The Lion And The Bull

Once upon a time, in a dense jungle near the Ganga river, lived a mighty lion named Pingalaka. He was the king of the forest and ruled with pride and power. His ministers were two clever jackals named Damanaka and Karataka.

One summer, a strong and healthy bull named Sanjeevaka came wandering into the forest. He had been left behind by his farmer master when he fell sick. But after resting by the river and eating green grass, he recovered and grew even stronger than before.

One day, Pingalaka came to the river to drink water and heard the bull bellowing loudly. At first, the lion got scared, thinking some new dangerous animal had entered his kingdom. He backed off and refused to go near the river.

The jackals noticed the lion’s fear. Damanaka, the more cunning one, said,
“Let me find out who made that sound. If it’s harmless, I’ll prove my worth.”

Damanaka met Sanjeevaka and realized he was just a gentle, abandoned bull. He cleverly became friends with him and saw an opportunity to gain power.

He returned and told the lion,
“O mighty king, that sound came from a noble creature named Sanjeevaka. He wants to serve you!”

The lion, reassured, invited the bull to court. In time, Pingalaka and Sanjeevaka became best friends. The lion admired the bull’s wisdom and strength, and soon, Sanjeevaka became the king’s closest companion, even more trusted than the jackals.

This made Damanaka and Karataka jealous. They feared they would lose their influence over the lion. So they plotted to break the friendship.

Damanaka went to the lion and whispered lies:
“O king, your dear friend the bull is growing proud. He plans to fight and take over your throne.”

Then he told Sanjeevaka : “Your Majesty, the lion no longer trusts you. He plans to kill you before you become too powerful.”

Both friends grew suspicious and angry. One day, they met face to face and ready to fight.

A fierce battle broke out between the lion and the bull. Though Sanjeevaka fought bravely, he was no match for the lion. The bull was killed.

The lion, full of sorrow, later realized he had been tricked by his own ministers. But it was too late—his friendship had been destroyed, and Sanjeevaka was gone forever.

Moral – Beware of cunning advisors. False friends can ruin even the strongest bonds.