Shloka 62
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
नविश्वसेदविश्वस्ते विश्वस्ते नातिविश्वसेत् । विश्वासाद् भयमुत्पन्नं मूलान्यपि निकृन्तति,जो विश्वासपात्र नहीं है, उसपर कभी विश्वास न करे; परंतु जो विश्वासपात्र है, उसपर भी अति विश्वास न करे; क्योंकि अति विश्वाससे उत्पन्न होनेवाला भय राजाकी जड़मूलका भी नाश कर डालता है
na viśvased aviśvaste viśvaste nātiviśvaset | viśvāsād bhayam utpannaṃ mūlāny api nikṛntati ||
Kaṇika said: One should never place trust in a person who is not trustworthy; and even in one who is trustworthy, one should not place excessive trust. For the danger that arises from overconfidence can cut down even the very roots of a king’s power.
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.