Shloka 3
Sandhi–Vigraha in Āpada: The Mouse and the Cat (सन्धिविग्रहापदि—मूषकमार्जारसंवादः)
निषाद्यां क्षत्रियाज्जात: क्षत्रधर्मानुपालक: । कायव्यो नाम नैषादिर्दस्युत्वात् सिद्धिमाप्तवान्
bhīṣma uvāca | niṣādyāṃ kṣatriyāj jātaḥ kṣatradharmānupālakaḥ | kāyavyo nāma naiṣādir dasyutvāt siddhim āptavān |
Bhishma said: ‘Born of a Niṣāda woman by a Kṣatriya father, he steadfastly upheld the duties of a Kṣatriya. That Niṣāda, named Kāyavya, though branded a “dasyu” (outlaw), nevertheless attained spiritual success.’
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that spiritual and ethical success depends primarily on conduct—upholding dharma and disciplined duty—rather than on birth-category or social labeling. Even one stigmatized as a ‘dasyu’ can attain siddhi through righteous living.
Bhishma cites the example of Kāyavya, a Niṣāda by maternal lineage and socially regarded as an outlaw, yet one who maintained Kṣatriya duties and thereby attained accomplishment. The example supports Bhishma’s broader instruction on dharma in the Śānti Parva.