Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1793

c8.1793

The aged Cirañjīvī continued: “It is unwise to place confidence in small people. I had an experience. Near my abode on a tree there lived a bird called Kapiñjala. We became friends. One day Kapiñjala did not come home as usual. Taking advantage of it a rabbit came to Kapiñjala’s abode and started living there. I did not like it and I told the rabbit about it. But the rabbit did not mind it. After four or five days Kapiñjala returned home and on finding a rabbit in his nest got angry and asked him to leave the place. The rabbit refused to go and an argument ensued. The rabbit said that lakes, rivers and trees were for all and did not belong to any particular individual. “He who is in possession of it is its owner,” the rabbit argued. So they decided to take the case for arbitration and for that purpose approached a cat named Dadhikarṇa doing penance on the banks of the river Yamunā. I followed them curious to know the decision of the ascetic cat. They did not see me. Both of them on approaching him started presenting their case before the cat. The cat pretended to be deaf and asked both of them to come nearer and talk into his ears. They moved nearer and the cat caught hold of them both and ate them. Those poor beings lost their lives by placing too much confidence in the aged cat. That is why I say that we should not select a small being like an owl as our leader.