Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच ते सर्वमेवानुचक्रु: कायव्यस्यानुशासनम्‌ । वृद्धि च लेभिरे सर्वे पापेभ्यश्षाप्युपारमन्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca te sarvam evānucakruḥ kāyavyasyānuśāsanam | vṛddhiṃ ca lebhire sarve pāpebhyaś cāpy uparaman ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜନ୍! ଏହା ଶୁଣି ସେଇ ଦସ୍ୟୁମାନେ କାୟବ୍ୟଙ୍କ ସମସ୍ତ ଆଦେଶ ଅନୁସରଣ କଲେ। ଫଳରେ ସେମାନେ ସମସ୍ତେ ବୃଦ୍ଧି ପାଇଲେ ଏବଂ ପାପକର୍ମରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ନିବୃତ୍ତ ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ते: they/those (people)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अनुचक्रुः: followed, acted in accordance with
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-चर्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• कायव्यस्य: of Kayavya (proper name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कायव्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अनुशासनम्: instruction, command, discipline
• अनुशासनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुशासन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वृद्धिम्: growth, prosperity
• वृद्धिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• लेभिरे: obtained, attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Ātmanepada

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पापेभ्यः: from sins/evil deeds
• पापेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• उपारमन्: desisted, ceased
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-रम्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Rājan (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)
• Kāyavya
• Dasyu (dasyavaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Right guidance (anuśāsana) sincerely followed leads to tangible uplift (vṛddhi) and moral purification—people can abandon pāpa when they accept discipline and consistently practice it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma reports to the king that the dāsyus, after hearing Kāyavya, adopted his instructions, continued to follow them, gained prosperity, and stopped engaging in sinful actions.