Shloka 13
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 25: Kaurava Deliberation and the Search Directive (अन्वेषण-आदेशः)
नरेन्द्र बहुशो<न्विष्टा नैव विद्यश्न॒ पाण्डवान् । अत्यन्तं वा विनष्टास्ते भद्रं तुभ्यं नर्षभ
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: Narendra bahuśo ’nviṣṭā naiva vidmaḥ sma Pāṇḍavān; atyantaṃ vā vinaṣṭās te, bhadraṃ tubhyaṃ nṛṣabha.
Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, we have searched for the Pāṇḍavas again and again, yet we have found no trace of them. It may be that they have perished completely. May welfare attend you, O bull among men.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of truthful reporting in governance: messengers or advisers must convey uncertainty honestly (“we do not know”), while also offering respectful goodwill to the ruler. It also underscores how quickly political stability can be shaken by the disappearance of key figures.
A report is being delivered to a king: despite repeated searches, no information about the Pāṇḍavas has been found, and the speaker suggests the grim possibility that they may have perished. The statement is framed with courtly honorifics and a blessing for the king’s welfare.