Shloka 118

Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout

Devanagari script

एवं विचरतस्तस्य निधघ्नतः सुबहून्‌ नरान्‌

Transliteration

evaṃ vicaratas tasya nidhaghnataḥ subahūn narān

Translation

Sañjaya said: As he moved about in this manner, striking down, he slew very many men—an image of unchecked violence unfolding amid the night’s chaos, where the collapse of restraint and dharma turns the battlefield into a scene of mass slaughter.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable)

• विचरतः: of him who was roaming/moving about
• विचरतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), masculine/neuter genitive singular (also possible ablative singular); agreeing with तस्य

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine genitive singular

• निधघ्नतः: of him who was striking down/killing
• निधघ्नतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), masculine/neuter genitive singular (also possible ablative singular); agreeing with तस्य

• सु-बहून्: very many
• सु-बहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुबहु
• Form: Masculine accusative plural

• नरान्: men
• नरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine accusative plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• नराः (men/warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how, once violence becomes unrestrained and indiscriminate, it rapidly expands into mass killing—serving as a moral warning about the erosion of dharma and self-control in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the unnamed warrior (contextually, the night-raider) is moving about and killing many men, describing the ongoing slaughter during the Sauptika Parva’s nocturnal attack.