Shloka 72
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
कर्मणा येन केनैव मृदुना दारुणेन च । उद्धरेद् दीनमात्मानं समर्थो धर्ममाचरेत्,राजा यदि संकटमें हो तो कोमल या भयंकर--जिस किसी भी कर्मके द्वारा उस दुरवस्थासे अपना उद्धार करे; फिर समर्थ होनेपर धर्मका आचरण करे
karmaṇā yena kenāiva mṛdunā dāruṇena ca | uddhared dīnam ātmānaṃ samartho dharmam ācaret |
Kaṇika nói: Bằng bất cứ hành động nào—dù mềm mỏng hay nghiêm khắc—một vị vua khi lâm cảnh khốn nguy phải tự cứu mình khỏi tình trạng suy yếu ấy. Khi đã phục hồi sức mạnh và thế đứng, bấy giờ hãy thực hành dharma.
कणिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
In a crisis, a ruler may use any effective means—mild or severe—to save himself and restore stability; only after regaining strength should he fully return to the regular practice of dharma. The verse frames survival and recovery as prerequisites for sustained righteous governance.
Kāṇika is giving counsel in the idiom of rāja-nīti (political strategy). He argues that when a king is endangered or weakened, he should prioritize self-preservation and the restoration of power by whatever workable method, and then, once secure, resume dharmic conduct.