Shloka 916
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
सम॑ पर्यपतंश्वान्ये कुर्वन्तो महदाकुलम् । कितने ही मलत्याग करने लगे। कितनोंके पेशाब झड़ने लगे। राजेन्द्र! दूसरे बहुत-से घोड़े और हाथी बन्धन तोड़कर एक साथ ही सब ओर दौड़ने और लोगोंको अत्यन्त व्याकुल करने लगे
samaṃ paryapatañ śvāny anye kurvanto mahad ākulam |
Sañjaya said: Others, in their panic, ran about in all directions, creating great confusion. Many animals lost control of themselves—some voided excrement, some passed urine. O king, many horses and elephants broke their bonds at once and rushed everywhere, throwing the people into extreme distress. The scene underscores how terror and adharma-driven violence in war spreads beyond combatants, shaking even the innocent and the natural order.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how fear and adharma-driven violence unleash widespread disorder: the effects of war are not confined to warriors but disturb animals, attendants, and the broader moral and natural order, intensifying collective suffering.
Sañjaya describes a sudden outbreak of panic in the camp: animals and others run in all directions, many lose bodily control, and horses and elephants snap their restraints and stampede, causing severe confusion and distress among the people.