URCG-5112 Fables, Wisdom Literature and Epic 2(2-0)

The course will enable students to explore human experiences, cultivate an appreciation of the past, enrich
their capacity to participate in the life of their times, and enable an engagement with other cultures and
civilizations, both ancient and modern. But independently of any specific application, the study of these
subjects teaches understanding and delight in the highest achievements of humanity. The three components
of the course, including fables, wisdom literature and epic, will enable the learners to explore and
understand the classic tradition in literature. Development of personal virtue, a deep Sufi ethic and an
unwavering concern for the permanent over the fleeting and the ephemeral are some of the key themes
explored in the contents that will develop an intimate connection between literature and life.

Contents

1. Fables
 The Fables of Bidpai
 The Lion and the Bull
 The Ring-dove
 The Owls and the Crows
 Selected poem from Bang-i-Dara

2. Gulistan-e- Sa’di
 Ten ḥikāyāt from John T. Platts, The Gulistan
3. Epic
 The Shahnama of Firdausi

Recommended Texts

1. Chishti, Y.S. (1991). Sharaḥ-i bāng-i darā. Lāhaur: Maktaba-i taʿmīr-i insāniyat
2. John T. P. (1876). The Gulistan; or, Rose Garden of Shaikh Muslihu’d- Dīn Sa’dī of Shīrāz.
London: Wm. II. Allen.

Suggested Readings

1. Thackston, W. (2000). A Millennium of Classical Persian Poetry. Maryland: Ibex

Publishers.
2. Wood, R. (2013). Kalila and Dimna: Fables of conflict and intrigue. United Kingdom: Medina
Publishing, Limited.
COURSE OUTLINE FOR FABLES, WISDOM LITERATURE, AND EPIC

This course has three components containing both readings and related activities: The first component is
about fables—that is, stories with animal characters having human attributes. The second component
concerns wisdom literature and looks specifically at some of the stories, both in prose and poetry, of the
famous Persian literary figure Sa‘di. We shall introduce this author to you. The third component is on the
world’s largest epic—the Shāhnāma (Book of Kings) of another literary giant, Firdausi.

I. FABLES (Fables of Bidpai) Kalīla wa Dimna is named “The Fables of Bidpai”

a. Kalīla wa Dimna is a collection of fables in Arabic dating back to the 8th century CE.
The fables were originally written in Sanskrit and trace their origins to India prior to
the 6th century. After being translated to Pahlavi, they were then translated into
Arabic by Abdullah ibn Muqaffa during the Abbasid era and since then have been in
circulation around the world in numerous languages including Greek and Latin. In
these various translations, the book has not remained in a static form but instead
various additions and omissions have accompanied its long history of translation. The
story of Kalīla and Dimna revolves around an ambitious jackal, Dimna, who navigates
his way in the king’s court to win his favor and become his most trusted advisor. In the
progression of this story, various sub-stories are recounted couched in elaborate
idioms and metaphors that all eventually culminate in a moral lesson for its characters
and the reader. The following excerpt is near the beginning of the story in which
Dimna works himself into a complicated situation after attempting to help the king.
The remainder of the story is an account of his efforts to undo his mistake and learn
many crucial lessons in the process about friendship, betrayal and power. Following
chapters from Kalīla wa Dimna or The Fables of Bidpai are included:
i. Chapter V – The Lion and the Bull, or the emblem of two friends whom a liar
contrives to disunite.
ii. Chapter VI – Investigation of the conduct together with the defence of
Dimna.
iii. Chapter VII – The Ring-dove, or the emblem of sincere friends. Chapter VIII –
The Owls and the Crows, or the danger of being deceived by an enemy

BĀNG-I DARĀ (The Call of the Marching Bell

Bāng-i Darā or The Call of the Marching Bell is the first and perhaps the most famous of Allama
Muhammad Iqbal’s works of Urdu poetry, published in 1924. It came after his initial three books of poetry
which were all in Persian and were considered difficult to read. The lucid and relatively accessible style of
Bāng-i Darā coupled with the fact that it was written in Urdu earned it much greater acclaim and
acceptance among people than the earlier books.1 Bāng-i Darā is divided into three distinct parts based on
differences that are chronological and also thematic. The first part comprises his poetry written from the
start of his career until 1905. During this time, Iqbal was heavily influenced by nationalism; many of his
poems such as Tasvīr -i Dard, Āftāb and Tarāna-i Hindī reflect his nationalist political fervor. The second
part was written from 1905 to 1908 during his stay in Europe. Iqbal experienced a major revolution in his
thinking during this time as he closely scrutinized the social and political makeup of Western societies and
lost much of his earlier fervor for nationalism. His poems from this time period are critical of Western
modernity and the materialism and godlessness lying at its heart. The last part was written from 1909 to
1923 after his return to India from Europe. Poems from this part feature a strong philosophical and
mystical bent along with a great religious fervor especially at display in his abundant and heartfelt praise
of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. 2 The following eight poems from Bāng-i Darā have been
chosen in accordance with the general theme of this component i.e. fables. They feature various animals,
and at times inanimate beings, engaged in discussion about different facets of man’s moral existence.
They generally begin with an ethical dilemma and, by drawing on various natural and environmental
sources of imagery, metaphor and religious idiom, culminate in a resolution of the dilemma leaving the
reader with an accessible but profound moral lesson. The selected poems are:

1. Spider and a Fly (‫)ایک مکڑا اور مکھی‬

2. A mountain & a squirrel (‫)ایک پہاڑ اور گلہری‬
3. A cow and a goat (‫)ایک گائے اور بکری‬
4. The bird’s complaint (‫)پر ندے کی فر یاد‬
5. The wave of River (‫)دریا موج‬
6. The firefly (‫)جگنو‬
7. Fire fly and a bird (‫)یک پرندہ اور جگنو‬
8. Sympathy (‫)ہمدردی‬

WISDOM LITERATURE

3. GULISTĀN-E SA‘DĪ (The English translation of Gulistān-e- Sa’dī is named “The Gulistan” or “Rose
Garden”.)
a. The author of the following ḥikāyāt, Sharf al-Din Sa‘dī Shirazi, was born in Shiraz, Iran, at
the turn of the 12th century. Sa‘dī was raised in a family of religious scholars and received
his initial education in his hometown and later in the illustrious city of Baghdad where he
was under the tutelage of the famous scholar Ibn al-Jawzi. Alongside his traditional
education in the Islamic sciences, Sa‘dī was also deeply influenced by Sufism and was a
student of the great philosopher and Sufi mystic Shihab al-Din al-Suhrawardi. His deep
commitment to Sufism and the moral project of purifying and elevating the self, permeate
his works of poetry and especially his most famous work, for which he earned lasting
acclaim throughout the Muslim world, namely, the Gulistān. His ḥikāyāt, or short stories,
that are the subject of this component, are an extension of this moral project and offer
the reader advice and guiding principles in various domains of life. The following
selections from his collections of ḥikāyāt touch on a variety of themes and circumstances
ranging from issues surrounding wealth, power, and injustice to those regarding the
importance of knowledge and piety. The narratives are similar in style and content to the
famous ḥikam of Ibn ‘Ataillah and are part of a tradition of offering pithy and often witty
pieces of advice aimed at the moral development of the reader. Despite a diversity of
themes, the stories can be tied together given their emphasis on the development of
personal virtue and the subduing of the lower self; resonating through each of them is a
deep Sufi ethic that follows the Divine law in both letter and spirit with an unwavering
concern for the permanent and the ever-lasting over the fleeting and the ephemeral. Ten
ḥikāyāt from: John T. Platts, The Gulistan; or, Rose Garden of Shaikh Muslihu’dDīn Sa’dī of
Shīrāz (London: Wm. II. Allen, 1876).

i. The selected ten hikāyāt are given below:

1. Story (chapter 1): VI, Pg. 83. “Those who make an effort to display
their virtues, do the same to conceal their vices”. A man purposefully eats less
and prays more in court to appear pious, requesting more food within the walls of
his home. His son asks him to offer his prayers again as the one he performed in
front of the sultan were meant to impress a mortal, not God. Nadh 4
2. Story (chapter 1): XX, Pg. 44. “The foundation of injustice in the world
began with small unjust deeds.” The Sassanian King Naushirwan3 and his retinue
need salt to roast their hunt. Before his men leave to get it from a nearby village,
he tells them to pay for. He explains that the smallest action of appropriations by
the rich and powerful of the poor and weak lead to unending trails of
confiscations that subsequently plagues the entire society.
3. Story (chapter 1): XXI, Pg. 45. “Burden bearing oxen and asses are
better that oppressors.” A royal revenue collector is unfair to the peasantry to fill
the treasury and please the Sultan. Instead of being awarded, he is punished when
the Sultan finds out. Misuse of authority as a right to oppress the weak and
helpless eventually brings ruin to the oppressor. The humble ass and ox are much
better than the mighty lion as they serve humanity and silently bear their burden.
Similarly, humility and eagerness to serve others are qualities appreciated by God,
not the ruthless lion-like pride that destroys the destitute.
4. Story (chapter 1): XXVII, Pg. 56. “The pain you give to others
eventually finds its way back to you.” A man oppressed the poor by forcibly
purchasing cheap firewood from them and would sell it for large profits to the
rich. One day his home burnt down from a fire with no apparent reason. A pious
man told him that the sighs of helpless people suffering at his hands were the
cause of this calamity. Contemporary equivalents: “What goes around, comes
around” & the concept of “Karma.”
5. Story (chapter 1): XXIX, Pg. 59. “Power and riches cannot exalt one in
status.” A king passes by a faqir and becomes angry when the poor man does not
acknowledge him. Upon confrontation, he learns that it is the kings who serve
their subjects, rather than subjects submitting to the rich, as power comes with
responsibilities towards the masses. 3 See annexure 1. 5
6. Story (chapter 1): XXXI, Pg. 62. “The fleeting moment of an angry
decision has everlasting consequences.” A raging king orders an innocent man to
be killed. The man cries that his punishment would end in a short while, but the
king’s guilt would last for as long as he lives.
7. Story (chapter 1): XXXVII, Pg. 67. “A pair of hands working at one’s will
are better than those clasped in obedience, waiting for orders” A poor laborer
tells his rich brother (who serves the sultan) that he prefers poverty as although
he is poor, his work and self-sufficiency sets him free from bowing down in front
of others. Serving royalty, he says, is a burden as it causes dependency and
ingratitude. Contemporary equivalent: “Less is more.” (Known mostly as
associated with Architect Ludwig Mies who used the phrase to encourage
simplicity in style.
8. Story (chapter 1): XXXVIII, Pg. 68. “It is fruitless to celebrate the death
of an enemy as one will never be spared from it either.” A happy messenger
gives the Sassanian King Naushirwan the news of the death of his enemy. He
refusesto rejoice because he realizesthat death does not favor anyone and that he
and his all friends will die one day too. Mian Muhammad Bakhsh (1830-1907):
dushman mare te khushī nā karye, sajnāṇ vī mar jānā.
9. Story (chapter 1): XLII, Pg. 74. “Destruction of the good names of the
departed cannot protect your own.” Alexander the Greek conqueror tells how he
won over kingdoms with armies and riches greater than his own by speaking
kindly of their former leaders and kings. Fortune and power perish, but one’s
integrity remains behind if they keep others’.
10. Story (chapter 2): XXXVIII, Pg. 124. “Do not turn away from
knowledge even if one has to get it from the teachings of the ignorant.” 6 NOTE:
The English translation of Gulistān-e- Sa’dī is named “The Gulistan” or “Rose
Garden”. Pdf copy of the book is provided. A law professor refuses to listen to
 religious preachers as he believes they don’t practice what they preach. His father
tells him to never reject knowledge because of this alone, as it can be gained
despite their ignorance if one makes his own effort to listen and think.

III. EPIC THE SHĀHNĀMA OF FIRDAUSI (The Book of Kings)

The Shāhnāma is a Persian poem completed around the year 1010 by the poet Firdausi and later
presented to Sultan Mahmud Ghazni, the famous Ghaznavid ruler. It is a kind of poem known as an ‘epic,’
which means a long poem that tells us stories of the adventures and deeds of heroic or legendary figures
from the past of a nation. The Shāhnāma is one of the most popular works of poetry in Persian and is
considered to be Iran’s ‘national’ epic as well. It consists of a total of 60,000 verses and is divided roughly
into two sections. The first section is taken mainly from Iran’s ancient mythology, while the second is more
historical and tells us about the history of the Sassanians (the last rulers of Iran before the coming of
Islam) up to their defeat by the forces of Islam.

The author of the Shāhnāma is Abu’l Qasim Firdausi Tusi, who was born in Tus in northeastern Iran
in 940 AD. For composing the Shāhnāma, he is considered to be one of Iran’s greatest poets.But his
greatness was recognized only after his death, and it seems that he led a difficult life while he was alive.
For various reasons, Sultan Mahmud also seems not to have recognized the greatness of the Shāhnāma,
and rewarded Firdausi with an amount that the poet thought was humiliating. Unfortunately for Firdausi
but fortunately for us, the Shāhnāma was later recognized for what it was-- one of the greatest long
poems ever composed in Persian, and later to become Iran’s nationalepic.

One of the most famous stories of the Shāhnāma is the tale of Rustam and Sohrab. Rustam is a
legendary warrior from ancient Iranian mythology, famous for his strength and fearlessness in battle. He
has a son called Sohrab, who is also a champion warrior. The father and son have never met, and the first
time they meet is on the battlefield. But they fight without knowing who the other is. After a long battle,
Sohrab receives a fatal wound from his father. As he lies on the battlefield dying, he utters his last words
to Rustam, which reveal that he is actually Rustam’s son, and Rustam has killed him accidentally. Rustam’s
horror on hearing this and his inconsolable grief is something that only a poet of Firdausi’s ability could
capture in verse. Read this tragic story for yourself, and experience what high tragedy looks like in the
hands of a master craftsman. Wheeler Thackston, A Millennium of Classical Persian Poetry (Maryland: Ibex
Publishers, 2000), 5-8. 8

Annexure 1: The Sasanian dynasty began with Ardisher I. in AD 228, and, after the reign of many
kings, ended with that of Yezdijard III. The battle of Nahawand, in AD 641, decided the fate of Persia, and
the empire fell […] And thus ancient Persian history ends […]. Among the kings of the Sasanian dynasty the
most celebrated was Naushirvan the Just, who succeeded to the throne in AD 530. He ordered the
construction of new roads, bridges, dykes, and buildings, and encouraged schools and literature.
Philosophers from Greece and India resorted to his court, and the ‘Fables of Bidpay,’ brought from India,4
were translated into Pehlevi, a dialect of the ancient Persian. His minister, Buzarjimehr, was a man of
extraordinary wisdom, whom he had risen from the lowest station at Merv. The games of chess and
draughts are said to have been introduced into Persia from India during this period. Naushirvan died in AD
578, and was buried at Tus, in Khurasan. At his death the empire of Persia extended from the Red Sea,
including Southern Arabia and parts of East Africa, to the Caspian; from the Euxine to the distant banks of
the Jaxartes; and from the Mediterranean to the Indus.5