Once upon a time, all the birds, including swans, parrots, cranes, cuckoos, nightingales, owls, peacocks, doves, partridges, and others, convened for a meeting. They began discussing with great fervor.
“Garuda is our king,” they said, “but he is so occupied with serving Lord Vishnu that he doesn’t attend to our needs. What’s the use of having a king who merely holds a title? He never aids us in escaping the traps set by hunters! They say:
‘As a boat without a helmsman
Just drifts with the tide,
So too the people come to grief,
When their king takes no care of them.
So never put your faith in such a king
Any more than you would in a sinking ship in the ocean.’
The same applies to:
A teacher who does not teach,
A Brahmin who does not study the Vedas,
A wife with a sharp tongue,
A cowherd in a town,
And a barber aspiring to become a Sanyasi.”
“And so,” continued the birds, “let’s carefully consider this matter and elect a new king!”
When the birds surveyed each other, they noticed the owl’s impressive features, and everyone agreed, “The owl shall be our king. Prepare for the coronation!”
Thus, the birds gathered water from holy rivers and a variety of roots. They adorned the throne lavishly and spread a tiger skin on the ground before it. A map of all continents and oceans was drawn, drums were beaten, and conches were blown. Brahmins recited the Vedas while maidens sang songs of joy.
However, just as the owl was about to be crowned, a crow arrived and asked, “What’s the meaning of this gathering of birds?”
Seeing the crow, the birds decided to hear its opinion as well, for they say:
“A barber is the shrewdest amongst men,
A crow amongst birds,
A jackal amongst animals,
And a white-robed Jain Muni amongst hermits.”
And,
“A plan, once decided upon,
In consultation with a wise man,
Will never go astray.”
“Birds,” said the crow, “why this meeting and celebration?”
“We birds lack our own king,” replied the birds, “so we’ve chosen to crown this owl as our king. You’ve arrived just in time to offer your opinion.”
“Well,” replied the crow, “my advice opposes crowning the owl as our king. Why select this ugly and blind-by-day owl when we have among us the finest birds such as peacocks, swans, cuckoos, nightingales, pigeons, cranes, and more! I advise against it! His crooked nose and squint eyes make him appear cruel even when he’s not angry. What would he look like when genuinely furious? Why elect such an ugly and menacing leader? Moreover, even if the owl possesses qualities, it’s unnecessary to choose another king. We already have Garuda, whose mere mention can deter our enemies. They say:
“The mere utterance of a great man’s name
Helps you get out of difficulties.
In this way, the hares mentioned the name of Chandrama
And lived happily ever after.”
“How was that?” asked the birds.
And the crow told: THE STORY OF THE HARES AND THE ELEPHANTS
