Hitopadesha 2.31

2.31

karaṭako brūte-sarvasminn adhikāre ya eva niyuktaḥ pradhāna-mantrī sa karotu | yato 'nujīvinā parādhikāra-carcā sarvathā na kartavyā | paśya-
parādhikāra-carcā yaḥ kuryāt svāmi-hitecchayā |
sa viṣīdati cītkārād gardabhas tāḍito yathā //

Karaṭaka says: 'Whoever has been appointed prime minister over every department, let him do it. For a dependent must never engage in discussion of another's department. Look:
He who meddles in another's department, wishing for his master's welfare, / comes to grief, just like the donkey beaten for braying.'

'Let the prime minister do it, then,' answered Karataka; 'it is his business to overlook things, and subordinates shouldn't interfere in the department of their chief. You might get ass's thanks for it—

2.31.p1

damanakaḥ pṛcchati--katham etat ?

Damanaka asks: 'How is that?'

Damanaka asked how that happened, and Karataka related:—

2.31.p2

karaṭako brūte-

Karaṭaka says:

2.31.p3

kathā 2

Story 2

2.31.p4

asti vārāṇasyāṃ karpūra-paṭako nāma rajakaḥ | sa rātrau gāḍha-nidrāyāṃ prasuptaḥ | tad-anantaraṃ tad-gṛha-dravyāṇi hartuṃ cauraḥ praviṣṭaḥ | tasya prāṅgaṇe gardabho baddhas tiṣṭhati | kukkuraś copaviṣṭo 'sti | atha gardabhaḥ śvānam āha-sakhe ! bhavatas tāvad ayaṃ vyāpāraḥ | tat kim iti tvam uccaiḥ śabdaṃ kṛtvā svāminaṃ na jāgarayasi |

In Vārāṇasī there lived a washerman named Karpūra-paṭaka. One night he was fast asleep in deep slumber. Shortly thereafter, a thief entered to steal his household goods. In his courtyard a donkey was standing tied, and a dog was sitting there. Then the donkey said to the dog: 'Friend! This business is surely yours. Why, then, do you not raise a loud noise and wake master?'

"There was a certain Washerman[1] at Benares, whose name was Carpúrapataka, and he had an Ass and a Dog in his courtyard; the first tethered, and the last roaming loose. Once on a time, when he had been spending his morning in the society of his wife, whom he had just married, and had fallen to sleep in her arms, a robber entered the house, and began to carry off his goods. The Ass observed the occupation of the thief, and was much concerned.

'Good Dog,' said he, 'this is thy matter: why dost thou not bark aloud, and rouse the master?'

2.31.p5

kukkuro brūte-bhadra ! mama niyogasya carcā tvayā na kartavyā | tvam eva kiṃ na jānāsi yathā tasyāharniśaṃ gṛha-rakṣāṃ karomi | yato 'yaṃ cirān nirvṛto mamopayogaṃ na jānāti | tenādhunāpi mamāhāra-dāne mandādaraḥ | yato vinā vidhura-darśanaṃ svāmina upajīviṣu mandādarā bhavanti |

The dog said: 'Good sir! You should not meddle in my duty. Do you not know yourself how I guard his house day and night? Because he has been untroubled for a long time, he does not recognize my usefulness. Hence, even now, he is careless about giving me food; for masters become careless toward dependents unless they see distress.'

'Gossip Ass,' replied the Dog, 'leave me alone to guard the premises. I can do it, if I choose; but the truth is, this master of ours thinks himself so safe lately that he clean forgets me, and I don't find my allowance of food nearly regular enough. Masters will do so; and a little fright will put him in mind of his defenders again.'

2.31.p6

gardabho brūte-śṛṇu re barbara !
yācate kārya-kāle yaḥ sa kiṃ-bhṛtyaḥ sa kiṃ-suhṛt |

The donkey said: 'Listen, you wretch!
What kind of servant, what kind of friend is he who bargains at the time of business?'

'Thou scurvy cur!' exclaimed the Ass—

'At the work-time, asking wages—is it like a faithful herd?'