Shloka 72

Devanagari script

इत्येवमुक्त: पलितो मार्जारं वशमागतम्‌ । वाक्‍्यं हितमुवाचेदमभिनीतार्थमर्थवित्‌,बिलावके ऐसा कहनेपर अपने प्रयोजनको समझनेवाले पलितने वशमें आये हुए उस बिलावसे यह अभिप्रायपूर्ण हितकर बात कही--

Transliteration

ity evam uktaḥ palito mārjāraṃ vaśam āgatam | vākyaṃ hitam uvācedam abhinītārtham arthavit |

Translation

Bhishma dijo: Dicho esto, Palita —el anciano de cabellos canos, sabio y conocedor del verdadero propósito— dirigió al gato, ya sometido a su dominio, unas palabras provechosas, cargadas de intención.

Word by Word

इतिthus

एवम्in this manner

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

पलितःPalita (name)

मार्जारम्cat

वशम्control, subjection

आगतम्come, arrived (into)

वाक्यम्speech, statement

हितम्beneficial, wholesome

उवाचsaid, spoke

इदम्this

अभिनीतार्थम्having an implied/indirect meaning

अर्थवित्knower of the meaning/purpose

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Palita

Cat (mārjāra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That wise counsel (hita-vākya) should be delivered with discernment of purpose (arthavit) and, when needed, with implied meaning (abhinīta-artha), especially when dealing with someone already brought under control—highlighting prudence in ethical instruction and strategy.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s discourse, the character Palita, having been addressed, now finds the cat subdued or compliant (vaśam āgata) and proceeds to speak a welfare-oriented but deliberately suggestive statement—setting up the next part of the fable-like episode.