Shloka 1
अपन बक। ] अति्शशाड< (ऐषीकपर्व) दशमो<ध्याय: धृष्टद्युम्नके सारथिके मुखसे पुत्रों और पांचालोंके वधका वृत्तान्त सुनकर युधिष्ठटिरका विलाप, द्रौपदीको बुलानेके लिये नकुलको भेजना, सुहृदोंके साथ शिविरमें जाना तथा मारे हुए पुत्रादिको देखकर भाईसहित शोकातुर होना वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां धृष्टद्युम्नस्य सारथि: । शशंस धर्मराजाय सौप्तिके कदनं कृतम्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्! वह रात व्यतीत होनेपर धृष्टद्युम्नके सारथिने रातको सोते समय जो संहार किया गया था, उसका समाचार धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरसे कह सुनाया
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tasyāṃ rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnasya sārathiḥ | śaśaṃsa dharmarājāya sauptike kadanaṃ kṛtam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: When that night had passed, Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s charioteer reported to Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira the slaughter that had been carried out in the sleeping-camp.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the Sauptika event as a report delivered to Dharmarāja, implicitly highlighting the ethical weight of actions in war: deeds done outside accepted dharma (such as killing sleepers) may secure tactical success but generate moral crisis, grief, and accountability in the aftermath.
After the night ends, Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s charioteer approaches Yudhiṣṭhira and informs him about the carnage committed during the night while people were asleep—setting in motion Yudhiṣṭhira’s lament and the subsequent reactions described in the chapter.