Shloka 49

Devanagari script

ततोड<र्थगतितत्त्वज्ञ: संधिविग्रहकालवित्‌ | सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वाक्‍्यं मार्जारं मूषिकोडब्रवीत्‌,इस प्रकार चूहेने शत्रुकी चेष्टापर विचार किया। वह अर्थसिद्धिके उपायको यथार्थरूपसे जाननेवाला तथा संधि और विग्रहके अवसरको समझनेवाला था। उसने बिलावको सान्त्वना देते हुए मधुर वाणीमें कहा--

Transliteration

tato 'rthagati-tattvajñaḥ sandhi-vigraha-kāla-vit | sāntva-pūrvam idaṃ vākyaṃ mārjāraṃ mūṣiko 'bravīt ||

Translation

تب چوہے نے دشمن کی چال اور نیت پر غور کیا۔ وہ فائدے کی راہ اور تدبیر کے اصول جاننے والا، اور صلح و جنگ کے موقع کو پہچاننے والا تھا۔ پہلے تسلی دے کر، حکمت کے مطابق، اس نے بلی سے شیریں اور مصالحت آمیز کلمات میں کہا—

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'artha-gati': 'the course/trajectory of advantage or practical success', 'tattva-jñaḥ': 'knower of the true principle

• one who understands reality', 'sandhi': 'alliance, treaty, making peace', 'vigraha': 'hostility, conflict, rupture', 'kāla-vit': 'knower of the proper time/occasion', 'sāntva-pūrvam': 'beginning with conciliation

• preceded by appeasement', 'idaṃ vākyaṃ': 'these words

• this statement', 'mārjāram': 'the cat', 'mūṣikaḥ': 'the mouse', 'abravīt': 'said, spoke'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• mūṣika (mouse)
• mārjāra (cat)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wise conduct begins with discerning the opponent’s intent and choosing the right method at the right time; conciliation (sāntva) is often the first and most ethical strategic step before escalation to open conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s discourse on nīti, the mouse evaluates the cat’s hostile designs and, knowing the proper occasions for alliance or conflict, speaks to the cat in soothing, diplomatic language to manage danger and gain advantage.