Shloka 11
Droṇācārya’s Assessment of the Pāṇḍavas: Nīti, Kāla, and Intelligence (विराटपर्व, अध्याय २६)
विविधैस्तत्परै: सम्यक् तज्जै्निपुणसंवृतै: । अन्वेष्टव्या: सुनिपुणै: पाण्डवाश्छन्नचवासिन:
vaividhyais tatparaiḥ samyak tajjñānipuṇa-saṃvṛtaiḥ | anveṣṭavyāḥ sunipuṇaiḥ pāṇḍavāś channacāvasinaḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «A los Pāṇḍavas, que viven ocultos, hay que buscarlos con muchos agentes: hombres de variadas destrezas, enteramente entregados a su cometido, versados en reconocer las señales de su presa y diestros ellos mismos en obrar bajo cubierta. Que tales espías, sumamente hábiles, los rastreen dondequiera que puedan esconderse.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights statecraft: when pursuing a sensitive objective, a ruler relies on disciplined, competent agents who understand both identification and concealment. Ethically, it underscores responsibility in governance—competence and discretion are essential tools, though their use must remain aligned with dharma.
In the Virāṭa episode, the Pāṇḍavas are living incognito during their final year of exile. The narration describes the decision to deploy numerous highly skilled spies to locate them, assuming they are hidden and moving carefully.