Mahabharata 1.140.92 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 92

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

Devanagari script

भ्रातृव्या बलिनो यस्मात्‌ पाण्डुपुत्रा नराधिप । पश्चात्तापो यथा न स्यात्‌ तथा नीतिर्विधीयताम्‌,राजन! आपके भतीजे पाण्डव बहुत बलवान्‌ हैं; अतः ऐसी नीति काममें लाइये, जिससे आगे चलकर आपको पछताना न पड़े

Transliteration

bhrātṛvyā balino yasmāt pāṇḍuputrā narādhipa | paścāttāpo yathā na syāt tathā nītir vidhīyatām, rājan ||

Translation

Kaṇika sprach: „O König, da die Söhne Pāṇḍus mächtige Rivalen sind, ergreife eine Politik, damit du später nicht bereuen musst.“

Word by Word

• भ्रातृव्या: brothers' sons / nephews (rivals/kinsmen)
• भ्रातृव्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृव्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बलिनः: strong, powerful
• बलिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यस्मात्: because (from which reason)
• यस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• पाण्डुपुत्राः: sons of Pाण्डु (the Pāṇḍavas)
• पाण्डुपुत्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पश्चात्तापः: regret, repentance
• पश्चात्तापः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चात्ताप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: so that / in such a way that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

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

• स्यात्: may be / should occur
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• नीतिः: policy, strategy
• नीतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विधीयताम्: let it be arranged/ordained; should be done
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा
• Form: Imperative (Lot), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada (passive sense)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

कणिक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇika
• Pāṇḍuputrāḥ (Pāṇḍavas)
• narādhipa/rājan (the king addressed, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse urges foresight in governance: when powerful rivals exist, a ruler should adopt a deliberate policy to prevent future regret—highlighting the tension between prudent statecraft (nīti) and the ethical risks of acting from fear or rivalry.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇika is advising the king (contextually Dhṛtarāṣṭra) about the growing strength of the Pāṇḍavas, warning that inaction may lead to later remorse and pressing him to implement a strategy in time.