Stories from the Hitopadesa: Real Strength Comes from Wisdom

byIndira Rajagopal

One must always keep good health and keep the body fit to conduct daily activities. But one should also remember that physical strength does not always control all situations. In the second chapter of the Hitopadesa, called Mitrabheda, Vishnu Sarma narrates two parables to the princes to impress upon them that real strength comes from wisdom. In his usual style, Vishnu Sarma embeds one story into another as follows.

Stories from the Hitopadesa: Real Strength Comes from Wisdom

Once upon a time, there lived a happy crow-couple on the top of a tree. Periodically, the female crow laid eggs and was hoping to raise her off-spring. Unfortunately, a black snake lived in a hole at the bottom of the tree and as soon as the adult crows would go away in search of food, he would slit