Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

नित्यमुद्यतदण्डाद्धि भृशमुद्धिजते जन: । तस्मात्‌ सर्वाणि कार्याणि दण्डेनैव विधारयेत्‌,“जो सदा दण्ड देनेके लिये उद्यत रहता है, उससे प्रजाजन बहुत डरते हैं; इसलिये सब कार्य दण्डके द्वारा ही सिद्ध करे

Transliteration

nityam udyatadaṇḍād dhi bhṛśam uddhijate janaḥ | tasmāt sarvāṇi kāryāṇi daṇḍenaiva vidhārayet ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «La gente se estremece ante quien está siempre dispuesto a castigar con la vara de la autoridad. Por eso, todos los asuntos deben regirse y llevarse a término mediante el castigo: con gobierno firme y disciplina que se haga cumplir.»

Word by Word

नित्यम्always

उद्यत-दण्डात्from (a man) with raised staff / ever-ready to punish

हिindeed/for

भृशम्greatly, intensely

उद्विजतेfears, is alarmed

जनःpeople

तस्मात्therefore, from that reason

सर्वाणिall

कार्याणिtasks, affairs, duties

दण्डेनby punishment / by the rod

एवonly, indeed

विधारयेत्should regulate/maintain, should carry out

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

daṇḍa (rod/punishment)

jana (people/subjects)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores daṇḍa (punitive authority) as a practical tool of governance: fear of enforceable punishment restrains wrongdoing, so public affairs and social order are maintained by firm, rule-backed discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, in the course of his narration, states a general maxim about rulership and administration—how subjects react to a ruler ready to punish, and why punishment is presented as a means to regulate and accomplish state and social duties.