Shloka 2
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
तत आहूय मन्त्रज्ञ राजशाल्त्रार्थवित्तमम् कणिकं मन्त्रिणां श्रेष्ठ धृतराष्ट्रो डब्रवीदू वच:,तब उन्होंने राजनीति और अर्थ-शास्त्रके पण्डित तथा उत्तम मन्त्रके ज्ञाता मन्त्रिप्रवर कणिकको बुलाकर इस प्रकार कहा
tata āhūya mantrajñaṁ rājaśāstrārthavittamam | kaṇikaṁ mantriṇāṁ śreṣṭhaṁ dhṛtarāṣṭro ’bravīd vacaḥ ||
Then Dhṛtarāṣṭra summoned Kaṇika—foremost among his ministers, a knower of counsel, and highly learned in statecraft and political economy—and addressed him with these words. The scene frames a king seeking guidance through policy and strategy, hinting at the ethical tension between prudent governance and self-interested counsel.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s decisions are shaped by the quality and intent of counsel: expertise in rājaśāstra and artha can guide governance, but it also raises an ethical question—whether policy is pursued for dharma and public good or for narrow advantage.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that King Dhṛtarāṣṭra calls his leading minister Kaṇika, renowned for strategic counsel and knowledge of polity and wealth-management, and begins to speak—setting up a consultation scene that will influence subsequent actions.