Shloka 52
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
पुत्र: सखा वा भ्राता वा पिता वा यदि वा गुरु: । रिपुस्थानेषु वर्तन्तो हन्तव्या भूतिमिच्छता,पुत्र, मित्र, भाई, पिता अथवा गुरु--कोई भी क्यों न हो, जो शत्रुके स्थानपर आ जायाँ --शत्रुवत् बर्ताव करने लगें, तो उन्हें वैभव चाहनेवाला राजा अवश्य मार डाले
putraḥ sakhā vā bhrātā vā pitā vā yadi vā guruḥ | ripusthāneṣu vartanto hantavyā bhūtim icchatā ||
Kaṇika said: “Whether it be one’s son, friend, brother, father, or even one’s teacher—if they come to stand in the position of an enemy and behave as an enemy, then a king who seeks prosperity and power must put them to death.”
कणिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a hard-edged principle of rāja-nīti: loyalty to the stability and prosperity of the kingdom overrides personal relationships; anyone who effectively becomes an enemy is to be treated as such, even if they are close kin or a revered teacher.
Kaṇika is giving strategic counsel, urging a ruler to prioritize state security and royal fortune. He frames the king’s duty in terms of eliminating threats without being restrained by familial or social bonds when those bonds turn adversarial.