Mahabharata 1.140.2 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 2

Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)

Devanagari script

तत आहूय मन्त्रज्ञ राजशाल्त्रार्थवित्तमम्‌ कणिकं मन्त्रिणां श्रेष्ठ धृतराष्ट्रो डब्रवीदू वच:

Transliteration

tata āhūya mantrajñaṁ rājaśāstrārthavittamam | kaṇikaṁ mantriṇāṁ śreṣṭhaṁ dhṛtarāṣṭro ’bravīd vacaḥ ||

Translation

Então Dhṛtarāṣṭra mandou chamar Kaṇika—o principal entre seus ministros, conhecedor do conselho e muito versado na ciência do Estado e na economia política—e lhe dirigiu estas palavras. A cena apresenta um rei que busca orientação por meio de política e estratégia, insinuando a tensão ética entre a prudência do bom governo e o conselho movido por interesse próprio.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• आहूय: having summoned/called
• Type: Verb
• Root: आह्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• मन्त्रज्ञम्: knowing counsel/strategy
• मन्त्रज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्रज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• राजशास्त्रार्थवित्तमम्: most learned in the meaning of political science
• राजशास्त्रार्थवित्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजशास्त्रार्थवित्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कणिकम्: Kanika (proper name)
• कणिकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कणिक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मन्त्रिणाम्: of ministers/counsellors
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठम्: the best/chief
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वचः: words/speech
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kaṇika

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s decisions are shaped by the quality and intent of counsel: expertise in rājaśāstra and artha can guide governance, but it also raises an ethical question—whether policy is pursued for dharma and public good or for narrow advantage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that King Dhṛtarāṣṭra calls his leading minister Kaṇika, renowned for strategic counsel and knowledge of polity and wealth-management, and begins to speak—setting up a consultation scene that will influence subsequent actions.