Shloka 18
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 25: Kaurava Deliberation and the Search Directive (अन्वेषण-आदेशः)
पाण्डवानां प्रवृत्ति च विद्य: कर्मापि वा कृतम् । स न: शाधि मनुष्येन्द्र अत ऊर्ध्व विशाम्पते
vaiśampāyana uvāca | pāṇḍavānāṁ pravṛttiṁ ca vidyāḥ karmāpi vā kṛtam | sa naḥ śādhi manuṣyendra ata ūrdhvaṁ viśāmpate ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Não conseguimos saber nada dos Pāṇḍava — nem os seus movimentos, nem o seu paradeiro, nem as suas atividades, nem quaisquer feitos que tenham realizado. Portanto, ó senhor dos homens, ó governante do povo, instrui-nos: o que deve ser feito daqui em diante?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights responsible governance and disciplined inquiry: when information is lacking, one should not act rashly but seek proper instruction and proceed with a clear command structure—an ethical stance of restraint, accountability, and duty in decision-making.
The speaker reports that no reliable intelligence has been obtained about the Pāṇḍavas—their location or actions—and therefore asks the king for further orders on what steps to take next.