Pancha Tantra - Five Wise Lessons: A Vivid Retelling if India's Most Famous Collection of Fables [Paperback]

Krishna Dharma (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2004

Krishna Dharma (Radllet, England) has been a scholar and teacher of the ancient Sanskrit writings of India for the past twenty-five years. He is the author of the world's bestselling English editions of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Currently, he lives with his family in Radlett, England, where he lectures, broadcasts, and writes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There is plenty to discuss about dilemmas confronted, actions taken, things said, by the various characters as well as what the children might have thought, said or done in similar circumstances." -- Angela Redfern, School Librarian, Vol. 53, Number 2, Summer 2005.

About the Author

The author has been a teacher of sanskrit for the past twenty five years, he is one of the best English translators of Mahabharata and Ramayana.

Product Details

• Paperback: 201 pages
• Publisher: Torchlight Publishing (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887089454
• ISBN-13: 978-1887089456
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,679,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in 1955 in London in a Christian family, I have been undergoing training in the monotheistic Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism since 1979. Although I am sometimes referred to as a Hindu priest, there is in fact no defined hierarchical priesthood within Hinduism, or, as I prefer to call it, the Vedic tradition, based as it is upon the scriptures known as the Vedas. There is a class known as the brahmins, whose business is to provide priestly services to society, such as rites of passage and spiritual instruction, and I would put myself in this category. If not a fully qualified brahmin, I am certainly aspiring to become one, in the line of my eternally liberated teacher Srila A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

I do not see my acceptance of the Vaishnava tradition as a departure from Christianity, but rather as a natural continuance of Christ's teachings. For me the instructions of all the great teachers, such as Prabhupada, Christ, Buddha, Mohammed, and many others, contain the same essential thread of spirituality, which culminates in surrender to the Personality of Godhead, who I know as Lord Krishna, but who may also be known by many other names such as Jehovah, Allah, Jahweh and Buddha.

My goal is to bring the wisdom of the East to Western audiences in an easily understandable style that can be accessed by anyone. For me spiritual life, in whatever tradition or faith we choose, should be an enjoyable experience that enables us to transcend the trials and tribulations of present-day materialism, and eventually realise our loving relationship with God.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humorous wisdom from an Ancient Indian sage, May 5, 2004

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"mindfighter" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pancha Tantra - Five Wise Lessons: A Vivid Retelling if India's Most Famous Collection of Fables (Paperback)

This is a fine collection of highly entertaining and educational stories from Ancient India. It is the most widely read Indian classic, translated into more than 50 languages. It has influenced The Arabian Nights, the Decameron, The Canterbury Tales and most notably in The Fables of La Fontaine. First told at least 1500 years ago by the sage Vishnu Sharma to three backward princes in an Indian king's court (who after hearing these tales became "as wise as the king of the gods"), its morals and messages are as relevant today as they were then.

Krishna Dharma tells the stories in his usual lucid style, throwing in a few poems here and there. It is illustrated with line drawings and should be easily handled by any free reading child and is a good read for any adult still young at heart -- particularly those wanting to hone up on a bit of worldly wisdom

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The basics are in this book but more for young adults., June 3, 2009

By 

John J. Wright (Albany,NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pancha Tantra - Five Wise Lessons: A Vivid Retelling if India's Most Famous Collection of Fables (Paperback)

I did not dislike this book but was wishing for a more complete translation. The basics of the tale are here but it is more a book for children or young adults. This I think was who the author intended the book for but this really is not stated when buying. If you have a younger child or teen then YES this book does offer some good moral tales. If your a adult and you are trying to study the classic Hindu text then I would look elsewhere. As for the author I have read some other of Dharma's works and they are very westernized versions. They keep your interest and you get the basics but he tends to either condense to much or pine to western style of thought. These are recommended for those just beginning there insights.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Indian fairy tale lessons, November 23, 2009

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A. McNutt - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pancha Tantra - Five Wise Lessons: A Vivid Retelling if India's Most Famous Collection of Fables (Paperback)

I read this book as a young teen, and got this for my daughter. There are quite a lot of lessons of wisdom in this book. I'm not sure how much I like this particular translation/version of the panchatantra, but I do recommend these stories. My daughter is still a little young for them (she is 4), but I "edit" the parts I don't think she needs to hear (such as changing "ass" to "donkey") but she seems to like these stories already...