Shloka 51
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
लुब्धमर्थप्रदानेन सम॑ न्यूनं तथौजसा । एवं ते कथितं राजज्शृणु चाप्यपरं तथा,लोभीको धन देकर तथा बराबर और कमजोरको पराक्रमसे वशमें करे। राजन्! इस प्रकार आपसे नीतियुक्त बर्तावका वर्णन किया गया। अब दूसरी बातें सुनिये
lubdham arthapradānena samaṁ nyūnaṁ tathaujasā | evaṁ te kathitaṁ rājan śṛṇu cāpy aparaṁ tathā ||
Kanika said: “Win over the greedy by granting them wealth; bring those who are your equals under control through conciliation; and subdue the weaker by the display of force. O King, thus I have described to you a policy-driven mode of conduct. Now listen further to what else I have to say.”
कणिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Kanika outlines a pragmatic, policy-oriented approach to governance: use gifts to sway the greedy, diplomacy/conciliation to manage equals, and force to control the weaker—then signals that more counsel will follow.
In Adi Parva, Kanika is speaking to a king and delivering a sequence of statecraft instructions; this verse concludes one set of tactics and transitions to further advice.