Shloka 156
Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
दडीपशैलप्रतीकाशा: प्रादुरासन् महागणा: । वहीं बहुत-से महान् गण प्रकट हो गये
dadīpaśaila-pratīkāśāḥ prādurāsan mahāgaṇāḥ |
Sañjaya said: Mighty hosts of gaṇas suddenly manifested, towering like island-mountains. Their faces and eyes blazed with radiance; they were many-limbed, with numerous feet, heads, and arms. Adorned with wondrous, jewel-crafted armlets, they all raised their hands aloft—an ominous, otherworldly sign within the night of slaughter.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that when violence crosses moral limits, the narrative frames it as inviting or revealing forces beyond ordinary human control—portents that mirror the ethical collapse (adharma) surrounding the nocturnal massacre.
Sañjaya describes the sudden manifestation of immense, radiant gaṇa-hosts—many-limbed, jewel-adorned beings—raising their hands, functioning as a terrifying supernatural presence amid the events of the Sauptika episode.