Shloka 12
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 25: Kaurava Deliberation and the Search Directive (अन्वेषण-आदेशः)
गिरिकूटेषु तुड्रेषु नानाजनपदेषु च । जनाकीररेंषु देशेषु खर्वटेषु पुरेषु च
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: girikūṭeṣu tuṅgeṣu nānājanapadeṣu ca | janākīrṇeṣu deśeṣu kharvaṭeṣu pureṣu ca, mahārāja, vayaṁ parvataśikhareṣu nānādeśeṣu janasaṅkuleṣu sthāneṣu ca tathā kharvaṭeṣu paṇyapaṭṭaneṣu nagareṣu ca teṣāṁ bahu anvaiṣma, na ca kvacid api pāṇḍavānām adarśayāma | narāśreṣṭha, tava kalyāṇaṁ bhavatu | sambhāvayāmaḥ te sarvathā naṣṭāḥ syuḥ ||
Wika ni Vaiśampāyana: “O hari, hinanap namin sila sa matatayog na tuktok ng bundok, sa iba’t ibang kaharian, sa mga pook na siksik sa tao, at maging sa mga nayon sa kapatagan, mga bayang pamilihan, at mga lungsod. Ngunit saanman ay wala kaming natagpuang anumang bakas ng mga Pāṇḍava. O pinakamainam sa mga tao, nawa’y sumaiyo ang kabutihan. Maaaring sila’y lubusang napuksa.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the limits of human effort and knowledge: even thorough searching across varied terrains and populated regions may yield no certainty. It also reflects the ethical posture of a messenger/report—speaking truthfully, offering auspicious goodwill to the king, and cautiously presenting a grave possibility without claiming absolute knowledge.
A report is being delivered to the king: despite extensive searches on mountain peaks, across many kingdoms, in crowded regions, and in villages and cities, no trace of the Pāṇḍavas has been found. The speaker therefore suggests the possibility that they may have perished.