Shloka 41

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

न त्वन्यामिह मार्जाराद्‌ गतिं पश्यामि साम्प्रतम्‌ । विषमस्थो हायं शत्रु: कृत्यं चास्य महन्मया,“मैं इस समय इस बिलावका सहारा लेनेके सिवा, अपने लिये दूसरा कोई मार्ग नहीं देखता। यद्यपि यह मेरा कट्टर शत्रु है, तथापि इस समय स्वयं ही भारी संकटमें पड़ा हुआ है। मेरे द्वारा इसका भी बड़ा भारी काम निकल सकता है

Transliteration

na tv anyām iha mārjārād gatiṁ paśyāmi sāmpratam | viṣamastho hāyaṁ śatruḥ kṛtyaṁ cāsya mahan mayā ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Here and now I see no other course for myself except to rely on this cat. Though it is indeed my bitter enemy, at present it is itself caught in a grave predicament; and through me, a great service can be rendered to it as well.”

Word by Word

• {'na': 'not', 'tu': 'but/indeed', 'anyām': 'another (feminine accusative

• i.e., another way/course)', 'iha': 'here, in this situation', 'mārjārāt': 'from/than the cat (ablative of mārjāra)', 'gatiṁ': 'path, course, refuge, means of escape', 'paśyāmi': 'I see', 'sāmpratam': 'now, at present', 'viṣamasthaḥ': 'standing in difficulty

• in a perilous condition', 'ha': 'indeed (emphatic particle)', 'ayam': 'this', 'śatruḥ': 'enemy', 'kṛtyam': 'a task to be done

• service/benefit (something that can/should be accomplished)', 'ca': 'and', 'asya': 'of him/it', 'mahat': 'great, significant', 'mayā': 'by me'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• cat (mārjāra)
• enemy (śatru)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even toward an enemy, one may choose a course that is necessary for survival and also beneficial to the other; ethical action can include rendering help when the opponent is in distress, without denying the reality of enmity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes a constrained situation where he sees no alternative but to take the support of a cat. He acknowledges the cat as an enemy, yet notes it is presently in danger, and that he can accomplish a significant good for it.