The Cat

[Peter Wyzlic]

On Wed, 28 Jan 1998, Leonard Zwilling wrote:

> I'm presently working on a Tibetan text which is purported to be a
> translation from a Sanskrit original.  In this text the cat is used
> as an example for a person of savage and devious mentality which is
> the way cats are still customarily viewed by Tibetans.  Can someone
> tell me whether this conforms to an/the Indian attitude towards the
> cat.  Has anyone written on the cat in Sanskrit literature.  Thanks.
>  Leonard Zwilling

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. The popular
edition of the Pancatantra I have at home gives this story in the
third book. I am not sure if it is already in the Tantrakhyayika.
If I am not totally wrong, you will find, at least, a similar
story in the Pali Jatakas; look into the PTSD, sub voce bi.laara.

All the best
Peter Wyzlic

--
Peter Wyzlic                                    pwyzlic at pwyz.rhein.de