Mahabharata 1.140.17 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 17
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
छिन्नमूले हाधिष्ठाने सर्वे तज्जीविनो हता: । कथं नु शाखास्तिष्ठेरंश्छिन्नमूले वनस्पतौ
chinnamūle hādhisṭhāne sarve tajjīvino hatāḥ | kathaṃ nu śākhās tiṣṭheran chinnamūle vanaspatau ||
வைசம்பாயனர் கூறினார்— வேர் மற்றும் அடித்தளம் வெட்டப்பட்டால், அதனைச் சார்ந்து வாழ்பவர்கள் அனைவரும் அழிவர். வேரே துண்டிக்கப்பட்ட மரத்தில் கிளைகள் எவ்வாறு நிலைத்திருக்கும்?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a principle of causality and strategy: when the fundamental support (the ‘root’) is removed, dependent structures and allies collapse naturally; therefore one should address the primary cause rather than only its outward manifestations.
Vaiśaṃpāyana uses a vivid tree-metaphor to explain that destroying the central foundation leads to the downfall of all who rely on it, framing the point as an ethical-strategic observation within the unfolding account.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.