East or West, Business is Best: Wisdom from the Ancient Sanskrit Panchatantra


The Pañcatantra, Sanskrit: पञ्चतन्त्र, "Five Treatises" is an ancient Indian collection of fables in verse and prose, dated to roughly 200 BCE, based on older oral traditions. The text is attributed to Vishnu Sharma. Legend has it that a wise and powerful king Amarashakti had three sons who showed no aptitude to learn anything. Vishnu Sharma created the Pañcatantra, at the king's request to educate the princes in all the essential Shastras, precepts, and practical knowledge within six months. Pañcatantra contains stories and fables, interwoven with shlokas, subhAshitas, and wisdom gathered from numerous sources in the Vedas, Shastras, and Puranas. Thus it is a classic work of prose poetry and practical knowledge.

Let us examine briefly what the Pañcatantra, says about the means to earn money.

स चार्थ पुरुषाणां षड्भिरूपायैर्भवति- भिक्षया, नृपसेवया, कृषिकर्मणा, विद्योपार्जनेन​, व्यवहारेण​, वणिक्कर्मणा वा।

There are six ways for men to obtain wealth- by begging(fundraising/Grant writing), by service to the king ( government or public service), by agriculture,  by the acquisition of education ( professional expertise/knowledge), by money lending, and by doing business.

सर्वेषामपि तेषां वाणिज्येनातिरस्कृतोऽर्थलाभ स्यात्  ।

of these, business is the only way to gather wealth without being reviled and abused.


कृता भिक्षानेकैर्वितरति नृपो नोचितमहो ! कृषि: क्लिष्टा विद्या गुरुविनयवृत्यातिविषमा  ।

Begging ( fundraising/grant writing) is indulged in by many, the king ( the government) has much wealth but does not distribute it wisely, agriculture is extremely difficult, and the acquisition of knowledge is difficult because of having to be humble with all the teachers.


कुसीदाद्दारिद्रयं परकरगतग्रन्थिशमनात् न मन्येवाणिज्यात्किमपि परमं वर्तनमिह​

Lending money at high-interest rates puts you at risk of being reduced to poverty from losing your lent principal. I believe there is no better way of gathering wealth than by doing business.

So you see, ancient Indian wisdom was " East or West, Business is Best."

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