The Five Books

Name: The Five Books
ISBN: 9787229110406

Ji XianlinChongqing Publishing House · ChinaSep 2022

4.2

Word count: 236K words
Chapters: 9
ISBN: 9787229110406

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Summary

The Origin of the Panchatantra: A king in India had three exceedingly foolish sons who "took no interest in the scriptures and lacked wisdom." A brahmin "versed in many treatises and of great renown" wrote the Panchatantra and within six months taught the three princes the art of governance; from then on, the Panchatantra "was used on earth to educate the young." The Panchatantra is divided into five books—The Dissension of Friends, The Winning of Friends, Crows and Owls Engaged in Peace and War, The Loss of What Has Been Gained, and Imprudence—and as required reading for Indian princes it is a veritable treasury of wisdom, with rules for self-cultivation, family governance, and statecraft and wisdom on dealing with people, conducting oneself, and making friends, aphorisms and maxims to be found on every page. The Panchatantra was used not only to teach Indian princes the principles of governing and securing the state but also, for its richly entertaining content, won the affection of ordinary people and was used to learn the ways of conducting oneself in the world.

Editor's review

The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian collection of fables, and Mr. Ji Xianlin's translation and research have given this Eastern classic new scholarly life. The value of this book lies not only in its literary quality but also in its important textual status in comparative literature and folklore studies. Ji Xianlin's translation is based on a German version while also consulting the original Sanskrit; the translation is precise and fluent, with detailed annotations, demonstrating the translator's deep linguistic competence and cross-cultural vision. The more than eighty stories collected here are structured in an "interlocking" manner—a frame narrative of large stories containing smaller ones—a narrative method that deeply influenced later works such as One Thousand and One Nights and The Decameron.

In content, these fables mostly feature animals as protagonists and embody plain folk wisdom and philosophy of conduct, touching on themes such as political intrigue, the art of friendship and survival strategies. In a long introduction, Ji Xianlin systematically traces the history of the Panchatantra's transmission, its version systems and its influence on world literature, making this book more than a mere translation and a work both readable and scholarly. For modern readers, reading these ancient stories not only offers a glimpse of ancient Indian thought and humor but also, through Ji Xianlin's scholarly lens, an understanding of the complex processes of cultural transmission and the evolution of stories. This book is a rare key to the fields of classical Indian literature and comparative literature.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in classical Indian literature and folk tales
Scholars and students of comparative literature, story studies or folklore
Thinkers who hope to draw life wisdom from ancient wisdom
Collectors and enthusiasts of Mr. Ji Xianlin's works and research

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment or tightly plotted modern fiction
Readers impatient with scholarly introductions and annotations

Reading tips

It is recommended to read Mr. Ji Xianlin's long introduction first, to build an overall understanding of the work's background and value.
The book can be read alongside other Indian story collections such as the Kathasaritsagara and the Hitopadesha to appreciate its narrative characteristics.
There is no need to finish it in one sitting; it can serve as bedside reading, with one or two stories savored each day and their metaphors and contemporary relevance pondered.

About the publisher

Chongqing Publishing House China · Founded in 1950

Chongqing Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for its titles in the humanities, social sciences, literature and arts, with about 940 books in its catalogue. Its publishing areas cover world history, science fiction, foreign literature, architecture and philosophy. Representative titles include Xiang Da's A History of Communications Between China and the West, Liang Sicheng's Rules of Qing-Style Construction, Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem II: The Dark Forest and III: Death's End, Ann Rand's The Fountainhead (25th Anniversary Edition), and Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series. Its authors include Xiang Da, Liu Cixin, Liang Sicheng and Ann Rand. The press has developed distinctive strengths in historical source editing, the introduction and creation of science fiction, the translation of foreign literature, and architecture and philosophy titles, balancing scholarly value with general readership. As public information is limited, this profile outlines its publishing directions based only on the books in the catalogue.

版权信息
出版前言
译本序
序言
第一卷书
第二卷书
第三卷书
第四卷书
第五卷书

FAQ

What are the main differences between Ji Xianlin's translation of the Panchatantra and other versions?

Ji Xianlin's translation is mainly based on the Sanskrit original edited by the German Sanskrit scholar Johannes Hertel and on a German translation, with reference to other versions. Its greatest feature is a scholarly introduction tens of thousands of characters long and detailed annotations, focusing on the text's scholarly research value rather than mere literary retelling.

Are the stories in the book suitable for reading to children?

Some of the fables are vivid and contain moral lessons, and can be told to children after appropriate selection and simplification. Note, however, that the original is an adult read; some stories involve court politics, scheming and similar themes, and were not written specifically for children, so parents should guide and select.

What is the place of the Panchatantra in world literary history?

The Panchatantra is regarded as one of the sources of world fable literature. Through intermediaries such as the Arabic translation Kalila wa-Dimna, its story framework and content influenced Persian, Arabic and even European literature; traces of its influence can be found in One Thousand and One Nights, The Decameron and various fable collections, making it an important case in comparative literature studies.

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About the author

Ji Xianlin Author · China · 1911–2009

Ji Xianlin (1911–2009) was a Chinese orientalist, Indologist, Sanskrit scholar and translator, and a senior professor at Peking University. He was versed in Sanskrit, Pali and Tocharian, and served as vice president of Peking University and director of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His long engagement with Indology and cultural exchange produced works such as The Track of Cultural Exchange: A History of Sugar Cane in China, which traces civilizational contact through a single commodity, while his translation of the Panchatantra brought an Indian classic to Chinese readers. He is equally noted for his essays, several selections of which appear in this catalog; they dwell on hometown scenery, old friends and teachers, and everyday reflections in a plain, unhurried style that reveals warmth and erudition in small details. His works are commonly grouped under culture, classic works, essays and miscellaneous writings, and foreign literature. The catalog currently holds seventy-four titles, appealing to both scholarly and general readers.