Shloka 9
Ālasyadoṣa-nirdeśa (On the Fault of Negligence) — The Camel’s Long-Neck Exemplum
स कदाचित् प्रसार्यव तां ग्रीवां शतयोजनाम् । चचार श्रान्तहृदयो वातश्नचागात् ततो महान्
sa kadācit prasārya vā tāṁ grīvāṁ śatayojanām | cacāra śrāntahṛdayo vātaś ca agāt tato mahān ||
Un jour, déployant son cou—que l’on disait long de cent yojanas—il allait et venait en broutant. Son cœur ne se lassait point de manger ; mais, à cet instant même, un vent puissant se leva et souffla avec grande violence.
उड्ड उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up a moral contrast between unchecked appetite or complacent routine and the sudden arrival of overpowering external forces. It hints that worldly stability is fragile and that one should cultivate restraint and preparedness rather than assuming conditions will remain favorable.
A creature of extraordinary size extends its immensely long neck to graze and roams about feeding. At that moment, a powerful wind suddenly rises, signaling an impending turn in events.