Stories know no bounds. Throw the rules governing time and space at them, and they would probably guffaw in unison.
While traces of knowledge exchange between continents remain debatable, striking parallels found in Indian and Greek epics stun readers to this date. One such significant export of knowledge from the Indian subcontinent remains that of the Panchatantra tales, which has been translated from Sanskrit to Middle Persian or Pahlavi, Arabic, other eastern and western languages over the years.
The Panchatantra’s time- and space-travelling ability was the running theme of the exhibition titled ‘From Kalila wa-Dimna to La Fontaine: Travelling through Fables’at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Open since March, the exhibition traces the journey of the animal fables from their ancient Indian origins to their Arabic avatar—Kalila wa-Dimna—and the French version— Jean de La Fontaine’s Fables.
Moreover, this May, the Panchatantra—reportedly written between 200 BCE and 300 BCE by Vishnu Sharma—got UNESCO recognition. The Panchatantra, Ramcharitmanas and Sahrdayaloka-Locana were included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register.
Author and literary translator Rohini Chowdhury, who translated the original text to English in 2017, says the Panchatantra is not just a work for children.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
