Shloka 19
सौप्तिकपर्व — धृष्टद्युम्नसारथिवृत्तान्तः
Report of the Night Raid and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament
न हि प्रमादात् परमस्ति कश्रिद् वधो नराणामिह जीवलोके । प्रमत्तमर्था हि नरं समन्तात् त्यजन्त्यनर्थाक्ष समाविशन्ति,'प्रमादसे बढ़कर इस संसारमें मनुष्योंके लिये दूसरी कोई मृत्यु नहीं। प्रमादी मनुष्यको सारे अर्थ सब ओरसे त्याग देते हैं और अनर्थ बिना बुलाये ही उसके पास चले आते हैं
na hi pramādāt paramasti kaścid vadho narāṇām iha jīvaloke | pramattam arthā hi naraṃ samantāt tyajanty anarthāś ca samāviśanti ||
For people living in this world, there is no deadlier destroyer than heedlessness. When a man becomes careless, prosperity and right aims abandon him from every side, while misfortunes—uninvited—press in and take possession of his life.
सूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
Heedlessness (pramāda) is portrayed as the greatest ‘death’ for a person: it drives away artha (well-being, right aims, prosperity) and invites anartha (harm, calamity). The verse urges vigilance, self-control, and mindful conduct as essential to dharma and success.
In the Sauptika Parva’s reflective narration, the Sūta states a general moral principle: negligence ruins people more surely than external enemies. This functions as an ethical commentary amid the grim aftermath of nocturnal violence and its consequences.