Shloka 516
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
सोपधानि कृतान्येव पाण्डवैरकृतात्मभि: । “अपवित्र अन्तःकरणवाले पाण्डवोंने भी तो पद-पदपर ऐसे कार्य किये हैं, जो सब-के- सब निन्दा और घृणाके योग्य रहे हैं। उनके द्वारा भी अनेक कपटपूर्ण कर्म किये ही गये हैं
sopadhāni kṛtāny eva pāṇḍavair akṛtātmabhiḥ |
三阇耶说道：“即便是般度五子——内心修持未臻纯熟、约束不严之人——也确曾做过怀有私意的举动。步步之间，他们同样行下招致谴责与厌恶之事；其所为多有欺诈之痕。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral ambiguity in the epic: even those regarded as righteous can commit blameworthy, strategic, or deceptive acts. It cautions against one-sided moral judgments and shows how ethical reasoning in war often becomes entangled with justification and retaliation.
In the Sauptika Parva’s opening, Sañjaya reports and frames the aftermath of the war. Here he conveys a critical assessment that the Pāṇḍavas too engaged in acts done with ‘upadhi’—pretext or ulterior motive—setting a tone of recrimination and ethical debate around wartime conduct.