Management Lessons through Ancient Panchatantra Stories

1. PANCHATANTRA 2007 A collection of 12 great stories compiled by Shekhar Arora “ Rewrite Rules, Retain Values”

2. Panna # 1 Story: We Reap What We Sow A little boy got angry with his mother and shouted at her, "I hate you, I hate you." Because of fear of reprimand, he ran out of the house. He went up to the valley and shouted, "I hate you, I hate you," and back came the echo, "I hate you, I hate you.” This was the first time in his life he had heard an echo. He got scared, went to his mother for protection and said there was a bad boy in the valley who shouted "I hate you, I hate you.” Mother understood and asked her son to go back and shout, "I love you, love you." The little boy went and shouted, "I love you, I love you," and back came the echo. Little boy got a lesson that our life is like an echo: We get back what we give. Moral of the Story When you are good to others, you are best to yourself. Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values By Shekhar Arora

3. Panna # 2 Story: Glass of Milk A poor boy named Howard Kelly was selling goods from door to door to pay his way. He decided to ask for a glass of water at the next house. A lovely Lady who opened the door thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it all, and asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said ... "Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.“As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was also strong. Many years later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, and then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words: "Paid in full with one glass of milk" (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly. Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You God that your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands." Moral of the story Your good deeds to others, will be repaid by them tomorrow (GOD’S JUSTICE) By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

4. Panna # 3 Story: The Brahmin and the Three Rogues Source: India Fables One morning a Brahmin was walking along a lonely path. He had a goat with him. Three rogues saw the Brahmin and his goat. One of the rogues said, I wish we could get this plump goat from him. Another one said, Let us run away with the goat. This fat Brahmin can chase us. The third one said, there is no need of running away. I have a brilliant idea. And he told his friends the trick that he had in his mind. They liked the trick very much. They decided to try the trick on the Brahmin. So, one of the rogues went to the Brahmin and said. Good morning, Sir. This dog of yours looks very smart. Is he a trained dog? The Brahmin looked at the man angrily and said, Go away, stupid fellow. It is really funny that you mistake a goat for a dog. Will you consider me a wise man if I say that your dog is a goat? HA ! HA ! HA ! said the rogue and went away. After a while, another rogue came to the Brahmin and said, Good morning, learned Sir. I wonder why you are walking when you can very well ride on this pony of yours. The Brahmin said, My goodness! Do you think this goat is a pony? I thought you were a learned Brahmin. But now I understand that you are fathead who knows no difference between a pony and a goat, said the rogue and walked away. Some time later, the Brahmin was approached by the third rogue. The third one said, Good morning, holy priest. Why have you selected this donkey as your fellow traveler? The Brahmin asked nervously, Is this animal a donkey? Of course, it is, said the rogue in an asserting tone. Now the Brahmin was very much frightened. He thought that the goat was really a monster that changed his form from time to time. So he ran away, leaving the goat behind. The three rogues laughed heartily and took the goat in their possession. Moral of the story Person should take decisions based on the facts and reality, not on others perceptions. By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

5. Panna # 4 Story: Confidence The business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy. Suddenly an old man appeared before him. "I can see that something is troubling you," he said. After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you." He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time." Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come. The business executive saw in his hand a check for Rs. 50, 00,000 signed by “HIM”, then one of the richest men in the world! "I can erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought. With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again. Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the un-cashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. "I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He's always escaping from the rest home and telling people he's “HIM”. And she led the old man away by the arm. The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he'd been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had 50 Lakhs rupees behind him. Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after. Moral of Story Self-confidence gives you the freedom to make mistakes and cope with failure without feeling that your world has come to an end or that you are a worthless person. By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

6. Panna # 5 Story: Kingdom of Heaven Sadhu dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy who's dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans. Yamraj addresses him, "Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you into the Kingdom of Heaven?" The guy replies, "I'm Ravi Kumar, taxi driver, from New Delhi." Yamraj consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi driver, "Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Now it's the Sadhu’s turn. He stands erect and booms out, "I am Ramacharya, sadhu at Lord Shiva’ temple for the last forty-three years." Yamraj consults his list. He says to the priest, "Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven." "Just a minute," says the Sadhu. "That man was a taxi driver. Why does he get a silken robe and golden staff?" "Results," shrugged Yamraj "While you preached, people slept. When he drove, people prayed." Moral of the Story It's Performance, Not Position that Counts By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

7. Panna # 6 Story: Man Who Moved a Mountain at Gahlor Ghati (Gaya) Source: Times of India, 7th Jan, 2007; Based on a true story Over four decades ago, a frail, landless farmer got hold of a chisel and a hammer and decided to change the face of his village nestled in the rocky hills of Gaya. Dashrath Manjhi tore open a 300-feet-high hill to create a one-km passage 16-feel-wide. Manjhi knew it would be easier to move the mountain than the apathetic government. He knew writing to the powers-that-be would only leave the hill tied in red tape. Instead, Manjhi, then in his early 20s, took up a chisel and hammered at the rocks for 22 years. This feat, part of local folklore now, stemmed from Manjhi’s love for his wife. For, when she slipped off the rocks while getting food for him as he worked in a field beyond the hill and broke her ankle, it became a burning passion to tame the formidable hills that virtually cut his village off the civilization. And he completed the Herculean task creating a short-cut which reduced a long and arduous journey from his village Gahlor Ghati to Wazirganj to a walkable distance. Manjhi hasn’t forgotten the public ridicule when he began hammering at the hill. They called me a pagal (Mad Man) but that steeled my resolve, he says. Even his wife and parents were against this adventure, especially when he sold his goats to buy a chisel, a hammer and rope. But, by then, Manjhi was a man possessed. He shifted his hut close to the hill so he could work all day and night, chipping away, a little by little. “I did not even bother to eat”, he says. It was after 10 years that people began to notice a change in the shape of the hill. Instead of a defiant rock-face, the hill seamed to have a depression in the middle. Climbing it became a little easier. All those who had called me mad began to quietly watch me work. Some even chipped in, he collects. Moral of Story If one is passionate, engaged and focus about ones goals and put all his/her energy in achieving it, nothing in the world is Impossible (I-m-possible) By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

8. Panna # 7 Story: The Wind and The Sun Source: India Fables Once the Wind and the Sun had an argument. ”I am stronger than you”, said the Wind. ”No, you are not!” said the Sun. Just at that moment they saw a traveler walking across the world. He was wrapped in a cloak. The Sun and the Wind agreed that whosoever of them could separate the traveler from his cloak should be declared the stronger. The Wind took the first turn. He blew with all his might to tear the traveler cloak from his shoulders. But the harder he blew, the tighter the traveler gripped the cloak to his body. The struggle went on till the Wind turn was over. Now it was the Sun’s turn. The Sun smiled warmly. The traveler felt the warmth of the smiling Sun. Soon he let the cloak fall open. The Sun’s smile grew warmer and warmer; hotter and hotter. Now the traveler no longer needed his cloak. He took it off and dropped it on the ground. The Sun was declared stronger than the Wind. Moral of the story What can be achieved by warmth can not be achieved by force. By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

9. Panna # 8 Story: The Bangle Seller An old Bangle Seller used to travel from village to village on his donkey selling bangles to women, little and young girls. People noted that when he talked to his donkey he would always say, my daughter, my little girl, what do you want? People were astonished at his talk so one day they asked him about this. He replied, I sell bangles to ladies, girls who are all like my daughters. I must unintentionally also not offend any of the Bahu-Beti. I have a donkey and if I keep calling her Gadhi, Gadhi all the time. Since she is with me throughout the day, then I will develop this habit and then unknowingly if I call even one of those girls gadhi that will be the end of my business. I will lose all my customers. So I do not use the word Gadhi at all. Instead I keep calling my donkey as Meri Beti. Moral of the Story  Its better to use good language all the time. Practice using it consciously. By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

10. Panna # 9 Story: Smile A little girl walked to and from school daily. Though the weather that morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her daily trek to the elementary school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning. The mother of the little girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she herself feared that the electrical storm might harm her child. Following the roar of thunder, lightning, like a flaming word, would cut through the sky. Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child's school. As she did so, she saw her little girl walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up and SMILE. Another and another were to follow quickly and with each, the little girl would look at the streak of light and smile. When the mother's car drove up beside the child, she lowered the window and called to her. ”What are you doing? Why do you keep stopping? “ The child answered, "I am trying to look pretty, God keeps taking my picture" Moral of Story Face the storms that come your way and don't forget to SMILE! By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

11. Panna # 10 Story: Hospital Window Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you." Moral of Story There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy. By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

12. Panna # 11 Story: Shopkeeper’s Son and a Wise Man Source: The Alchemist by Paul Coelho (The Persian Fable as articulated in the book) A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived. Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention. The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours. Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do some thing, said the wise man, handling the boy a tea spoon that helps two drops of oil. As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill. The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was. Well, asked the wise man, did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library? The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him. Then go back and observe the marvels of my world, said the wise man. You cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house. Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen: But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you? Asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw the oil was gone. Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you, said the wisest of wise men-“The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.” Moral of Story Have a dream but focus on today for success and happiness. Keep your head in the cloud (vision) but feet firmly on the ground (focus on details and results). By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

13. Panna # 12 Story: The Fable of the Pung Bird This story is taken from the Chinese book called "Nan Hua Jin" by Chuang Tzu. The book was published 2200 years ago in ancient China In the North Sea of China, as the legend says, there is a fish called Kun which is thousands of meters long. This great fish evolves into a bird called Pung. Pung also measures thousands of meters long. Swooping as he flies, his wings expand like the clouds covering the sky. Pung flies over the great sea southward to his destination: the Celestial Pool. The great Pung flies toward the South Sea, beating the water with his majestic wings for over three thousand kilometers, but first he spins the wind into a tornado that rises to reach such a height; only then is the Pung bird ready. If the wind is not sufficient, it cannot support huge wings. Only at a height of ninety thousand kilometers is there enough space to support the Pung. So the Pung can finally begin his great journey. Just as the Pung struggled upward without making any visible progress towards his destination and despite the ridicule from other birds and insects, he continued to flap his wings straight upward until he arrived at a great height above the earth atmosphere. With lesser birds still chattering about his foolishness, he spread his great wings and soared effortlessly southward and into the Celestial Pool. Moral of Story When one is destined for greater accomplishments in life, the preparation for such a can be extensive. One must develop their powers of endurance as the Pung did, even in the face of criticism and ridicule, in order to achieve their goals. By Shekhar Arora Panchatantra 2007-Rewrite Rules, Retail Values

14. Panchatantra 2007 A collection of 12 great stories compiled by Shekhar Arora Issued in public interest by ConvergeM Communication India Ltd., Future Group, 4 th Floor, Gurgaon, Haryana 122001