Mahabharata 1.140.79 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 79

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

Devanagari script

नार्थिको<र्थिनमभ्येति कृतार्थे नास्ति संगतम्‌ । तस्मात्‌ सर्वाणि साध्यानि सावशेषाणि कारयेत्‌

Transliteration

nārthiko 'rthinām abhyeti kṛtārthe nāsti saṅgatam | tasmāt sarvāṇi sādhyāni sāvaśeṣāṇi kārayet ||

Translation

Kaṇika sagte: „Wer nichts braucht, sucht den Bedürftigen nicht auf; und wenn eines Menschen Ziele bereits erfüllt sind, gibt es keine dauerhafte Verbindung. Darum soll man alle Aufgaben so ausführen lassen, dass etwas unvollendet bleibt—damit andere weiterhin einen Grund haben zu kommen und zu gehen und Abhängigkeit wie Bindung erhalten bleiben.“

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अर्थिकः: a needy person, one who seeks gain
• अर्थिकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक: अर्थिक-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अर्थिनम्: a needy person / one who seeks (something)
• अर्थिनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक: अर्थिन्-)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्येति: approaches, goes to
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कृतार्थे: in/with one whose purpose is accomplished
• कृतार्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतार्थ (कृ + अर्थ; कृदन्त-आधारित विशेषण)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अस्ति: is, exists
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सङ्गतम्: association, companionship, connection
• सङ्गतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गत (सम् + गम्; कृदन्त/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that (reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• साध्यानि: to be accomplished, achievable (tasks)
• साध्यानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य (साध् + य; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• स-अवशेषाणि: with remainder left; incomplete
• स-अवशेषाणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवशेष (प्रातिपदिक) with स- (prefix meaning 'with')
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• कारयेत्: should cause to be done; should get done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative: कारय-)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

कणिक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• कणिक (Kāṇika)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a hard-edged principle of political and social management: relationships often persist through mutual need, so a ruler or strategist may preserve influence by ensuring others remain partially dependent (leaving some work or benefit unfinished so contact continues).

What is happening in the narrative?

Kāṇika is delivering counsel in a statecraft-oriented discourse, explaining how alliances and friendships can be maintained through calculated dependence rather than assuming loyalty will endure once someone’s goals are fully satisfied.