Shloka 30
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
तथेति त॑ प्रतिज्ञाय मूषिका भरतर्षभ । वृद्धबालमथो सर्व मार्जाराय न्यवेदयन्,“भरतश्रेष्ठ! “बहुत अच्छा” कहकर चूहोंने बिलावकी आज्ञाका पालन करनेके लिये हामी भर ली और वृद्ध तथा बालकोंसहित अपना सारा परिवार उस बिलावको सौंप दिया
tatheti taṁ pratijñāya mūṣikā bharatarṣabha | vṛddhabālam atho sarvaṁ mārjārāya nyavedayan ||
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: “Gayon na nga,” pumayag ang mga daga, O bantayog ng angkan ng Bhārata. Pagkatapos nilang magbigay ng pagsang-ayon, ipinagkatiwala nila ang buong pamayanan—mga matatanda at mga bata—sa pusa. Ipinakikita ng pangyayaring ito na ang bulag na pagsunod at maling pagtitiwala sa kapangyarihang mandaragit ay makapaghahatid sa buong lipunan, pati sa pinakamahihina, sa kapahamakan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that agreeing too readily to a powerful adversary’s terms—without discernment—can endanger an entire community. Ethical prudence (nīti) requires testing intentions, especially when the vulnerable (elders and children) will bear the cost of a wrong decision.
The mice respond “tathā” (“so be it”) and formally agree. Then they entrust their whole group, including elders and children, to the cat—an act that highlights their surrender to a natural predator and sets up the moral point about deception and imprudent submission.