Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 8
Droṇācārya’s Assessment of the Pāṇḍavas: Nīti, Kāla, and Intelligence (विराटपर्व, अध्याय २६)
अथाब्रवीत् तत: कर्ण: क्षिप्रं गच्छन्तु भारत । अन््ये धूर्ता नरा दक्षा निभूृता: साधुकारिण:
athābravīt tataḥ karṇaḥ kṣipraṃ gacchantu bhārata | anye dhūrtā narā dakṣā nibhṛtāḥ sādhukāriṇaḥ ||
Alors Karṇa dit : «Ô descendant de Bharata, que d’autres partent sans délai — des hommes rusés et capables, qui sachent demeurer cachés et accomplir leur mission avec efficacité.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds statecraft: success often depends on timely intelligence gathered by capable agents. Ethically, it raises tension between pragmatic necessity (protecting one’s side through information) and the moral ambiguity of deceit and concealment.
After hearing prior developments, Karṇa urges that other men be dispatched immediately—shrewd, skilled individuals who can stay hidden and execute their mission well—indicating a move toward covert investigation or surveillance.