Shloka 12
Ālasyadoṣa-nirdeśa (On the Fault of Negligence) — The Camel’s Long-Neck Exemplum
स दृष्टवा मांसजीवी तु सुभृशं क्षुच्छुमान्वित: । अभक्षयत् ततो ग्रीवामुष्टस्य भरतर्षभ
sa dṛṣṭvā māṁsajīvī tu subhṛśaṁ kṣucchumānvitāḥ | abhakṣayat tato grīvām uṣṭasya bharatarṣabha ||
Wahai yang terbaik di antara keturunan Bharata! Melihat unta itu, serigala pemakan daging tersebut tersiksa oleh lapar yang hebat; lalu ia mulai menggerogoti dan memakan leher unta itu.
उड्ड उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how overpowering hunger and ingrained predatory disposition can eclipse restraint, leading to harmful action; ethically, it cautions that unchecked impulses (kṣudh/kāma) can push one away from dharma and compassion.
A flesh-eating jackal, suffering acute hunger, sees a camel and begins to feed by biting and devouring the camel’s neck, depicting opportunistic violence driven by need and habit.