Shloka 21
Ālasyadoṣa-nirdeśa (On the Fault of Negligence) — The Camel’s Long-Neck Exemplum
इदं हि सद्धिः कथित विधिज्ञै: पुरा महेन्द्रप्रतिमप्र भाव । मयापि चोक्तं तव शास्त्रदृष्ट्या यथैव बुद्ध्वा प्रचरस्व राजन्
idaṃ hi sadbhiḥ kathitaṃ vidhijñaiḥ purā mahendrapratimaprabhāva | mayāpi coktaṃ tava śāstradṛṣṭyā yathaiva buddhvā pracarasva rājan ||
Wahai raja yang wibawanya sebanding dengan Indra, ajaran ini telah disampaikan sejak dahulu oleh orang-orang saleh yang memahami tata aturan pemerintahan. Aku pun telah mengatakannya kepadamu menurut pandangan śāstra. Maka, wahai raja, pahamilah dengan sungguh-sungguh dan bertindaklah tepat sebagaimana itu.
उड्ड उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king should govern by well-established principles of rajadharma: teachings preserved by virtuous, rule-knowing elders and confirmed by śāstric reasoning. The emphasis is on understanding the doctrine thoroughly and then acting accordingly.
Uḍḍa addresses a king, praising him as Indra-like in power, and concludes a piece of counsel: the guidance is not novel but an ancient, authoritative tradition taught by the righteous and aligned with śāstra; the king is urged to comprehend it and implement it in conduct and rule.