Shloka 89

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

लीन: स तस्य गात्रेषु पलितो देशकालवित्‌ । चिच्छेद पाशान्‌ नृपते कालापेक्षी शनै: शनै:

Transliteration

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

Translation

毗湿摩说道：那灰白的老鼠善于审度时地，紧贴着猫的身躯潜藏不动，等待恰当的时机；又警觉地察看危险的逼近，便缓缓而坚定地啃断一条条套索，噢，大王。

Word by Word

• लीनः: hidden, lying concealed
• लीनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लीन (√ली)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him/its
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• गात्रेषु: in the limbs/body
• गात्रेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• पलितः: the mouse (Palita, proper name)
• पलितः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देशकालवित्: knower of place and time
• देशकालवित्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देश-काल-वित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चिच्छेद: cut (he cut)
• चिच्छेद: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाशान्: nooses/bonds (snare-ropes)
• पाशान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• नृपते: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कालापेक्षी: waiting for the right time
• कालापेक्षी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल-अपेक्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैस्

• शनैः: very slowly / little by little
• शनैः: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैस्

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (O king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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)

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.