Shloka 9

Sandhi–Vigraha in Āpada: The Mouse and the Cat (सन्धिविग्रहापदि—मूषकमार्जारसंवादः)

Devanagari script

येअ्स्मान्न प्रतिगृह्लन्ति दस्युभोजनशड्कया । तेषामासज्य गेहेषु कल्य एव स गच्छति,जो लोग लुटेरेके घरका भोजन होनेकी आशंकासे उसके हाथसे अन्न नहीं ग्रहण करते थे, उनके घरोंमें वह बड़े सबेरे ही अन्न और फल-मूल आदि भोजन-सामग्री रख जाता था

Transliteration

ye ’smān na pratigṛhṇanti dasyubhojanaśaṅkayā | teṣām āsajya geheṣu kalya eva sa gacchati ||

Translation

ದಸ್ಯುವಿನ ಮನೆಯ ಆಹಾರವೆಂಬ ಶಂಕೆಯಿಂದ ಅವನ ಕೈಯಿಂದ ಅನ್ನವನ್ನು ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸದವರ ಮನೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ, ಅವನು ಬೆಳಗಿನ ಜಾವದಲ್ಲೇ ಅನ್ನ, ಹಣ್ಣು-ಬೇರು ಮುಂತಾದ ಸಾಮಗ್ರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಮೌನವಾಗಿ ಇಟ್ಟು ಹೊರಟುಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದನು.

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

अस्मात्from me

नnot

प्रतिगृह्णन्तिaccept, receive

दस्यु-भोजन-शङ्कयाdue to the fear/suspicion of (it being) a robber's food

तेषाम्of them

आसज्यhaving approached/attached oneself (to), having gone up to

गेहेषुin (their) houses

कल्येearly in the morning

एवindeed, just

सःhe

गच्छतिgoes

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

robbers/bandits (dasyu)

houses (geha)

food/provisions (bhojana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should be careful about accepting support that may be tainted by wrongdoing, yet compassion can still be shown in a way that respects another’s scruples—giving without coercion and without compromising their ethical stance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes people who refused to take food directly from someone, suspecting it might be connected with robbers; nevertheless, that person would discreetly leave food and fruits at their homes early in the morning and then depart.