Shloka 12
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 25: Kaurava Deliberation and the Search Directive (अन्वेषण-आदेशः)
गिरिकूटेषु तुड्रेषु नानाजनपदेषु च । जनाकीररेंषु देशेषु खर्वटेषु पुरेषु च,महाराज! हमने पर्वतोंके ऊँचे-ऊँचे शिखरोंपर, भिन्न-भिन्न देशोंमें, जनसमूहसे भरे हुए स्थानोंमें तथा तराईके गाँवों, बाजारों और नगरोंमें भी उनकी बहुत खोज की, परंतु कहीं भी पाण्डवोंका पता नहीं लगा। नरश्रेष्ठी] आपका कल्याण हो। सम्भव है, वे सर्वथा नष्ट हो गये हों
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 ||
毗湿摩衍那说道：“大王！我们在高峻的山巅寻他们，遍历诸国诸境；在众人云集之地寻他们，乃至在低地的村落、集市之镇与城邑之中亦曾细细搜访。然而，处处皆不见般度五子的丝毫踪影。人中至上者，愿吉祥临于你。或许他们已尽皆覆灭。”
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.