Panchatantra · Sanskrit Story

The Two-Headed Bird

द्विमुखः पक्षी

पञ्चतन्त्र — Pañcatantra (Bharunda bird variant) · Beginner Sanskrit

Moral · नीतिः

आत्मघातः आत्मकलहात् जायते।

ātmaghātaḥ ātmakalahāt jāyate.

Self-destruction comes from fighting oneself.

The Bharunda Bird

एकस्मिन् वने एकः अद्भुतः पक्षी आसीत् — भरुण्डः। तस्य द्वे मुखे आस्ताम् परन्तु एकः एव उदरः आसीत्। एकस्य मुखस्य नाम उत्तमः। अपरस्य मुखस्य नाम अधमः। उभौ मिलित्वा एकस्मिन् शरीरे वसतः स्म।

In a certain forest there was a wonderful bird — the Bharunda. It had two heads but only one stomach. The name of one head was Uttama ("the high one"). The name of the other head was Adhama ("the low one"). Both lived together in one body.

Read the full story in Sanskrit

With vocabulary, grammar notes & pronunciation

Read on VedaLingo — Free →

VedaLingo — Learn Sanskrit through Panchatantra stories, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata and more. Free Sanskrit learning app with pronunciation, grammar notes and moral stories.