Shloka 10
Ālasyadoṣa-nirdeśa (On the Fault of Negligence) — The Camel’s Long-Neck Exemplum
स गुहायां शिरो ग्रीवां निधाय पशुरात्मन: । आस्ते तु वर्षमभ्यागात् सुमहत् प्लावयज्जगत्
sa guhāyāṃ śiro grīvāṃ nidhāya paśur ātmanaḥ | āste tu varṣam abhyāgāt sumahat plāvayaj jagat |
L’animal, ayant enfoncé sa caverne sa tête et son cou, y demeura. Alors survint une pluie d’une violence immense, si forte qu’elle semblait submerger le monde entier.
उड्ड उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up an ethical situation where a helpless creature faces danger due to natural forces; such narrative framing in Śānti Parva commonly prepares for a discussion on dharma expressed as protection of the vulnerable and compassionate response in crisis.
An animal has its head and neck stuck/placed into a cave and remains there; at that moment an immense rainstorm begins, described as flooding the world, intensifying the animal’s peril and driving the story toward a moral decision.