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."'"

SECTION CXXXVIII

"'Yudhishthira said, "Thou hast, O bull of Bharata's race, said that that
intelligence which provides against the future, as well as that which can
meet present emergencies, is everywhere superior, while procrastination
brings about destruction. I desire, O grandsire, to hear of that superior
intelligence aided b