Shloka 106

Devanagari script

तमेवंवादिन प्राज्ञ: शास्त्रबुद्धिसमन्वित: । उवाचेदं वच: श्रेष्ठ मार्जार मूषिकस्तदा,चूहा बड़ा विद्वान्‌ तथा नीतिशास्त्रको जाननेवाली बुद्धिसे सम्पन्न था। उसने उस समय इस प्रकार कहनेवाले बिलावसे यह उत्तम बात कही--

Transliteration

tam evaṁ-vādinaṁ prājñaḥ śāstra-buddhi-samanvitaḥ | uvācedaṁ vacaḥ śreṣṭha mārjāra-mūṣikas tadā ||

Translation

Then the wise mouse—endowed with an intellect trained by the teachings of the śāstras—addressed the cat who was speaking in that manner, and spoke these excellent words.

Word by Word

तम्him

एवम्thus

वादिनम्the speaker; one who was speaking

प्राज्ञःthe wise one

शास्त्रबुद्धिसमन्वितःendowed with scriptural/political intelligence

उवाचsaid

इदम्this

वचःspeech; words

श्रेष्ठexcellent; best

मार्जारमूषिकःthe cat-and-mouse (character named Mārjāra-mūṣika / the mouse in relation to the cat)

तदाthen

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

mārjāra (cat)

mūṣika (mouse)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wisdom grounded in śāstra and nīti should guide one’s response to persuasive speech—especially when the speaker may be untrustworthy. The verse frames the mouse as discerning and ethically alert before replying.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s discourse, a cat has spoken in a certain way; now the mouse, described as learned and prudent, responds with an ‘excellent’ statement, signaling a moralized dialogue between natural adversaries.