Mahabharata 1.140.87 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 87
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
अग्निं स्तोकमिवात्मानं संधुक्षयति यो नर: । स वर्धमानो ग्रसते महान्तमपि संचयम्
agniṁ stokam ivātmānaṁ sandhukṣayati yo naraḥ | sa vardhamāno grasate mahāntam api sañcayam ||
小さき火が絶えず薪を得て次第に燃え盛るように、己の力と資源を少しずつ積み上げる者は、時とともに大きくなり、ついには莫大な蓄えさえ呑み尽くす——炎が薪を食らうがごとく、敵の大いなる備蓄をも圧倒する。ここに説かれるのは、忍耐して漸進的に自らを増し、やがてははるかに大なる力をも打ち破るべし、という訓戒である。
कणिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Incremental strengthening—like slowly kindling a small fire—leads to decisive power: steady self-improvement and resource-building can eventually overwhelm even a much larger opposing stock of strength.
Kaṇika is giving political-ethical counsel in the Adi Parva, using the metaphor of a small fire that, once properly kindled and grown, can consume a large heap—illustrating how a person (or ruler) should build capacity gradually to defeat stronger rivals.
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