Shloka 6
Droṇācārya’s Assessment of the Pāṇḍavas: Nīti, Kāla, and Intelligence (विराटपर्व, अध्याय २६)
सर्वे कालस्य वेत्तार: कृच्छरूपधरा: स्थिता: । प्रविशेयुर्जितक्रोधास्तावदेव पुनर्वनम्,“वे सब समयकी नियत अवधिको जानते हैं; अतः कही ऐसा वेष धारण करके छिपे होंगे, जिससे उन्हें पहचानना कठिन हो गया है; इसलिये आपलोग शीघ्र उनका पता लगानेकी चेष्टा करें, जिससे वे क्रोधको दबाकर उतने ही समयके लिये अर्थात् बारह वर्षोके लिये फिर वनमें चले जायँ। ऐसा होनेपर ही मेरा यह राज्य दीर्घकाल-तकके लिये निर्दन्द्ध, व्यग्रताशून्य तथा निष्कण्टक हो जायगा”
sarve kālasya vettāraḥ kṛcchrarūpadharāḥ sthitāḥ | praviśeyur jitakrodhās tāvad eva punar vanam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “They all know the fixed limit of time. Therefore they must be staying in concealment, having assumed a difficult-to-recognize disguise. Hence you should quickly strive to discover them, so that—restraining their anger—they may return to the forest for exactly that remaining term, namely the twelve years. Only then will my kingdom remain secure for a long time, free from anxiety and without thorns (that is, without trouble or threat).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined self-restraint and strategic patience: those who know the lawful term of time endure hardship in disguise and keep anger under control, while rulers seek stability by preventing premature conflict.
The speaker reasons that the exiled heroes, aware of the exact time-limit, are likely hiding nearby in an unrecognizable guise; therefore the listeners are urged to search quickly so that the heroes will be forced to return to the forest for the remaining term, ensuring the kingdom’s continued security.