Life Lessons from The Panchatantra: A Guide for Students

*"A kingdom is held firm by ministers /who are tested and true, straight,resourceful* */accomplished and endowed with inner strength* */as a temple is well supported by pillars* */straight, strong well-polished and firmly grounded."*

*- The Panchatantra*, page 37

### **How The Panchatantra teaches life wisdom to students**

  Alas, the trials of college have arrived: classes in disarray, some students keeling over and quitting, and some eagerly committed in ending strong this semester. Where did all the stratification of students come from? What makes some students mentally stronger than the other? Who governs our so-called "society".  Has your mind ever parsed these questions? If so, our literary work, "Life Lessons from The Panchatantra: A Guide for Students", will finally reveal truths about college student lives. Many may have never thought this, but back yonder during the Maurayan Empire reign (c.322 BC), young crowned princes deemed, "primogenitures", were on line to the throne. As emperor Ashoka's maladies were worsening, a young prince was needed to incumbent his place. One may well ask: "Well, suppose Ashoka dies today, of what caliber would a young prince have to have to rule in his place?" Simply put: constant studying and memorization. Reading many compendiums written in Sanskrit is as dull as it ever can be; at a young age, most boys [like Bahushakti, Ugrashakti and Anantshakti} were restless, inattentive, and, arrantly-put, lazy to read the Rig Veda and the Yajur Veda, Vishnu's king Amarashakti sees a different approach: theatrical ecology.

Young children--the new scions following in their parents footsteps-- are taught from the cradle unto adulthood about morals and rightful-being. Some take the nose-to-the grindstone and some, well, don't. We've noticed that, like in the Panchatantra, children are lured by vibrancy, abstract, and pizazz. Most, if not all, of us read children's nursery rhymes and stories as soon as we learned the alphabet from A to Z; we were more captivated by pictures--some of these pictures included animals with personified traits. As we grow taller, grow smarter, and ditto our parents warn us of the wiles that surround us. Some parents are austere, some supportive and rigid, and some completely disconnected from their child. Whatever the circumstance, my group and I noticed that what we are today is symbolic of who are parents created us to be. Good study habits, exemplary financial management, and successful interpersonal relationships all come from its origin: the parents. A parent's reprimand, gesture of love, and heroic qualities is what inspires children to reflect the same. Books and manuscripts are nothing more than monotonous social cues and roles that is just all the more robotic. Finally, social stratifications in a college are, yes, dictated by the school at times, but we can't forget the parents of those students who molded them to be the very student they are. We sincerely hope that "Panchatantra: Modernized" will give a glimpse of the vestiges of Indian history in a modern, technologically-driven, age with college students as the pioneer of new a era-- no matter where they stand intellectually. Most of you, as this is an assumption, must have read "The Story of the Merchant Dantila". If so, you may have discovered a similar trend. A synopsis from the text reads, "A crow that is clean, A gambler who is honest, A snake that forgives, A passionate woman who is calm, An impotent man who is brave, A drunkard with discrimination, Or the friendship of a king." Here, we see the various traits humans have--bet it a woman or man. Surely, one must know that, these traits are NOT naturally inherent and that they originate surely from somewhere. Why, we turn towards the parents. Our mothers and fathers harangue us on lying, deceit, manipulation, and beguile. Dantila's relationship to the king lands him a great privilege in his courts, assemblies, and theaters. In the Maurayan Empire, austere parenthood was common more so than supportive-lax parenthood.

Why did I choose Dantila's story, well Dantila's upbringing has something to do with that. You see, to attain a reputation as "friend" to the king is not a simple skip-and-a hop, this requires stalwart-ship. Being a stalwart under the Emperor during the Maurayan empire can land someone as frugal as merchant to the rank of **Kurmara** (king's representative). Who instills us with the scruple of being a hard-worker? Our parents. As history would have it, families under the reign of the Maurayan Empire sought, like any other parent would, for a generation of women and men richly endowed with spiritual/virtue knowledge of the veda. From deductive reasoning, readers can't help but believe that Dantila's ascent to being the emperor's friend (almost a Kumara) was in direct correlation to his upbringing. Gorambha remark, " “You fools, you are barring the great Dantila who has won the king's favours. He is powerful. If you stop him, you will meet with the same fate as I did at the hands of Dantila one day” marks a level of stratification in the Ancient Indian hierarchal system; whereby, we see the concept of the "caste system" being hallmarked. A study conducted [headed] by Zahed Zahedani of the Shiraz University medical division in Iran explores the fundamentals of parenthood in a child's academic life. In summation, Zahed's results reveal that parents with austere, rigid, standards in their child's learning often reaps better outcome--that of the child's professional life. However, with such knowledge attained comes pride. Parenthood that revolves too heavily upon building a child's cognitive abilities can be mentally taxing and, unfortunately, detrimental to child's social development. While it is true that having your nose-to-the grindstone will reap that success that parents want in their children, the tradeoffs, however, are at a far greater price than what one can fandom. Selfish pride, self-infatuation, and unconfined self-inflated egos are noticeable drawbacks exhibited in children from austere parenthood backgrounds. Dantila's lavish living, reputation in the emperor's assembly, and rewards for upholding the empire's commodities develops a level of unconfined pride--something this is inherent in every human. Austere parenthood can instill this type of mentality: feeling unmatched compared to other peers. Zahed warns, *"Individuals have to be aware of their skills, talents, abilities, capabilities and unique features because this self-consciousness is a cycle which leads the individual towards a satisfactory job."* yet also insists that "if the [student] have appropriate peers which they are loyal to, the management offers them the rewards such as promotion, fringe benefits, job security and more respect and even work authority." thus illustrating the importance of social relationships in each and every student's life. By Dantila downplaying the importance of winning the affection of the common people (as well as angrily catching Gorambha by the throat and casting him out of the emperor's assembly) stems from the failure of austere parenthood. To attest to this, Zahed closes her investigation with this memorable advice**:** *Parents have an important role in identifying children's talent and guiding them. Mutual understanding and close relationship between parents and children are recommended.*

### **How The Panchatantra Teaches Financial Wisdom to Students**

Many of us grew up being told that once we turn 18 we should become independent, the “you're on your own now” type of lecture. On top of that, not knowing a thing about financial literacy brings us to a doom start in our financial journey and we end up learning the hard way (unneeded debt). The Panchatantra teaches financial wisdom which is very relevant in today’s society. The importance of financial literacy for college students is crucial in order to make informed choices and avoid financial mistakes. Adopting healthy money habits is a must, and advice given from our peers on ways to save is a great way to start off.

College students can make better financial decisions by having financial literacy. According to “Financial Literacy of College Students: Focus on First-Generation Students,” Those who have a higher level of financial education are more likely to make informed decisions about their money, and vice-versa those who lack financial education tend to make negative decisions financially. This scholarly source urges that college students are one of the groups that should be educated on this topic. Reasons being: the ability to evaluate present finances and behaviors, develop financial goals, and make financial plans including student debt and loans. The short paper also stresses that first-generation students are more vulnerable to struggle especially those who are Asian or Latinx students because of the responsibility of being family oriented (helping around the house including translating, care for other members of the family, and even financially). The moral lesson of the “Holy Man and the Swindler” in the Panchatantra can apply to financial wisdom. The sage represents the college student and Red Planet signifies the product of terrible financial decisions made by that college student, where in the end all of the sage’s fortune is gone. The decline of financial literacy throughout the years in general is alarming, “Throughout the United States, there is a decline in college retention and completion rates. The authors indicate that problems with finances negatively affect retention rates, and that financial hardships are the main reason for low graduation rates. In a survey given to freshmen college students, the students listed financial problems as their primary worry and academics as their second. Many studies (e.g. Taft et al., 2013) show that college students are not prepared to be making important financial decisions due to lack of financial education,” (Financial Literacy of College Students: Focus on First-Generation Students).

Bearing this in mind, many times our urges get the better of us and we tend to overspend. The cycle continues and money ends up being wasted and we wonder why we’re broke. “The Student Guide to Personal Finance” emphasizes on getting in the habit of healthy money saving by creating a budget where you list all your income sources and expenses, then prioritize spending based on what’s more important to you. Adopt the 50-30-20 rule: 50% of income goes towards mandatory expenses, 30% towards nice-to-haves, and 20% towards savings (studyquill). Of course this varies depending on your situation for example if most income needs to go toward tuition debt, but this is the general rule. Only spend what you can pay off on credit cards, and get a student credit card like Discover IT© which is helpful for beginners, as for short-term savings get a savings account where your money grows, for example a high yield savings account (studyquill). Make sure they’re FDIC insured, and it’s way less risky than putting it to stocks/bonds if you’re not into all that. Remember: first savings should amount to emergencies (studyquill). So, in the context of finance, this relates to the story of “The Crab and the Crane” where it teaches us about the importance of being careful with how we manage our money and to not be deceived by others and our own financial urges. The crab trusted the crane and paid the price for that. Similarly, we should be careful when we trust others with our finances, including ourselves so that we don’t go into debt. In the video, Jasmine lets viewers know that you don’t have to micromanage too much of your spendings if you don’t want to, but be mindful (studyquill).

Even though many of us faced obstacles that hindered our ability to learn financial literacy, there’s no better way to learn financial tips than from our peers. The Penny Hoarder collected information on students who go to the University of Florida, University of North Carolina, and the University of Vermont on ways to save money on books, food, clothing, and more. Reported by the article, students encourage to use your student discount! Many movie theaters, local food shops, retail or online stores and electronic stores like Apple have discounts on computers for students. Streaming services or apps like Spotify©, Hulu©, and Amazon© have student monthly plans as well. If you don’t think a place offers student discounts, it doesn’t hurt to ask since a lot of them don’t promote these benefits. Renew your ID on your senior year so that you can still have benefits even after you graduate (Smith). Take advantage of a healthy lifestyle where your college offers a free gym and fitness classes (Smith). Attend campus events for free food and take a look at the school’s website to find free contraception (most offer this), (Smith). Next, save on textbooks by renting. If you want to mark on it, get a used one from amazon and save those purchases for tax season. Go on websites like “Ratemyprofessor.com” to see if students even needed a textbook from a class or wait until your first day to see if your professor requires it (Smith). Pregaming at home or at a friend’s place is cheaper than paying for alcohol at the bar/club (Smith). Finally, get a budgeting app like Mint© for an easy way to track your spendings (Smith). Personally, I and others have saved money through financial aid. See to your state if it offers programs like FAFSA or other forms of distributing aid. On another note, take advantage of scholarships since that is a very easy way to receive money and you could earn up to thousands of dollars in your pocket. As seen in the Panchatantra in the story of “The Three Fishes,” this can be tied to financial wisdom in relation to the significance of being smart and planning ahead to save money. One of the fishes did not prepare for the fishermen to come, so it met a dreadful end. The fish that was prepared was better off. In this situation by being proactive in finding ways to save money for a positive financial future, one can avoid financial struggles.

### **The Panchatantra: Exposing social media as the cause for our deteriorating interpersonal connections.**

When we look at our modern world, many would think we’ve breached the constraints of connection and understanding. As students, we’ve been privileged to live in a time where social media and technology have helped us evolve, but there is evidence to the contrary. If we examine the fables within *The Panchatantra,* we’d be able to realize that the opposite is true – We’re unintentionally deteriorating our relationships. Not to mention the side effects of letting this occur, like mental health issues and misinformation. Seeing the fundamentals of interpersonal connections portrayed in a narrative will make it comfortable to emulate these techniques and prioritize balancing our real life with our virtual one.

From the time the internet exploded around the turn of the century, we’ve become reliant on the accessibility of social media. Contrasting this with the time of the *Panchatantra,* they had ways of making interactions crucial to moving forward. As we see in one of the fables, *Fine Tooth and The Palace Sweeper*, connections and laying the work of sociability is essential. The story’s premise is that a governor is punished for the suspicion of an act he didn’t commit. The king forgave Fine Tooth though, because he had seen the error in assuming certain specifics of a third party despite their solid connection. In the context of our era, it’s still prevalent, but it’s hinted mainly that we can supposedly get by on not building those interactions. One reason is that since social media evolved in the early 2000s, it has gradually shaped our everyday life while mediating society’s institutional underbelly (5). By this, it’s implied that despite our perceived independence, we are in some manner fed this need for connection consistently on a level beyond our normal understanding. This proposition can best be seen in examining fine tooth’s actions in the story as governor since he was consistently diligent in his relationship with the king, which benefitted the kingdom’s subjects. Only after the king gave into the information he had assumed as evidence did the kingdom not only suffer but also Fine Tooth’s connections. According to Dr. Van Dijck’s book regarding the history of social media, they mentioned, “Utterances previously expressed offhandedly are now released into a public domain where they can have far-reaching and long-lasting effects” (7), despite the gap in relevancy, that still holds currently, given how we quickly consume information or perceive our truths as the only version. Many students today struggle to keep a framework of healthy social groups. If we were to follow Fine Tooth’s example and speak about those issues or have an honest discussion as he did with the palace sweeper, then there would be an increase in engaging those relationships rather than SNS.

Now evaluating the psychological aspect of *Fine Tooth and The Sweeper* with mentions of *The Frame Story*, we can see an allusion to the argument of the repercussions we’ve sustained in our modern day. As mentioned, Fine Tooth lost his position due to the misinformation the king had obtained about him, but there is another layer. The king had subconscious jealousy of Fine Tooth, implying he was weak of mental will. When we think of social media, most students see it as an outlet or a way to connect with an individual if the opportunity hasn’t appeared. According to Lawrence Robinson and Melinda Smith, it’s one of the positive aspects of social media, stating, “…Find vital social connection if you live in a remote area, for example, or have limited independence, social anxiety, or are part of a marginalized group.” However, let’s consider the kings’ actions and put them through our technological perspective. It is clear then that had he spoken to Fine Tooth directly instead of succumbing to his jealousy; the entire issue would’ve been resolved with their relationship intact. The point of this issue being highlighted is designated to show how if we are mentally weakened, social media can up our disruption of relationships. Another part that both Robinson and Smith address is, “Ironically, for a technology that’s designed to bring people closer together, spending too much time engaging with social media can actually make you feel more lonely and isolated.” While the responsibilities of a king differ from a student, we no doubt feel the pressure of meeting specific criteria. If our negative emotions get ramped up, they can interfere with our studies and empathy to help one another.

    Balancing that pole will be easier if we keep in mind strengthening our interactions. Within the Frame story, it’s touched upon with the bull Lively and the lion Tawny. This story focuses on the development of their relationship, emphasizing the ups and downs they face when being manipulated against each other. They are introduced in a rather peculiar way, with the initial animal Wily the Jackal, using this to up his social status. When Lively and Tawny interact, the lion progresses into a more ‘civilized’ person but at the cost of his subjects (much like the king before). As stated in the book, the consequence even has some of those in the kingdom reevaluating their survival, “lacking the strength of the lion and his skill in hunting and foraging, the animal community, including our two jackals, were unable to forage for themselves as needed.” Applying this to our views on social media can give us this false sense of bettering ourselves. It perpetuates a specific fear in our digital age, “Even though there are very few things that can’t wait or need an immediate response, FOMO will have you believing otherwise.” It may seem a stretch to equate this relationship with FOMO (fear of missing out), but, like any compulsion, the more we believe something is better for us, the more we cling to that ideal. While it’s fine to have them, we shouldn’t be dictated by them, especially when if like Tawny, it can cause us to neglect not only our well-being but those that depend on us.

After reviewing the hidden psychology of the *Panchatantra,* we can now begin to discuss the guidelines for interpersonal relationships, focusing on adapting those techniques into the everyday use of SNS. As stated, the frame story carries much weight in showing the benefit of identifying and enhancing relationships. We see most of it displayed by Tawny and Lively, but it can also be seen in Jackal’s relationship between Wary and Wily. One section states, “The two friends were so close that they spent all their time together, talking and discussing between themselves, in private and unattended” (44). As claimed by Dr. Dan Papero in his interview with the Bowen Center’s host Allen Blakey, relationships are integral for any two people and even more than just those two. He says, “Humans are relationship-dwelling organisms; we live in relationship networks.” Lively and Tawny show us how, even after a simple introduction, our propensity is to find common ground with another individual. Most importantly, it’s an interaction that calls out the tendency to assume all our ‘followers’ are our friends when only a small fraction of that ideal is true outside the realm of SNS. Given this perspective with Wary and Wily, their relationship is often the kind we deal with when the barrier between relationships is social media. After Willy’s plan comes to fruition, Wary finally expresses his opinion and the truth. While Wary’s outburst is justified, the interesting thing he touches on is a point Dr. Papero states, “Co-construction – that people begin to think relationships aren’t changeable particularly the relations they think aren’t going how they’re supposed to.” In our age of technology, many of us are willing to call out what we see through the platforms we’re exposed to. On the other end, though, we are hesitant or even avoidant to do such a thing with the people we cherish. But that conversation and tangibility are what we need most as we finish or look to finish our degrees. Without our connections to professors, Classmates, or friends, we couldn’t live up to our potential, as Vishnu Sharm displays in *The Panchatantra*.

### References

Blakey, Allen. “The Fundamentals of Interpersonal Relationships.” *YouTube*, YouTube, 10 June 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yVAAbBJYT8.

Robinson, Lawrence, and Melnda Smith. “Social Media and Mental Health.” *HelpGuide.org*, 29 Mar. 2023, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm.

Śarman Viṣṇu. *The Panćatantra*. Translated by Chandra Rajan, Penguin Group , 2007.

Van, Dijck, Jose. *The Culture of Connectivity : A Critical History of Social Media*, Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2013.

Zahed Zahedani, Zahra et al. “The influence of parenting style on academic achievement and career path.” *Journal of advances in medical education & professionalism* vol. 4,3 (2016): 130-4.

“The Fall and Rise of a Merchant.” *Panchatantra*, http://panchatantra.org/the-loss-of-friends/the-fall-and-rise-of-a-merchant-1.html.

*View of Financial Literacy of College Students: Focus on First-Generation Students*. articlegateway.com/index.php/JBD/article/view/5777/5479.

Studyquill. “The Student Guide to Personal Finance 💸 Adulting 101.” *YouTube*, 30 June 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXCvtC0HqLE.

Smith, Katherine. “35 Ways to Save Money in College, According to College Students.” *The Penny Hoarder*, 12 Apr. 2023, www.thepennyhoarder.com/save-money/students-tips-to-save-money-in-college. Accessed 3 May 2023.