Mahabharata 1.140.59 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 59

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

Devanagari script

यः स्यादनुप्राप्तवधस्तस्यागारं प्रदीपयेत्‌ अधनान्‌ नास्तिकांश्लौरान्‌ विषये स्वे न वासयेत्‌

Transliteration

yaḥ syād anuprāptavadhas tasyāgāraṃ pradīpayet | adhanān nāstikāṃś caurān viṣaye sve na vāsayet ||

Translation

ആരെയെങ്കിലും വേഗത്തിൽ വധിക്കണമെന്നുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ, അവന്റെ വീടിന് തീ കൊളുത്തണം. കൂടാതെ സ്വന്തം രാജ്യത്ത് ദരിദ്രരെയും നാസ്തികരെയും കള്ളന്മാരെയും താമസിപ്പിക്കരുത്.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अनुप्राप्तवधः: one whose killing has been decided/arrived at (doomed to be slain)
• अनुप्राप्तवधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुप्राप्तवध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• आगारम्: house
• आगारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगार
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रदीपयेत्: should set on fire / should ignite
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दीप्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अधनान्: the poor / those without wealth
• अधनान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• नास्तिकान्: atheists / unbelievers
• नास्तिकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• चौरान्: thieves
• चौरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विषये: in the realm/territory
• विषये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• स्वे: one's own
• स्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• वासयेत्: should cause to dwell / should allow to reside
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (causative: वासय)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

कणिक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇika
• house (agāra)
• realm/territory (viṣaya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents hard-edged, morally troubling counsel attributed to Kaṇika: eliminate an enemy through arson and maintain strict internal control by excluding groups seen as destabilizing (the poor, irreligious, and thieves). It reflects a strand of pragmatic statecraft (nīti) rather than an idealized dharmic ethic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇika is speaking as an adviser, offering political tactics for securing power and order in a kingdom. The counsel includes both an aggressive measure against a targeted person (burning his house) and a policy recommendation about who should not be allowed to live within the ruler’s territory.