Shloka 83
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
भीष्म उवाच ग्राहयित्वा तु तं॑ स्वार्थ मार्जार मूषिकस्तथा । प्रविवेश तु विश्रभ्य क्रोडमस्य कृतागस:
bhīṣma uvāca: grāhayitvā tu taṁ svārthaṁ mārjāra-mūṣikas tathā | praviveśa tu viśrabdhya kroḍam asya kṛtāgasaḥ ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “O Yudhishthira, ganyan nga: matapos papaniwalain ng daga ang pusa sa puntong pabor sa sarili nitong kapakinabangan, saka—sa maling pagtitiwala—pumasok ito nang panatag at umupo pa sa kandungan ng makasalanang salarin na iyon, na siya ring kaaway nito.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not let self-interest and clever persuasion replace discernment: trusting an acknowledged wrongdoer—especially an enemy—can turn apparent safety into immediate peril.
In Bhishma’s illustrative tale, the mouse gets the cat to accept a proposal that benefits the mouse; then, becoming overly confident, the mouse even sits in the cat’s lap—despite the cat being a culpable enemy—showing the danger of misplaced trust.