Shloka 26

मागधगिरिव्रजप्रवेशः — Entry into Girivraja and Jarāsandha’s Protocol Inquiry

Devanagari script

तस्यास्तां हंसडिम्भकावशस्त्रनिधनावुभौ । मन्त्रे मतिमतां श्रेष्ठो नीतिशास्त्रे विशारदौ,जरासंधको सलाह देनेके लिये बुद्धिमानोंमें श्रेष्ठ तथा नीतिशास्त्रमें निपुण दो मन्त्री थे, जो हंस और डिम्भकके नामसे विख्यात थे। वे दोनों किसी भी शस्त्रसे मरनेवाले नहीं थे

Transliteration

tasyāstāṃ haṃsaḍimbhakāv aśastranidhanāv ubhau | mantre matimatāṃ śreṣṭhau nītiśāstre viśāradau ||

Translation

毗舍摩耶那说道：阇罗三陀（Jarāsandha）有两位大臣，名闻于世，曰“汉萨”（Haṃsa）与“丁婆迦”（Ḍimbhaka）——在谋议之道上为智者之冠，在治国之学（政略）上亦极其精通。又传言二人非兵刃所能杀，此既显其威势之可畏，亦见阇罗三陀朝廷之强盛难当。

Word by Word

तस्यof him (Jarāsandha)

आस्ताम्there were / let there be (were present)

हंस-डिम्भक-आवशस्त्र-निधनौthe two who were not to die by any weapon

उभौboth

मन्त्रेin counsel / in advising

मतिमताम्of the intelligent (people)

श्रेष्ठौthe best (two)

नीति-शास्त्रेin political science / statecraft

विशारदौskilled, expert (two)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Jarāsandha

Haṃsa

Ḍ

Ḍimbhaka

nītiśāstra (science of polity/statecraft)

mantra (counsel)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.