Only Fear Binds Unequal Allies

Waiting for the right time, Palita slowly began to gnaw through the noose. Lomasha glanced towards the rat. It asked it to sever the noose faster and faster. The cat continued to urge the rat on. ‘Why are you not doing it faster? Sever the noose before the hunter arrives here.’ Palita replied, ‘Be quiet. There is no need to speed up, or be frightened. If a task is started, or completed, at the wrong time, it does not accomplish the objective. If you are freed at the wrong time, you will become a great danger to me. We must wait for the right time. Why do you wish to rush? When I see the hunter coming, with a weapon in his hand, I will sever the noose, since both of us will suffer from fear then. At that time, you will be freed and will climb up the tree. There will be nothing except a desire to save your life then. O Lomasha! When you are trying to save yourself and are frightened and terrified, climbing up to your branch, I will enter my hole.’

However, Lomasha desired its own life. ‘This is not the way virtuous and affectionate people accomplish the tasks of their friends. When you faced a hardship, you were quickly freed by me. In that way, you should also swiftly do the task that ensures my welfare. Is it the case that you are remembering my earlier period of enmity towards you? That has indeed been a wicked act on my part. Earlier, in my ignorance, I may have acted in unpleasant ways towards you. You should not harbour that in your mind. I seek your forgiveness.’

The rat was wise and knew about the sacred texts. ‘O cat! I have heard the words that you have spoken to protect your own interests. You should also know about the preservation of my interests. If there is a friendship that results from fear, or if there is a friendship that is full of fear, then one must make great efforts to preserve it. If a person has an agreement with a stronger person and does not protect himself, he will find it causes him injury, like eating something that is unwholesome. There is no one who is truly an enemy. There is no one who is truly a well-wisher. When a task has been completed, no one looks to see who did it. That is the reason all tasks should be left with a little bit still undone. You will be focused on running away and won’t be able to seize me. Most of the strands have been severed. There is only one that is still left. Restrain yourself. I will swiftly sever this.’

When night was over, the hunter named Parigha could be seen, with a weapon in his hand. On seeing him, the cat was terrified out of its wits. Frightened, it addressed Palita. ‘What will you do now?’ The rat severed the cat’s strand. As soon as it had been freed, the cat rushed up the tree. Not only was its terrible enemy freed, Palita was also freed from its fear and entered its hole. Lomasha went up the tree. The hunter looked in every direction and gathered up his snare. His hopes having been destroyed, in a short instant, the hunter left the spot and returned to his own home.

Lomasha was freed from the fear and obtained life. From the top of the tree, it spoke to Palita, in the hole. ‘Without having had a conversation with me, you suddenly ran away. I am grateful because you did something good for me. I hope you do not suspect me. You inspired trust in me and you gave me my life. When it is time to enjoy yourself with a friend, why are you avoiding me? If an evil-minded person has an agreement with a friend and does not follow it up later, then, when he faces difficulties, he will not find a friend. Having made me a friend, you should now enjoy that friendship. I will worship you, with my large number of friends and relatives. Why will a grateful person not honour someone who has given him life? You are the lord of my body and my home. All the riches that I possess are at your command. O wise one! Be my adviser. Instruct me, like a father. I swear on my life that you need have no fear of me. We may possess strength, but you are like Sukracharya himself in your intelligence. If your counsel is united with that strength, victory will be assured.’

If a person has an agreement with a stronger person and does not protect himself, he will find it causes him injury, like eating something that is unwholesome. There is no one who is truly an enemy. There is no one who is truly a well-wisher

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The rat wished to ensure its own welfare and spoke these gentle words. ‘O Lomasha! I have heard everything that you have said. Now listen to the way I see it. Friends must be examined. Enemies must also be examined. There are well-wishers in the form of enemies. There are enemies in the form of friends. No one is born as an enemy. No one is born as a friend. Because of their different capacities, they become friends and enemies. If it is seen that there is a selfish objective of someone being alive because another person is alive, then that other person is a friend, but only as long as there is no other catastrophe. There is no friendship that is permanent. There is no enmity that is permanent. Friendship and enmity result from a specific objective. In the course of time, a friend may become an enemy. An enemy may also become a friend. Self-interest is the most important. One should not trust someone who should not be trusted. One should not even trust someone who should be trusted. The dangers that arise from trust sever the roots. Relationships like father, mother, son, maternal uncle, nephew, matrimonial allies, relatives—all these are based on a purpose. People protect their own selves. Immediately after being freed, you seek to ensure the happiness and safety of someone you should hunt. You descended from the banyan tree to this spot. You have spoken pleasant words and have said that I am loved by you. All that is false. One becomes a beloved because of some reason. Enmity is also because of a reason. There is no one who is always loved by another. Some become beloved because of gifts. Others become beloved because of words. People are loved to accomplish some task. Affection results from a reason. When the reason is absent, it is no longer there. What reason can I think of, so that I might be your beloved? We should know that there is no connection beyond my being your food. There is no longer a catastrophe. You must therefore have reasons of self-interest. You were my enemy. Later, you became my friend. You have again become my enemy. As long as there was a reason, there was friendship. The reason has now gone and we have gone back to earlier times. You have accomplished your objective. My purpose has also been met. I am the food and you are the feeder. I am weak and you are strong. When we are unequal in strength, there can be no alliance between us. Having been freed, you have ventured out for food. You are seeking an alliance with me because you certainly wish to eat me. I know that you are hungry and that is the time for you to eat. You are seeking an alliance with me, because you wish to hunt and eat me. I will not associate with you. The reason for our association is over. Will a wise person venture out of his territory when a natural enemy is afflicted and hungry and is hunting for food? I will go far away from you.’

The cat was ashamed. It said, ‘You have spoken words that are full of reason, though my views have been different. But you should not take me to be other than what I am. You have truly granted me my life and my affection results from that. I know about dharma. In particular, I am grateful. I am affectionate towards my friends, especially those who are like you. Given these reasons, you should not avoid me. You should not suspect that I might be the cause of your death.’

Having been thus praised by the cat, the rat thought and replied. ‘You are virtuous and I have heard the words of reason you have spoken to me. Though I am pleased, I do not trust you. By praising me, or by offering me riches, you won’t be able to get me to associate with you. The wise do not subjugate themselves to the enemy. Those who are weak, but do not trust, are not killed by their enemies. But if they trust, even the relatively strong are quickly slain by the weak. O cat! Thus, I must always protect my own self from someone like you.’

About The Author

Bibek Debroy

Bibek Debroy has translated the Mahabharata and the Valmiki Ramayana into English. He is the Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister

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