The Cat

[jonathan silk]

>The Pancatantra tradition knows a story of a deceitful cat. It is
>acting like a sadhu and so it deceives the other animals. But its
>only intention is -- of course -- to eat them.

Of course, this sort of story (I do not know the textual source, if there
is one) is illustrated in a striking and humorous manner in the famous
bas-relief at Mahabalipuram, with the ascetic cat being done puja to by
mice.  It is illustrated in H. Zimmer, The Art of Indian Asia, plate 277
(central cleft of the stone, just to the right of the descent of the Ganga,
to the right of the lower naga).

Jonathan Silk
SILK at wmich.edu