Shloka 11
अध्याय १७८ — प्राणवायुगतिः तथा शारीराग्निव्यवस्था
Adhyāya 178 — The courses of prāṇa-vāyu and the regulation of the bodily fire
उद्यम्योद्यम्य मे दम्यौ विषमेणैव गच्छत: । उत्क्षिप्प काकतालीयमुत्पथेनैव धावत:
udyamyodyamya me damyau viṣameṇaiva gacchataḥ | utkṣipya kākātālīyam utpathenaiva dhāvataḥ ||
Bhishma sprach: „Dieses Kamel, das meine beiden geliebten Kälber immer wieder hochschleudert und durchschüttelt, zieht nur über einen rauen, unebenen Pfad. Durch bloßen Zufall — wie in der ‘Krähe-und-Palme’-Begebenheit — hat es sie sich an den Hals gehoben und jagt über einen schlechten Weg dahin. Meine teuren Kälber hängen an seiner Kehle wie ein Paar Edelsteine. Das ist nichts als das Spiel des Schicksals. Was vermag menschliches Mühen, wenn es nur stures, gewaltsames Drängen ist?“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the tension between daiva (fate) and puruṣārtha (human effort): events may unfold through sheer coincidence and uncontrollable forces, so one should not assume that stubborn exertion alone guarantees outcomes; wisdom lies in recognizing limits and cultivating equanimity.
Bhishma uses a vivid image: a camel rushes along a harsh, wrong path while two young calves hang from its neck like jewels—an accidental, ‘kākātālīya’ occurrence. The scene becomes an illustration that some situations arise from chance/fate rather than deliberate planning.