Shloka 516
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
सोपधानि कृतान्येव पाण्डवैरकृतात्मभि: । “अपवित्र अन्तःकरणवाले पाण्डवोंने भी तो पद-पदपर ऐसे कार्य किये हैं, जो सब-के- सब निन्दा और घृणाके योग्य रहे हैं। उनके द्वारा भी अनेक कपटपूर्ण कर्म किये ही गये हैं
sopadhāni kṛtāny eva pāṇḍavair akṛtātmabhiḥ |
Sañjaya said: “Even the Pāṇḍavas—men whose inner discipline was unrestrained and unrefined—have indeed performed acts with hidden intent. At every step they too have done deeds that invite censure and disgust, and many of their actions have been marked by deceit.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral ambiguity in the epic: even those regarded as righteous can commit blameworthy, strategic, or deceptive acts. It cautions against one-sided moral judgments and shows how ethical reasoning in war often becomes entangled with justification and retaliation.
In the Sauptika Parva’s opening, Sañjaya reports and frames the aftermath of the war. Here he conveys a critical assessment that the Pāṇḍavas too engaged in acts done with ‘upadhi’—pretext or ulterior motive—setting a tone of recrimination and ethical debate around wartime conduct.