Mahabharata 1.140.4 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच स प्रसन्नमनास्तेन परिपृष्टो द्विजोत्तम: । उवाच वचन तीक्ष्णं राजशास्त्रार्थदर्शनम्‌

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: sa prasannamanās tena paripṛṣṭo dvijottamaḥ | uvāca vacanaṃ tīkṣṇaṃ rājaśāstrārthadarśanam ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。かく問われると、最勝の「二度生まれ」（婆羅門）は内心ひそかに喜び、政道の学の意義と実際の要諦を示す、鋭く切り込む言葉を語り始めた。この場面が示すのは、助言とは柔らかな慰めではなく、国家を動かす術における苛烈な教示であるということ—便宜と正しさのあいだに倫理の緊張が生まれやすい、その只中で。

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रसन्नमनाः: having a pleased mind
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्नमनस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेन: by him / by that (person)
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• परिपृष्टः: having been asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-प्रच्छ्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजोत्तमः: the best of the twice-born (excellent Brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• वचनम्: a statement / words
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तीक्ष्णम्: sharp, harsh
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राजशास्त्रार्थदर्शनम्: showing the meaning of political science (statecraft)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजशास्त्रार्थदर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kaṇika

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse signals that the forthcoming counsel will be grounded in rājaśāstra—practical statecraft—and will be tīkṣṇa, i.e., unsparing. It highlights a recurring Mahābhārata tension: political effectiveness may be taught in a way that challenges or tests ethical ideals, requiring the listener to discern dharma amid expedient advice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that, after Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions him, the Brahmin Kaṇika feels pleased and begins delivering sharp instruction that explicates principles of kingship and governance. This verse functions as a transition into Kaṇika’s pointed political discourse.