Shloka 62
Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)
मम त्वेतच्चरास्तात यथावत् प्रत्यवेदयन् । जडान्धबधिराकारा ये मुक्ता द्रपदे मया,मैंने द्रपदके नगरमें कुछ गुप्तचर नियुक्त कर दिये थे, जो गूँगे, अंधे और बहरे बनकर वहाँ रहते थे। वे ही यह सब समाचार मुझे ठीक-ठीक बताया करते थे
mama tv etac carās tāta yathāvat pratyavedayan | jaḍāndhabadhirākārā ye muktā drupade mayā ||
Bhīṣma said: “Dear one, my spies reported this to me exactly as it happened. I had stationed them in Drupada’s city, and they lived there disguised as mute, blind, and deaf persons; it is they who kept conveying to me these tidings accurately.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the role of accurate information in governance and conflict: a ruler’s decisions should rest on verified reports. It also raises an ethical tension—espionage and disguise are treated as legitimate instruments of rājadharma (statecraft), even while they rely on concealment.
Bhishma explains how he knows the details being discussed: he had previously deployed spies in Drupada’s city. They lived there under convincing disguises (appearing mute, blind, and deaf) and regularly reported the news back to him.