याचते कार्य-काले यः स किं-भृत्यः स किं-सुहृत् । भृत्यान्सम्भाषयेद्यस्तु कार्य-काले स किं-प्रभुः ॥
yācate kārya-kāle yaḥ sa kiṃ-bhṛtyaḥ sa kiṃ-suhṛt | bhṛtyānsambhāṣayedyastu kārya-kāle sa kiṃ-prabhuḥ ||
(The donkey:) He who makes demands at the time of need: what kind of servant is he, what kind of friend? (The dog:) But he who speaks kindly to his servants only at the time of need: what kind of master is he?
(गधा:) जो काम के समय माँगें रखता है, वह कैसा सेवक, कैसा मित्र? (कुत्ता:) और जो सेवकों से केवल काम पड़ने पर ही बात करता है, वह कैसा स्वामी?
Meaning today and contextआज के लिए अर्थ और संदर्भ
Both sides of a working relationship are named here: an employee who bargains only in a crisis, and an employer who remembers his people only when he needs them. Loyalty has to be kept up from both sides in ordinary times.
यहाँ काम के रिश्ते के दोनों पक्ष दिखाए गए हैं: वह कर्मचारी जो सिर्फ़ संकट में सौदा करता है, और वह मालिक जो अपने लोगों को केवल ज़रूरत पड़ने पर याद करता है। निष्ठा दोनों ओर से, सामान्य दिनों में भी, निभानी पड़ती है।
In Karaṭaka's tale, a thief has broken into the washerman's house; the donkey tells the dog to bark, and the dog, underfed by his master, refuses. The donkey speaks the first line, the dog answers with the second.