Mahabharata 4.26.11 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 26, Shloka 11

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

Devanagari script

विविधैस्तत्परै: सम्यक्‌ तज्जै्निपुणसंवृतै: । अन्वेष्टव्या: सुनिपुणै: पाण्डवाश्छन्नचवासिन:

Transliteration

vaividhyais tatparaiḥ samyak tajjñānipuṇa-saṃvṛtaiḥ | anveṣṭavyāḥ sunipuṇaiḥ pāṇḍavāś channacāvasinaḥ ||

Translation

พวกปาณฑพผู้พำนักอย่างลับเร้นพึงถูกสืบหาโดยสายลับจำนวนมาก—ผู้มีความชำนาญหลากหลาย มุ่งมั่นต่อภารกิจ รู้เท่าทันเครื่องหมายของผู้ที่ตามหา และตนเองก็เชี่ยวชาญในการปฏิบัติการอย่างปกปิด

Word by Word

• विविधैः: by various
• विविधैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तत्परैः: by diligent/intent (ones)
• तत्परैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्पर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सम्यक्: properly, thoroughly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• तत्: that (matter/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ज्ञैः: by knowers, by those who know
• ज्ञैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• निपुण-संवृतैः: by those concealed/covered skillfully
• निपुण-संवृतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निपुणसंवृत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अन्वेष्टव्याः: are to be searched for
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्वेष्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Gerundive (तव्यत्), passive obligation

• सुनिपुणैः: by very skillful (ones)
• सुनिपुणैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुनिपुण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पाण्डवाः: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• छन्न: hidden, concealed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छन्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त) from √छद्

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

• वासिनः: dwellers, residents
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.