Shloka 122
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
विप्रमुक्तो5थ मार्जारस्तमेवाभ्यपतद् द्रुमम् । स तस्मात् सम्भ्रमावर्तान्मुक्तो घोरेण शत्रुणा
vipramukto 'tha mārjāras tam evābhyapatad drumam | sa tasmāt sambhramāvartān mukto ghoreṇa śatruṇā ||
Bhīṣma said: “Then, once released, the cat sprang back to that very tree. Having escaped that whirl of panic and confusion, it was freed from a dreadful enemy.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the movement from panic to safety: once danger passes, one should quickly return to a stable refuge and recognize deliverance from harmful forces. Ethically, it underscores prudence—seeking protection and avoiding needless exposure to threats.
A cat, having been released from danger, immediately leaps back onto the same tree for safety. It thereby escapes a turbulent state of fear and is described as being freed from a dreadful enemy.