Shloka 64
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
उद्यानेषु विहारेषु देवतायतनेषु च । पानागारेषु रथ्यासु सर्वतीर्थेषु चाप्पथ,उद्यान, घूमने-फिरनेके स्थान, देवालय, मद्यपानके अड्डे, गली या सड़क, सम्पूर्ण तीर्थस्थान, चौराहे, कुएँ, पर्वत, वन, नदी तथा जहाँ मनुष्योंकी भीड़ इकट्ठी होती हो, उन सभी स्थानोंमें अपने गुप्तचरोंको घुमाता रहे
udyāneṣu vihāreṣu devatāyataneṣu ca | pānāgāreṣu rathyāsu sarvatīrtheṣu cāpi ||
Kaṇika said: “Keep your secret agents moving everywhere—through pleasure-gardens and places of recreation, in temples, in drinking-houses, along the streets, and at all sacred bathing-places as well. Let them observe where people gather, what they say, and what they intend.”
कणिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a principle of rājadharma (royal policy): a ruler should maintain awareness of public sentiment and hidden threats by deploying trustworthy intelligence-gatherers in all common social and religious spaces. Ethically, it highlights vigilance and responsibility in governance, while also raising questions about the limits of surveillance and the need for restraint.
In Ādi Parva, Kaṇika is giving counsel on political strategy. Here he specifies the kinds of public places—gardens, temples, taverns, streets, and pilgrimage sites—where agents should circulate to observe conversations and movements, so that the ruler is not caught unprepared by rivals or unrest.