In the previous episode, we had witnessed the continuation of Bhishmachaarya’s accord on performing our “Karma” meticulously without running away from it. We’ve seen in detail as to how Yudishtra wanted to run away from Hastinapura, in order to perform penance in the forest. However, Bhishmachaarya has completely put a full-stop on Yudishtra’s intent and emphasizes that there’s no option of running away like this. To highlight this point more, Bhishmachaarya is narrating a beautiful story wherein a camel is praying to Bhagawan Brahma to grant him a boon of an ultra-long neck. As we know, normally camels have long necks and legs, but this camel wanted more length to his neck! Amused by the camel’s request, Bhagawan Brahma also gifted it with a neck which is around a thousand kilometers in length! With this, the camel started to stick out its neck everywhere for its food and water, without moving an inch from its existing place.
Now moving on thus, with this kind of a peculiar laziness, the camel started to satisfy its food and water requirements from all directions, without making a move from its original place of sitting. Once upon a time, it started to rain heavily. Unable to get any food nearby, the camel stretches its neck into a tunnel, which is at a great distance from where it is sitting. The camel is able to stretch its long neck inside the tunnel, to check whether there are some plants, shrubs, etc. to eat. Fortunately for its good luck, the camel is able to get excellent food inside the tunnel. However, at the same time, there was a group of foxes which were roaming here and there, unable to get proper food due to the excessive rain. All the other animals have sheltered themselves in their own hiding places, and these foxes were starving without food. At this moment, when these foxes make their way to this tunnel, they find a long neck which is chewing food constantly. Upon looking at this unusually long neck of the camel, the foxes are delighted and they start jumping up in joy! They discuss within themselves thus, “Oh wow! Today we’ve got a great prey in front of our eyes! Let us make the maximum use of it! This camel has an unusually long neck, which is enough to satisfy all our hunger at a stretch! We can plan in a certain fashion so that all of us can bite this neck together and eat!”
Saying thus, the foxes make their vicious plans. As we already know, foxes are known for this vicious planning and execution, they immediately get on to their jobs without wasting much time. As the foxes started biting the camel’s neck, initially the camel did not realize anything! It was busy enjoying the plants and shrubs in the forest. The mere sense of someone biting its neck reached the camel’s brain quite late, as it was sitting very far away! By the time the camel realized that these foxes are biting its neck harder, it was too late! The camel breathed its last, unable to bear the extreme pain in its long neck!
Narrating this story, Bhishmachaarya explains thus, “Oh Yudishtra! If you’re lazy and unwilling to get up and do your tasks, you will definitely go the camel’s way! Just like how the camel tried to satisfy everything from the place where it was sitting (Comfort zone), if you sit in the forest (Comfort zone), you will also meet the same fate as the camel! Hence, Oh Yudishtra! You should never give room to laziness to take over your tasks! Once this happens, you will only start looking out for ways to escape from performing your duty! Only because you’ve found a lazy way out, are you talking about going to the forest and performing penance. This is not the right way in which you should talk and act! You should never be like this camel, when it comes to performing your duties meticulously towards your kingdom and people!”
Saying thus, Bhishmachaarya highlights the importance of “Karma” and how it is mandatory that all of us should perform the “Karma” that is assigned to us by Bhagawan, rather than trying to escape from it! So for today, let us understand up to this point, and in the next episode, we shall take this discussion forward with the next point, being highlighted by another beautiful story from Bhishmachaarya! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 