Mahabharata 1.140.25 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 25
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
अमित्र: शक््यते हन्तुं तन्मे ब्रूहि यथातथम् । धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--कणिक! साम, दान, भेद अथवा दण्डके द्वारा शत्रुका नाश कैसे 28:44 श््् कमा काणिक उवाच शृणु राजन् यथावृत्तं वने निवसत: पुरा
amitraḥ śakyate hantuṃ tan me brūhi yathātatham | śṛṇu rājan yathāvṛttaṃ vane nivasataḥ purā ||
„Einen Feind kann man wahrlich töten — so sage mir genau, wie es zu tun ist, der Wahrheit gemäß und in rechter Ordnung.“ Kaṇika fuhr fort: „Höre, o König, was sich einst ereignete, als ich im Wald lebte.“
काणिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames political counsel: the destruction of an enemy is presented as achievable, but the speaker insists on an exact, truthful account of the means—introducing a didactic narrative meant to justify or explain strategy.
Kaṇika responds to the king’s query about how an enemy may be eliminated. He asks for careful attention and begins an illustrative story from his earlier life in the forest, setting up a longer piece of advice on dealing with opponents.
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