Mahabharata 1.140.62 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 62
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
नविश्वसेदविश्वस्ते विश्वस्ते नातिविश्वसेत् । विश्वासाद् भयमुत्पन्नं मूलान्यपि निकृन्तति
na viśvased aviśvaste viśvaste nātiviśvaset | viśvāsād bhayam utpannaṃ mūlāny api nikṛntati ||
Kaṇika sagte: Man soll niemals einem Menschen vertrauen, der nicht vertrauenswürdig ist; und selbst einem Vertrauenswürdigen soll man nicht maßlos vertrauen. Denn die Gefahr, die aus Übervertrauen entsteht, kann selbst die Wurzeln königlicher Macht abschneiden.
कणिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Exercise discernment in trust: do not trust the untrustworthy, and avoid excessive reliance even on the trustworthy, because overconfidence can create vulnerabilities that lead to ruin.
Kaṇika is delivering counsel in a political-ethical register, warning about the strategic dangers of misplaced or excessive trust, especially in the context of safeguarding royal stability and power.
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