"'Bhishma said, "These two, viz., one that provides for the future, and
one possessed of presence of mind, always enjoy happiness. The man of
procrastination, however, is lost. In this connection, listen attentively
to the following excellent story of a procrastinating person in the
matter of settling his course of action. In a lake that was not very deep
and which abounded with fishes, there lived three Sakula fishes that were
friends and constant companions. Amongst those three one had much
forethought and always liked to provide for what was coming. Another was
possessed of great presence of mind. The third was procrastinating. One
day certain fishermen coming to that lake began to bale out its waters to
a lower ground through diverse outlets. Beholding the water of the lake
gradually decreasing, the fish that had much foresight, addressing his
two companions on that occasion of danger, said, 'A great danger is about
to overtake all the aquatic creatures living in this lake. Let us
speedily go to some other place before our path becomes obstructed. He
that resists future evil by the aid of good policy, never incurs serious
danger. Let my counsels prevail with you. Let us all leave this place.'
That one amongst the three who was procrastinating then answered, 'It is
well said. There is, however, no need of such haste. This is my
deliberate opinion.' Then the other fish, who was noted for presence of
mind, addressed his procrastinating companion and said, 'When the time
for anything comes, I never fail to provide for it according to policy.'
Hearing the answers of his two companions, he of great forethought and
considerable intelligence immediately set out by a current and reached
another deep lake. The fishermen, seeing that all the water had been
baled out, shut in the fishes that remained, by diverse means. Then they
began to agitate the little water that remained, and as they began to
catch the fish, the procrastinating Sakula was caught with many others.
When the fisherman began to tie to a long string the fishes they had
caught, the Sakula who was noted for presence of mind thrust himself into
the company of those that had been so tied and remained quietly among
them, biting the string, for he thought that he should do it to give the
appearance of being caught. The fishermen believed that all the fishes
attached to the string had been caught. They then removed them to a place
of deep water for washing them. Just at that time the Sakula noted for
presence of mind, leaving the string, quickly escaped. That fish,
however, who had been procrastinating, foolish and senseless and without
intelligence as he was, and, therefore, unable to escape, met with death.
"'"Thus every one meets with destruction, like the procrastinating fish,
who from want of intelligence cannot divine the hour of danger. That man,
again, who regarding himself clever does not seek his own good in proper
time, incurs great danger like the Sakula who had presence of mind. Hence
these two only, viz., he that has much forethought and he that has
presence of mind, succeed in obtaining happiness. He, however, that is
procrastinating meets with destruction. Diverse are the divisions of
time, such as Kashtha, Kala, Muhurta, day, night, Lava, month, fortnight,
the six seasons, Kalpa, year. The divisions of the earth are called
place. Time cannot be seen. As regards the success of any object or
purpose, it is achieved or not achieved according to the manner in which
the mind is set to think of it. These two, viz., the person of
forethought and the person of presence of mind, have been declared by the
Rishis to be the foremost of men in all treatises on morality and profit
and in those dealing with emancipation. One, however, that does
everything after reflection and scrutiny, one that avails oneself of
proper means for the accomplishment of one's objects, always succeeds in
achieving much. Those again that act with due regard to time and place
succeed in winning results better than the mere man of foresight and the
man of presence of mind."'"