Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 8
Ālasyadoṣa-nirdeśa (On the Fault of Negligence) — The Camel’s Long-Neck Exemplum
स चकार तदा55लस्यं वरदानात् सुदुर्मति: । न चैच्छच्चरितु गन्तुं दुरात्मा कालमोहितः
sa cakāra tadā ālasyaṃ varadānāt sudurmatiḥ | na caicchac carituṃ gantuṃ durātmā kālamohitaḥ ||
Setelah memperoleh anugerah itu, unta yang berakal buruk tersebut jatuh ke dalam kemalasan. Terpedaya oleh Kala (Waktu), makhluk berhati jahat itu tidak lagi ingin pergi merumput ataupun bergerak ke mana pun.
उड्ड उवाच
Educational Q&A
A boon or sudden advantage, if not guided by discipline and dharma, can produce ālasya (sloth) and a fall in character; being kālamohita (deluded by Time) symbolizes surrender to inertia and fate instead of right effort.
Uḍḍa describes a camel who, after receiving a boon, becomes lazy and refuses to go out to graze or travel, illustrating how a corrupted mind turns blessings into self-harm.