Animals and their Traits

Indian people's love and regard towards animals has been shown in some of the programs of Kamats Potpourri. Each Hindu deity has a bird or beast as his or her vehicle or symbol.

In a previous entry, verses from 'Chanakya-niti' have been quoted, wherein, it is stated that a human being must imbibe traits special to each animal. Agnipurana, an encyclopaedic work of 10th century, lays down some more animal-traits which a ruler should learn.

" A king should ponder over the means of supplies like a heron, show the prowess like a lion, pounce upon his enemies, with the lightness of and ferocity of a wolf, dart forth from his strongholds with swiftness, like a hare and strike like a boar. He should move about in pomp and splendour like a peacock, be faithful as a horse, sweet-voiced like a cuckoo, and suspicious as a crow, while living under the roof of a stranger."
-Agnipuranam
Chapter CCX XVII

Well known five parts of parables, Panchatantra which was inspiration to Aesop's fables, has only animals as heroes in its tales. Ancient Indian poets noticed and wrote about animal behavior. They loved their fellow living-beings, viz animals and mentioned them in their works. Several subhashitas (epigrams) exist on this subject.

"There is no difference between a crow and a cuckoo as both are black. However, the spring arrives and proves, crow is a crow and cuckoo is a cuckoo."

Subhashita:
kakah krishnah pikah krishnah
kobhedo pikahkakeyoo vasant samaye prapte kakah kakah pikah pikah.