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

Transliteration

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

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ici et maintenant, je ne vois pour moi d’autre voie que de m’en remettre à ce chat. Bien qu’il soit mon ennemi juré, il se trouve à présent lui-même pris dans une détresse grave ; et par mon entremise, un grand service peut aussi lui être rendu.»

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.