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VAJJĀLAGGAM
[ 180–
but he will never tolerate, even in a difficult situation, the prodding done by the rustic cartman (or ploughman) with the goad.
181) An excellent bull harnessed to the yoke (of ia plough or cart) would rather break his shoulder (due to the excessive strain of the heavy yoke while pulling a plough or loaded cart), he would drag even a heavy burden, which is extremely difficult to pull (and in doing so, meet his death), but he would never tole. rate the challenging words (uttered by the cartman or plough-- man).
182) Oh house-holder, you who cannot appreciate the good (sterling) qualities of others as is clear from your indifference to the excellent bulls, you will know their value) when the burden in your cart (i.e. your loaded cart) comes to a standstill, as the wheels of the cart become stuck up (immersed. or submerged) in the sticky mud.
183) So long as his virtue (i.e. suitability for being yoked to the cart) is not known, he is not harnessed (to the cart), and so long as he is not harnessed, that virtue is not discovered (or proved). Hence when the burden on the cart (i.e. the loaded cart) comes to a dead stop, the excellent bull, yoked to the cart for the first time (in his life), becomes dejected.
184) The farmer (ploughman), though he possesses many an: ordinary bull, pleases himself with a single (excellent bull) i.e.. takes pleasure in using one single bull for doing various jobs), so that the self-same bull is yoked (by turns) to the cart and to the plough and is also made to carry burdens on his back.
185) How very difficult it is to secure excellent bulls capable of bearing the yoke on their shoulders and of carrying (heavy) burdens on their backs, who even in the midst of extremely grave difficulties pull (draw) the loads with utmost case (i.e. easily and without over-straining themselves).
19. The Section on the Vindhya Mountain
186) If the Vindhya mountain itself were not to endure patiently the digging up of the earth by the elephants with their
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