Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 25: Kaurava Deliberation and the Search Directive (अन्वेषण-आदेशः)
किंचित्काले मनुष्येन्द्र सूतानामनुगा वयम् । मृगयित्वा यथान्यायं वेदितार्था: सम तत्त्वतः
kiṃcitkāle manuṣyendra sūtānām anugā vayam | mṛgayitvā yathānyāyaṃ veditārthāḥ sma tattvataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O lord of men, for some time we followed after their charioteers. Having searched in the proper manner, we have ascertained the matter correctly and in accordance with the truth.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights disciplined inquiry: one should investigate “yathā-nyāyam” (by proper means) and then report “tattvataḥ” (truthfully and accurately), rather than relying on rumor or haste.
The narrator reports to a king that they trailed the charioteers for some time and, after a proper search, have determined the facts with certainty.