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 ||
ചെറിയ തീപോലെ സഹായക സാമഗ്രികളാൽ പതുക്കെ സ്വന്തം ശക്തിയും വിഭവങ്ങളും ജ്വലിപ്പിച്ച് വളർത്തുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ, ക്രമേണ വർദ്ധിച്ച് ഒരുനാൾ മഹാനായി, ശത്രുവിന്റെ മഹാസഞ്ചയത്തെയും തീ ഇന്ധനം വിഴുങ്ങുന്നതുപോലെ വിഴുങ്ങിത്തീർക്കും.
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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