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Shloka 25

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

तत्र सम नित्यं बध्यन्ते नक्तं बहुविधा मृगा: । कदाचिदत्र मार्जारिस्त्वप्रमत्तो व्यबध्यत

tatra samaṁ nityaṁ badhyante naktaṁ bahuvidhā mṛgāḥ | kadācid atra mārjāris tv apramatto vyabadhyata ||

Ở nơi ấy, ban đêm thường xuyên có muôn loài thú bị mắc vào bẫy. Nhưng có một lần, chính con mèo—vì một phút bất cẩn—lại bị mắc vào chiếc bẫy đó.

तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र
सम्together/wholly (intensifier)
सम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसम्
नित्यम्always, daily
नित्यम्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनित्य
बध्यन्तेare bound/caught
बध्यन्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootबन्ध्
FormLat, Atmanepada, Karmani, 3, Plural
नक्तम्at night
नक्तम्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनक्त
बहुविधाःof many kinds/various
बहुविधाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबहुविध
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
मृगाःanimals, beasts
मृगाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमृग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
कदाचित्once, at some time
कदाचित्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकदाचित्
अत्रhere, in this (place)
अत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअत्र
मार्जारिःthe cat (lit. mouse-enemy)
मार्जारिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमार्जारि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
अप्रमत्तःcareless, inattentive (lit. not vigilant)
अप्रमत्तः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअप्रमत्त
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
व्यबध्यत्was caught/was bound
व्यबध्यत्:
TypeVerb
Rootबन्ध्
FormLan, Atmanepada, Karmani, 3, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
M
mārjāri (cat)
M
mṛgāḥ (various animals)
J
jāla (net/snare) (implied by context)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights pramāda (carelessness) as a moral and practical danger: even the clever or predatory can fall into the very trap that routinely captures others. Vigilance and self-restraint are implied ethical safeguards.

A net or snare in a certain place regularly catches many animals at night. On one occasion, the cat itself becomes trapped there due to inattentiveness, setting up a cautionary turn in the story.