Mahabharata 1.140.13 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 13

Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)

Devanagari script

कुर्यात्‌ तृणमयं चापं शयीत मृगशायिकाम्‌ । सान्त्वादिभिरुपायैस्तु हन्याच्छत्रुं वशे स्थितम्‌

Transliteration

kuryāt tṛṇamayaṃ cāpaṃ śayīta mṛgaśāyikām | sāntvādibhir upāyais tu hanyāc chatruṃ vaśe sthitam ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „In solcher Zeit mache deinen Bogen, als sei er aus Gras — erscheine in den Augen des Feindes völlig schwach und unfähig — und lege dich nieder wie ein Jäger, der auf das Wild lauert. Verbirg deine wahre Kraft und Absicht und gib dich wie ein Machtloser; und wenn der Gegner erst unter deine Gewalt gebracht ist, gewinne sein Vertrauen durch Beschwichtigung und verwandte Listen und schlage ihn nieder.“

Word by Word

• कुर्यात्: should make/do
• कुर्यात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative (potential), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तृणमयम्: made of grass; like grass
• तृणमयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृणमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शयीत: should lie down; should feign sleep
• शयीत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative (potential), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मृगशायिकाम्: a deerskin bed (deer-hide couch)
• मृगशायिकाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगशायिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सान्त्वादिभिः: by conciliation etc. (means like sāman, etc.)
• सान्त्वादिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सान्त्वादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• उपायैः: by means; by strategies
• उपायैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तु: but; however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• हन्यात्: should slay/kill
• हन्यात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative (potential), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शत्रुम्: enemy
• शत्रुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वशे: in (one's) control; under sway
• वशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• स्थितम्: standing/being; situated (i.e., having come to be)
• स्थितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• bow (cāpa)
• deer-hide bedding (mṛgaśāyikā)
• enemy (śatru)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a hard-edged nīti principle: when facing a dangerous opponent, one may conceal one’s strength, appear harmless, and use conciliatory tactics to gain the enemy’s trust; once the enemy is fully under control, decisive action is taken. It highlights pragmatic statecraft rather than idealized open combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana is describing a tactical method through vivid imagery: like a hunter who lies still until deer become unwary, a person should feign weakness (a ‘grass bow’), wait for the right moment, and then eliminate an enemy who has been brought into one’s power through sāman and related measures.