Shloka 32
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
तस्यैव दिवसस्यान्ते द्रौणिहार्दिक्यगौतमा: । प्रसुप्तं निशि विश्वस्तं जघ्नुर्याधिष्ठिरे बलम्,अठारहवाँ दिन बीत जानेपर रात्रिके समय अभश्व॒त्थामा, कृतवर्मा और कृपाचार्यने नि:शंक सोते हुए युधिष्ठिरके सैनिकोंको मार डाला
tasyaiva divasas yānte drauṇihārdikyagautamāḥ | prasuptaṃ niśi viśvastaṃ jaghnur yādhiṣṭhire balam ||
At the close of that very day, Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā), Hārdikya (Kṛtavarmā), and Gautama (Kṛpa) slew, in the night, the forces aligned with Yudhiṣṭhira—men who lay asleep and unsuspecting. The episode underscores the moral collapse that can follow prolonged war: victory sought through fear and vengeance turns into a breach of kṣatriya restraint, where the helpless are struck instead of met in open combat.
राम उवाच