Mahabharata 4.26.8 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 26, 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 ||
அப்போது கர்ணன் கூறினான்—“பாரத குலத்தோனே! உடனே மற்ற சதுரரும் திறமையுமுள்ள ஆட்களை அனுப்பு; அவர்கள் மறைவில் இருந்து தங்கள் பணியை நன்கு நிறைவேற்றுவார்கள்.”
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.
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