Shloka 30
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
तथेति त॑ प्रतिज्ञाय मूषिका भरतर्षभ । वृद्धबालमथो सर्व मार्जाराय न्यवेदयन्
tatheti taṁ pratijñāya mūṣikā bharatarṣabha | vṛddhabālam atho sarvaṁ mārjārāya nyavedayan ||
“Baiklah,” demikian para tikus menyetujui, wahai yang termulia di antara keturunan Bharata. Setelah menyatakan persetujuan, mereka menyerahkan seluruh komunitasnya—para tua dan anak-anak—ke tangan si kucing.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that agreeing too readily to a powerful adversary’s terms—without discernment—can endanger an entire community. Ethical prudence (nīti) requires testing intentions, especially when the vulnerable (elders and children) will bear the cost of a wrong decision.
The mice respond “tathā” (“so be it”) and formally agree. Then they entrust their whole group, including elders and children, to the cat—an act that highlights their surrender to a natural predator and sets up the moral point about deception and imprudent submission.