Shloka 4

Sandhi–Vigraha in Āpada: The Mouse and the Cat (सन्धिविग्रहापदि—मूषकमार्जारसंवादः)

Devanagari script

अरणप्ये सायं पूर्वाह्न मृगयूथप्रकोपिता । विधिज्ञो मृगजातीनां नैषादानां च कोविद:,कायव्य प्रतिदिन प्रातःकाल और सायंकालके समय वनमें जाकर मृगोंकी टोलियोंको उत्तेजित कर देता था। वह मृगोंकी विभिन्न जातियोंके स्वभावसे परिचित तथा उन्हें काबूमें करनेकी कलाको जाननेवाला था। निषादोंमें वह सबसे निपुण था

Transliteration

araṇapye sāyaṃ pūrvāhna mṛgayūthaprakopitā | vidhijño mṛgajātīnāṃ naiṣādānāṃ ca kovidaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Morgens und abends ging er in den Wald und scheuchte die Hirschherden auf, setzte sie in Bewegung. Er kannte die rechten Methoden im Umgang mit den verschiedenen Arten von Wild und verstand ihre Natur genau; unter den Niṣādas war er von besonderer Geschicklichkeit.“

Word by Word

• {'araṇye': 'in the forest, wilderness', 'sāyam': 'in the evening', 'pūrvāhna': 'in the forenoon, morning-time', 'mṛga': 'wild animal

• commonly deer', 'yūtha': 'herd, troop', 'prakopita': 'aroused, provoked, stirred up', 'vidhijña': 'knower of method/rule

• one skilled in proper procedure', 'mṛgajātīnāṃ': 'of the species/kinds of wild animals', 'naiṣādānām': 'of the Niṣādas

• forest-dwellers/hunters', 'kovidaḥ': 'expert, proficient, adept'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• araṇya (forest)
• mṛga (deer/game animals)
• mṛgayūtha (herds of deer)
• Niṣādas (Naiṣādas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds specialized knowledge and control over nature (tracking and managing different kinds of game). In the Shanti Parva’s ethical atmosphere, such competence invites reflection: skill is morally colored by its purpose—whether it supports rightful livelihood and restraint or becomes mere domination and harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes a person who routinely enters the forest at morning and evening to stir up herds of deer, showing mastery over the habits of various wild animals and being notably proficient among the Niṣāda hunter community.