Shloka 89

Devanagari script

लीन: स तस्य गात्रेषु पलितो देशकालवित्‌ । चिच्छेद पाशान्‌ नृपते कालापेक्षी शनै: शनै:,नरेश्वर! चूहा देश-कालकी गतिको अच्छी तरह जानता था; इसलिये वह बिलावके अंगोंमें ही छिपा रहकर चाण्डालके आनेके समयकी प्रतीक्षा करता हुआ धीरे-धीरे जालको काटने लगा

Transliteration

līnaḥ sa tasya gātreṣu palito deśa-kāla-vit | ciccheda pāśān nṛpate kālāpekṣī śanaiḥ śanaiḥ ||

Translation

بلی کے جسم سے چمٹ کر چھپا ہوا، جگہ اور وقت کو پرکھنے میں ماہر، سرمئی چوہا پالِت مناسب گھڑی کی تاک میں رہا؛ خطرے کے قریب آنے پر نظر رکھتے ہوئے، اے بادشاہ، وہ آہستہ آہستہ پھندوں کی رسیاں کتر کر کاٹنے لگا۔

Word by Word

लीनःhidden, lying concealed

सःhe

तस्यof him/its

गात्रेषुin the limbs/body

पलितःthe mouse (Palita, proper name)

देशकालवित्knower of place and time

चिच्छेदcut (he cut)

पाशान्nooses/bonds (snare-ropes)

नृपतेO king

कालापेक्षीwaiting for the right time

शनैःslowly

शनैःvery slowly / little by little

नरेश्वरO lord of men (O king)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

nṛpati (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

palitaḥ (the grey mouse)

cat (implied by 'tasya gātreṣu')

pāśa (snare/noose)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Act with deśa-kāla-jñāna—awareness of place and time. The wise do not rush; they wait for the proper moment and then act steadily to remove bondage or danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

A grey mouse, concealed against the cat’s body, waits watchfully and then gradually cuts/gnaws through the snares (pāśa), freeing itself (and potentially others) by careful timing rather than sudden movement.