Shloka 26
मागधगिरिव्रजप्रवेशः — Entry into Girivraja and Jarāsandha’s Protocol Inquiry
तस्यास्तां हंसडिम्भकावशस्त्रनिधनावुभौ । मन्त्रे मतिमतां श्रेष्ठो नीतिशास्त्रे विशारदौ
tasyāstāṃ haṃsaḍimbhakāv aśastranidhanāv ubhau | mantre matimatāṃ śreṣṭhau nītiśāstre viśāradau ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: Jarāsandha memiliki dua menteri, termasyhur sebagai Haṃsa dan Ḍimbhaka—yang terunggul di antara orang bijak dalam musyawarah dan sangat mahir dalam ilmu tata negara. Dikatakan pula bahwa keduanya tak dapat dibunuh oleh senjata apa pun.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective rule depends not only on a king’s strength but also on capable counsel; the verse highlights the strategic importance of ministers trained in nītiśāstra, while the motif of being 'not slain by weapons' intensifies the sense of political and martial invincibility surrounding Jarāsandha’s regime.
The narrator introduces Jarāsandha’s two renowned ministers, Haṃsa and Ḍimbhaka, describing their excellence in advising and statecraft and noting their reputed immunity to death by weapons.