Mahabharata 1.140.53 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 53
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
शपथेनाप्यरिं हन्यादर्थदानेन वा पुनः । विषेण मायया वापि नोपेक्षेत कथंचन । उभौ चेत् संशयोपेतौ श्रद्धावांस्तत्र वर्द्धते
śapathenāpy ariṃ hanyād arthadānena vā punaḥ | viṣeṇa māyayā vāpi nopekṣeta kathaṃcana | ubhau cet saṃśayopetau śraddhāvāṃs tatra varddhate ||
カニカは言った。「誓い（策として用いる）によってでも、また財を与えることによってでも、敵は討ち倒すべきである。毒によっても欺きによっても同じこと――敵をいかなる形でも軽んじてはならぬ。二人の王が等しく勝利を求めて励み、勝敗が疑わしいと見えるなら、この政略の教えを信ずる者こそが利を得て、勢いを増す。」
कणिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches an aggressively pragmatic doctrine of kingship: an enemy should not be ignored, and victory may be pursued through any effective means—oaths, bribery, poison, or deception. In a contested struggle where success is uncertain, the party that firmly trusts and applies such policy-counsel is said to prosper.
Kaṇika is delivering hard-edged political counsel (rājanīti) within the Adi Parva context, urging a ruler to adopt uncompromising measures against rivals. The verse frames a scenario of two evenly matched kings and claims that adherence to this strategic doctrine becomes the decisive advantage.
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