Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 10

Droṇācārya’s Assessment of the Pāṇḍavas: Nīti, Kāla, and Intelligence (विराटपर्व, अध्याय २६)

Devanagari script

परिचारेषु तीर्थेषु विविधेष्वाकरेषु च । विज्ञातव्या मनुष्यैस्तैस्तर्कया सुविनीतया

Transliteration

paricāreṣu tīrtheṣu vividheṣv ākareṣu ca | vijñātavyā manuṣyais tais tarkayā suvinītayā ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「奉仕や出入りのある場所、聖なる渡し（ティールタ）、また諸々の鉱山や資源の地においても、彼らの所在は確かめられるべきである――その地の人々に、よく鍛えられた礼節ある理で問いかけて。」

Word by Word

• परिचारेषु: in services/attendances
• परिचारेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिचार
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• तीर्थेषु: in pilgrimage-places/holy fords
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• विविधेषु: various
• विविधेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• आकरेषु: in mines/sources (of wealth)
• आकरेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

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

• विज्ञातव्या: to be ascertained/should be known
• विज्ञातव्या: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: विज्ञा
• Form: Gerundive (future passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• मनुष्यैः: by men/people
• मनुष्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तर्कया: by reasoning/inquiry
• तर्कया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्क
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सुविनीतया: well-disciplined/polite
• सुविनीतया: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुविनीत
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• tīrtha (pilgrimage places)
• ākara (mines/resource-sites)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Information should be gathered through disciplined, courteous inquiry—using reasoned questions and respectful conduct—rather than force or rashness.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator indicates practical instructions for locating or verifying information by making inquiries among local people across key public and resource-linked places such as pilgrimage sites and mines.