Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

ततः प्रत्यागते काले भिन्द्याद्‌ घटमिवाश्मनि । अमित्रो न विमोक्तव्य: कृपणं बह्नपि ब्रुवन्‌

Transliteration

tataḥ pratyāgate kāle bhindyād ghaṭam ivāśmani | amitro na vimoktavyaḥ kṛpaṇaṃ bahn api bruvan ||

Translation

Rồi khi thời cơ thích hợp đã đến, hãy đập tan hắn như đập vỡ chiếc vò đất trên đá. Kẻ thù không được thả, dẫu hắn nói bao lời khẩn cầu thảm thiết—vì lòng thương đặt sai chỗ, sai lúc sẽ gây nguy cho phe mình và làm suy tổn bổn phận thận trọng.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'thereafter/from that')

• प्रत्यागते: when (the time) has returned/come back
• प्रत्यागते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-आ-गम् (प्रत्यागतम्)
• Form: Locative singular (m./n.) of past passive participle used adjectivally

• काले: in time/at the time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, locative singular

• भिन्द्यात्: should break/split
• भिन्द्यात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद्
• Form: Optative (vidhi-lin), parasmaipada, 3rd person singular

• घटम्: a pot
• घटम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट
• Form: Masculine, accusative singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव
• Form: Avyaya

• अश्मनि: on a stone/rock
• अश्मनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन्
• Form: Masculine, locative singular

• अमित्रः: an enemy
• अमित्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमित्र
• Form: Masculine, nominative singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: Avyaya (negation)

• विमोक्तव्यः: to be released/let go
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-मुच् (विमोक्तव्य)
• Form: Masculine, nominative singular; gerundive (future passive participle) expressing obligation

• कृपणम्: wretched/pitiful
• कृपणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपण
• Form: Masculine, accusative singular (used as adjective substantively/qualifying the enemy)

• बहु: much/many (things)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहु
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial: 'much/many things')

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: Avyaya

• ब्रुवन्: speaking/saying
• ब्रुवन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (ब्रुवत्)
• Form: Present active participle, masculine nominative singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• amitra (enemy)
• ghaṭa (earthen pot)
• aśman (stone)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a hard-edged principle of nīti: when the decisive moment arrives, do not let a proven enemy escape merely because he pleads pitifully; misplaced compassion can become a failure of duty and a danger to one’s own people.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana states a counsel-like maxim within the ongoing narration: at the right time, an adversary should be decisively neutralized—illustrated by the simile of smashing a clay pot on stone—and should not be released even if he offers many lamenting words.