Shloka 11
Ālasyadoṣa-nirdeśa (On the Fault of Negligence) — The Camel’s Long-Neck Exemplum
अथ शीतपरीताज्रो जम्बुक: क्षुच्छुमान्वित: । सदारस्तां गुहामाशु प्रविवेश जलार्दित:
atha śītaparītāṅgo jambukaḥ kṣucchramānvitaḥ | sadāras tāṁ guhām āśu praviveśa jalārditaḥ ||
Puis, lorsque la pluie commença, un chacal—les membres raidis par le froid, tourmenté par la faim et l’épreuve, trempé d’eau—entra en hâte dans cette caverne avec sa compagne.
उड्ड उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a situation of acute suffering—cold, hunger, exhaustion, and being drenched—preparing the ethical ground for how one should act when vulnerable: seeking shelter, protecting dependents, and recognizing that hardship tests (and reveals) character and dharma.
With the onset of rains, a jackal, weakened by hunger and fatigue and stiff with cold, rushes into a cave for refuge, bringing his mate along. It is a transition into a shelter-setting where subsequent events and moral points can unfold.