अलिर्बाणो ज्योतिषकः स्तब्धीभूतः किमेककः ।
प्रेषितप्रेषकश्चैव षडेते सेवकाधमाः ॥
alir bāṇo jyotiṣakaḥ stabdhībhūtaḥ kimekakaḥ |
preṣita-preṣakaś caiva ṣaḍ ete sevakādhamāḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“One who is like a bee, one who is like an arrow, one who is astrological, one who is stiff, one who thinks ‘how [can I do things] alone?’, and one who is a dispatcher of the dispatched—these six are the worst servitors.”
Commentary
(1) “One who is like a bee” refers to one who is selfish or disloyal, as a bee is known to move about from flower to flower seeking nectar and remain with any one flower only so long as it can extract nectar from it. Similarly, an undesirable servant’s motivation for service is completely selfish, and such a servant only remains engaged in service so long as their selfish purpose is fulfilled.
(2) “One who is like an arrow” refers to a servant with a one-track mind who is incapable of understanding the purpose of their service tasks and how to make adjustments in the course of rendering service to properly fulfill them.
(3) “One who is astrological” refers to a servant who engages in service only when astrological circumstances, or circumstances in general, are considered favorable and not otherwise. In other words, the servant lacks perseverance or simply procrastinates.
(4) “One who is stiff” refers to a servant who is lazy, late, slow, slack, or dull, or to a servant who is obstinate, stubborn, insensitive, arrogant, or pretentious.
(5) “One who thinks ‘how [can I do things] alone?’ refers to a servant who lacks self-confidence, a servant who resists or dislikes performing tasks alone, or a servant who feels they are overworked or that others are being given easier responsibilities than they are.
(6) “One who is a dispatcher of the dispatched” refers to servant who passes off their duties to others and does not fulfill their own responsibilities; one who passes the buck.