A History of Sanskrit Literature c17.s1.2

c17.s1.2

These are plentiful in the law-books; in the epic and the drama they are frequently on the lips of heroes, sages, and gods; and in fables are constantly uttered by tigers, jackals, cats, and other animals. Above all, the *Mahābhārata*, which, to the pious Hindu, constitutes a moral encyclopædia, is an inexhaustible mine of proverbial philosophy. It is, however, natural that ethical maxims should be introduced in greatest abundance into works which, like the *Panchatantra* and *Hitopadeça*, were intended to be handbooks of practical moral philosophy.