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 ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「潜伏して暮らすパーンダヴァたちは、多くの者によって捜し出されねばならぬ――多様な技に通じ、任務に専心し、追うべき者の徴を見抜き、しかも自らも覆いの下で働く術に長けた者たちである。かくも熟達した密偵に、彼らが隠れ得るあらゆる所を探らせよ。」
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.