Analytical Account of tJie Pancha Tantra. l6l 



India, of some celebrity, when these stories were first composed. We need not 

 be much at a loss for its identification, as the name approaches sufficiently 

 to Mihilapur, Meliapur, or St. Thome ; where our own records indicate a 

 city of some consequence, in the beginning of the Christian era, as the scene 

 of the labours and martyrdom of St. Thomas, occurrences very far from in- 

 validated by any arguments, yet adduced against the truth of the tradition. 

 The Hitopadesa changes the residence of the King to Pdtaliputra, on the 

 Ganges ; and although it leaves the merchant's residence in the south, it al- 

 ters the name to Suvernavati, that is, the " Golden." Hamilton calls 

 St. Thome, Mailapur, " The City of the Peacock," and the import of Maila, 

 in the Tamul language, is a Peacock, whilst pur is the ordinary Sanscrit 

 addition, signifying town. There is no good authority, however, for sup- 

 posing this to be the original designation of Meliapur, and it may be only a 

 vernacular modification of the name, whilst Mihildropya furnishes a much 

 nearer approximation to the Maliarpha of Ptolemy, which has been hitherto 

 supposed the same with Meliapur, or St. Thome. 



The name of the ox that falls, and is left behind, is in all the books, San- 

 jivaka, whence the Arabic Shanzebeh ; those of the jackals, Karataka and 

 Damanaka, altered to Kalila and Damana. The lion is uniformly termed in 

 the Sanscrit Pingalaka ; tiie Arabic leaves him unnamed. 



The first story, in all the Hindu books is, " the monkey and the timber." It 

 is the second, in the Arabic. The story of " the man, who could not avoid his 

 destiny," related by the merchant's servant, is an addition ; being, however, 

 grafted upon a verse, in the original, which inculcates the irresistible force of 

 fate. " What fate protects, is safe, though it be unwatched ; and that which 

 is guarded with the greatest precaution, if destiny defend it not, will surely 

 be destroyed. One who is left without a guardian, in a forest, shall escape 

 with hfe ; whilst another perishes in the house, and in spite of every care." 

 . There is a very great variety in the different manuscripts, in the passages 

 that follow. The Hitdpadesa has also the story of" the Dog and the Ass," 

 which is not found in the Pancha Tantra, Kalila-Damana, or Vrihat Kathd : 

 the next story, in ail these three, being " the Fox and Drum," which the 

 Hitopadesa omits. 



The Hillypadesa has again the story of « the Cat and the Lion," in which 

 it differs from all the rest ; whilst thePa?u:ha Tantra has the story of "Dantila, 

 a merchant of Varddlmmuna," which does not occur in the Arabic. The 



