||||
| The Bharunda birds | data-sort-value="38" | II.1 | |||||||||
| A wise old bird | data-sort-value="503" | V.1.1 | |||||||||
| The elephants and the mice | data-sort-value="504" | V.2 | |||||||||
| The Brahmin and the crab | data-sort-value="505" | V.3 | |||||||||
| The ascetic and the jumping mouse | data-sort-value="22" | II.1 | data-sort-value="506" | V.4 | data-sort-value="203" | 97A | data-sort-value="39" | II.2 | data-sort-value="04" | I.5; I.6 | |
| The woman who traded sesame for sesame | data-sort-value="23" | II.2 | data-sort-value="204" | 97AA | data-sort-value="40" | II.3 | |||||
| The greed of the jackal and the bowstring | data-sort-value="24" | II.3 | data-sort-value="507" | V.4.1 | data-sort-value="205" | 97AAA | data-sort-value="41" | II.4 | data-sort-value="06" | I.7 | |
| The man who got what was coming to him | data-sort-value="42" | II.5 | |||||||||
| The weaver's options: to be generous or stingy | data-sort-value="43" | II.6 | |||||||||
| The jackal waits for the bull's testicles to fall | 115 | data-sort-value="44" | II.7 | ||||||||
| The mice who rescued the elephant | data-sort-value="45" | II.8 | |||||||||
| How the deer Chitranga got caught in a trap | data-sort-value="25" | II.4 | data-sort-value="507" | V.5 | data-sort-value="46" | II.9 | |||||
| (23 additional stories) | data-sort-value="206" | 98-120 | |||||||||
| On war and peace: elect for the owl | data-sort-value="26" | III.Frame | data-sort-value="301" | III.Frame | data-sort-value="301" | 121 | data-sort-value="47" | III.Frame | data-sort-value="26" | IV.1 | |
| How owls started to hate crows | data-sort-value="302" | III.1 | |||||||||
| The owl is elected king of the birds | data-sort-value="28" | III.2 | data-sort-value="305" | III.3 | data-sort-value="303" | 121B | data-sort-value="48" | III.1 | |||
| The lake of the moon | data-sort-value="29" | III.3 | data-sort-value="304" | 121BB | data-sort-value="49" | III.2 | data-sort-value="19" | III.4 | |||
| The cunning mediator | data-sort-value="30" | III.4 | data-sort-value="303" | III.1.1 | data-sort-value="305" | 121BBB | data-sort-value="50" | III.3 | data-sort-value="03" | I.4 | |
| The ascetic and the bad world | data-sort-value="304" | III.1.1.1 | |||||||||
| How Shishupala died in the hands of Krishna | data-sort-value="306" | III.2 | |||||||||
| The Brahmin, the goat and the three crooks | data-sort-value="31" | III.5 | data-sort-value="119" | I.13 | data-sort-value="306" | 121C | data-sort-value="51" | III.4 | data-sort-value="34" | IV.10; IV.11 | |
| The king cobra and the ants | data-sort-value="52" | III.5 | |||||||||
| The cobra and the greed for the gold coins | 285D | data-sort-value="53" | III.6 | ||||||||
| The golden bird | data-sort-value="54" | III.7 | |||||||||
| The hunter and the dove's sacrifice | data-sort-value="308" | III.4 | data-sort-value="55" | III.8 | |||||||
| The old merchant and his young wife | data-sort-value="32" | III.6 | data-sort-value="307" | 121D | data-sort-value="56" | III.9 | data-sort-value="05" | I.6 | |||
| The thief, the demon, and a Brahmin | data-sort-value="33" | III.7 | data-sort-value="309" | III.5 | data-sort-value="308" | 121E | data-sort-value="57" | III.10 | |||
| The tale of two snakes | data-sort-value="58" | III.11 | |||||||||
| How the unfaithful wife tricked her foolish husband | data-sort-value="34" | III.8 | data-sort-value="309" | 121F | data-sort-value="59" | III.12 | data-sort-value="22" | III.7 | |||
| The marriage of a mouse that turned into a girl | 2031C | data-sort-value="35" | III.9 | data-sort-value="311" | III.7 | data-sort-value="310" | 121G | data-sort-value="60" | III.13 | ||
| The sage who changed his pet dog into different animals | data-sort-value="312" | III.7.1 | |||||||||
| The bird and it's precious gold excreta | data-sort-value="61" | III.14 | |||||||||
| The jackal and the talking cave | data-sort-value="104" | I.3 | data-sort-value="62" | III.15 | |||||||
| The foolish frogs | data-sort-value="36" | III.10 | data-sort-value="313" | III.8 | data-sort-value="311" | 121H | data-sort-value="63" | III.16 | data-sort-value="36" | IV.12 | |
| The Brahmin catches his wife's lover | data-sort-value="314" | III.8.1 | data-sort-value="64" | III.17 | |||||||
| (13 additional stories) | data-sort-value="312" | 122-132 | |||||||||
| On losing what you have gained: The monkey and the unfaithful crocodile | 91[13] | data-sort-value="37" | IV.Frame | data-sort-value="401" | IV.Frame | data-sort-value="401" | 133 | data-sort-value="65" | IV.Frame | ||
| The poisonous friendship | data-sort-value="66" | IV.1 | |||||||||
| The brainless donkey | 52 | data-sort-value="38" | IV.1 | data-sort-value="402" | IV.1 | data-sort-value="402" | 133A | data-sort-value="67" | IV.2 | ||
| The honest muscular potter and his scar | data-sort-value="68" | IV.3 | |||||||||
| The jackal that killed no elephants | data-sort-value="69" | IV.4 | |||||||||
| The Brahmin and his ungrateful wife | data-sort-value="70" | IV.5 | |||||||||
| Henpecked husbands | data-sort-value="71" | IV.6 | |||||||||
| The donkey in the tiger's skin | data-sort-value="27" | III.1 | data-sort-value="302" | 121A | data-sort-value="72" | IV.7 | data-sort-value="18" | III.3 | |||
| The adulterous wife is tricked by her lover | data-sort-value="73" | IV.8 | |||||||||
| The monkey and the annoying sparrow | data-sort-value="74" | IV.9 | data-sort-value="17" | III.2 | |||||||
| The jackal's quick thinking | data-sort-value="75" | IV.10 | |||||||||
| The dog and the famine | 112 | data-sort-value="76" | IV.11 | ||||||||
| (6 additional stories) | data-sort-value="403" | 134-139 | |||||||||
| The greedy barber's folly | data-sort-value="41" | V.2 | data-sort-value="205" | II.2 | data-sort-value="77" | V.Frame | data-sort-value="25" | III.10; IV.13 | |||
| The three proverbs which stopped king from killing his own wives | data-sort-value="205" | II.2.1 | |||||||||
| On hasty actions: Killing a mongoose in haste | 178A | data-sort-value="39" | V.Frame | data-sort-value="201" | II.Frame | data-sort-value="501" | 140 | data-sort-value="78" | V.1 | ||
| The wheel on the head of the excessively greedy | data-sort-value="79" | V.2 | |||||||||
| The dead lion | data-sort-value="310" | III.6 | data-sort-value="80" | V.3 | |||||||
| The tale of two fishes and a frog | 105 | data-sort-value="81" | V.4 | ||||||||
| The singing donkey and the jackal | data-sort-value="82" | V.5 | |||||||||
| The weaver's wish | 750A | data-sort-value="83" | V.6 | ||||||||
| The beggar's dream; or building castles in the air | 1430 | data-sort-value="40" | V.1 | data-sort-value="202" | II.1 | data-sort-value="84" | V.7 | data-sort-value="32" | IV.8 | ||
| The old monkey's revenge | data-sort-value="85" | V.8 | |||||||||
| The credulous demon | data-sort-value="86" | V.9 | |||||||||
| The three-breasted princess | data-sort-value="87" | V.10 | |||||||||
| The Brahmin and the soft-foot fiend | data-sort-value="88" | V.11 | |||||||||
| The old pious lady Gautami | data-sort-value="206" | II.3 | |||||||||
| (6 additional stories) | data-sort-value="502" | 141-146 | |||||||||
| The false friend | data-sort-value="02" | I.3 | |||||||||
| The merchant's bride | data-sort-value="07" | I.8 | |||||||||
| The cat who became superfluous | data-sort-value="10" | II.4 | |||||||||
| The canny procuress | data-sort-value="11" | II.5 | |||||||||
| War (frame) | data-sort-value="15" | III.1 | |||||||||
| The goose and the crow | data-sort-value="20" | III.5 | |||||||||
| The crow and the quail | data-sort-value="21" | III.6 | |||||||||
| The faithful servant | data-sort-value="24" | III.9 | |||||||||
| The hermit and the mouse | data-sort-value="30" | IV.6 | |||||||||
| The two ogres | data-sort-value="33" | IV.9 |