Shloka 144
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
मित्रे वा यदि वा शत्रौ तस्यापि चलिता मति: । “जो मनुष्य स्वार्थके सम्बन्धका विचार किये बिना ही मित्रोंपर केवल विश्वास और शत्रुओंपर केवल अविश्वास करता जाता है तथा जो शत्रु हो या मित्र
mitre vā yadi vā śatrau tasyāpi calitā matiḥ | na viśvased aviśvaste viśvaste nātiviśvaset ||
Sinabi ni Bhishma: “Maging kaibigan man o kaaway ang kaharap, ang isip ng taong kumikilos dahil sa nakasanayan lamang—bulag na nagtitiwala sa mga kaibigan at bulag na nagdududa sa mga kaaway, nang hindi sinusuri ang sariling kapakinabangan at kalagayan—ay nananatiling hindi matatag. Kaya huwag magtiwala sa hindi dapat pagtiwalaan; at kahit sa dapat pagtiwalaan, huwag magtiwala nang labis. (Ang payong ito’y ilalarawan sa kasunod na salaysay tungkol sa paglaya ng pusa mula sa lambat ng isang Caṇḍāla sa tulong ng isang daga.)”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches measured trust: do not trust those who are untrustworthy, and even with trustworthy people avoid overconfidence. Blind trust in friends and automatic suspicion of enemies—without assessing motives and context—signals unstable judgment.
Bhishma is giving Yudhiṣṭhira practical nīti in the Śānti Parva. He frames the maxim about trust and then points to an illustrative story: a cat is freed from a Caṇḍāla’s net with the help of a mouse, showing how appearances and relationships can be deceptive and why discernment is necessary.