Shloka 5

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 25: Kaurava Deliberation and the Search Directive (अन्वेषण-आदेशः)

Devanagari script

अथ वै धारतराष्ट्रेण प्रयुक्ता ये बहिश्नरा: | मृगयित्वा बहून्‌ ग्रामान्‌ राष्ट्रीणि नगराणि च

Transliteration

atha vai dhārtarāṣṭreṇa prayuktā ye bahiścarāḥ | mṛgayitvā bahūn grāmān rāṣṭrīṇi nagarāṇi ca |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then those roaming spies, dispatched by Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana), searched through many villages, kingdoms, and cities. After investigating everywhere they could—seeking any trace of the Pāṇḍavas during their incognito exile—they completed their mission and returned to Hastināpura.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• वै: indeed/for emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• धारतराष्ट्रेण: by the Dhārtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana)
• धारतराष्ट्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रयुक्ताः: employed/commissioned
• प्रयुक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-युज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, kta (past passive participle)

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बहिःचराः: outside-roaming (spies/agents)
• बहिःचराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहिःचर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मृगयित्वा: having searched/hunted for
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृगय्
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā)

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ग्रामान्: villages
• ग्रामान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राष्ट्रीणि: kingdoms/regions
• राष्ट्रीणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• नगराणि: cities
• नगराणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied via dhārtarāṣṭra)
• Duryodhana (intended referent of dhārtarāṣṭra)
• Pāṇḍavas (contextual target of the search)
• Hastināpura (from the given prose context)
• spies/roaming agents (bahiścarāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how political fear and rivalry lead to surveillance and widespread searching, while implicitly contrasting this with the Pāṇḍavas’ disciplined adherence to their vow of incognito exile. It invites reflection on the ethical costs of suspicion-driven statecraft.

What is happening in the narrative?

Roaming spies sent by Duryodhana scour many villages, realms, and cities to locate the Pāṇḍavas during their Ajñātavāsa. After investigating as far as possible, they conclude their search and return to report.