Shloka 16
Ālasyadoṣa-nirdeśa (On the Fault of Negligence) — The Camel’s Long-Neck Exemplum
एवं दुर्बुद्धिना प्राप्तमुष्टेण निधनं तदा । आलस्यस्य क्रमात् पश्य महान्तं दोषमागतम्
evaṁ durbuddhinā prāptamuṣṭeṇa nidhanaṁ tadā | ālasyasya kramāt paśya mahāntaṁ doṣam āgatam ||
Así, por necedad, la muerte fue entonces provocada por un simple puñetazo. Mira cómo, paso a paso, de la pereza nace una gran falta, que crece hasta volverse ruina.
उड्ड उवाच
Educational Q&A
Negligence and laziness are not minor flaws: they progress step by step into major moral failure, and when joined with foolish judgment (durbuddhi), they can culminate in sudden catastrophe—even death from something as small as a fist-blow.
Uḍḍa draws a moral from an example just cited: due to foolish conduct, a person meets death through a simple fist. He uses this to warn the listener to observe how laziness gradually breeds serious faults and disastrous outcomes.