A History of Sanskrit Literature c18.s5.1

c18.s5.1

Of the versions derived from the *Pañcatantra* that into Pahlavi will be considered later. Of the Indian texts the *Tantrākhyāyika*¹ may be given first rank by reason of its comparative closeness to the original. It may be granted that this relation has been exaggerated by Hertel, but, after all allowances are made, it remains still the nearest approach to the reconstructed text. Its date is uncertain and probably indeterminable. Already it had added certain stories which may be dismissed as not original. These include probably in both recensions that of the blue jackal (i. 8), the outwitting by a jackal of a camel and a lion (i. 13), the weaver Somilaka (ii. 4), king Çibi (iii. 7), the old Haṅsa (iii. 11), and the punishment¹ of the onion thief (iv. 1). In the *a* recension we have the clearly later tale of the wicked procuress (iii. 5), in recension β those of the jackal and the wary fox (iii. 11) and the sham warrior (iv. 3). The relation of the recensions is disputed; Hertel's view is that recension β was interpolated from use of the original 'K' source, whence all but the original of recension *a* are derived. It seems impossible to accept his proofs as establishing the existence of any such 'K', and, if so, the superiority of recension is open to serious doubt. Moreover, though in substance the *Tantrākhyāyika* seems original, its language appears to have been a good deal varied; we find also some attempts in recension *a* at rhythmical prose² unknown to the other versions.