Shloka 49

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

ततोड<र्थगतितत्त्वज्ञ: संधिविग्रहकालवित्‌ | सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वाक्‍्यं मार्जारं मूषिकोडब्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

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

Translation

于是那老鼠——真正洞悉利害之趋向与成事之要诀，又知何时当结盟、何时当交争——便审度敌方的意图。它先求安抚，遂以和婉甘美之辞对猫说道，择以外交为合乎义理亦合乎谋略的开端，然后才谈更为严厉的途径。

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.