Shloka 22
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
शाखां तस्य समाश्रित्य वसति सम सुखं पुरा । लोमशो नाम मार्जार: पक्षिसंघातखादक:,उसी बरगदकी डालीपर पहले लोमश नामका एक बिलाव भी बड़े सुखसे रहता था। पक्षियोंका समूह ही उसका भोजन था
śākhāṃ tasya samāśritya vasati sma sukhaṃ purā | lomaśo nāma mārjāraḥ pakṣi-saṅghāta-khādakaḥ ||
शाखां तस्य समाश्रित्य वसति स्म सुखं पुरा । लोमशो नाम मार्जारः पक्षिसंघातखादकः ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Comfort and apparent security can coexist with harmful conduct; the verse introduces a predator living at ease, prompting reflection on how adharma may hide beneath a peaceful exterior and why vigilance and discernment are ethical necessities.
Bhishma begins a fable-like episode: a cat named Lomaśa lives on a tree branch and survives by preying on groups of birds, setting the stage for subsequent events and moral evaluation.