Shloka 49

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

ततोड<र्थगतितत्त्वज्ञ: संधिविग्रहकालवित्‌ | सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वाक्‍्यं मार्जारं मूषिकोडब्रवीत्‌,इस प्रकार चूहेने शत्रुकी चेष्टापर विचार किया। वह अर्थसिद्धिके उपायको यथार्थरूपसे जाननेवाला तथा संधि और विग्रहके अवसरको समझनेवाला था। उसने बिलावको सान्त्वना देते हुए मधुर वाणीमें कहा--

Transliteration

tato 'rthagati-tattvajñaḥ sandhi-vigraha-kāla-vit | sāntva-pūrvam idaṃ vākyaṃ mārjāraṃ mūṣiko 'bravīt ||

Translation

Then the mouse—one who truly understood the course of advantage and the principles of effective means, and who knew when to seek alliance and when to enter conflict—considered the enemy’s intentions. Seeking first to pacify, he addressed the cat with conciliatory, sweet words, choosing diplomacy as the ethical and strategic opening move before any harsher course.

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'artha-gati': 'the course/trajectory of advantage or practical success', 'tattva-jñaḥ': 'knower of the true principle

• one who understands reality', 'sandhi': 'alliance, treaty, making peace', 'vigraha': 'hostility, conflict, rupture', 'kāla-vit': 'knower of the proper time/occasion', 'sāntva-pūrvam': 'beginning with conciliation

• preceded by appeasement', 'idaṃ vākyaṃ': 'these words

• this statement', 'mārjāram': 'the cat', 'mūṣikaḥ': 'the mouse', 'abravīt': 'said, spoke'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• mūṣika (mouse)
• mārjāra (cat)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wise conduct begins with discerning the opponent’s intent and choosing the right method at the right time; conciliation (sāntva) is often the first and most ethical strategic step before escalation to open conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s discourse on nīti, the mouse evaluates the cat’s hostile designs and, knowing the proper occasions for alliance or conflict, speaks to the cat in soothing, diplomatic language to manage danger and gain advantage.