Shloka 37
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
सुप्तेषु तेषु काकेषु विश्रब्धेषु समन््ततः । सो<5पश्यत् सहसा यान्तमुलूकं घोरदर्शनम्,उन कौओंके सब ओर निर्भय होकर सो जानेपर अभश्रवत्थामाने देखा कि सहसा एक भयानक उल्लू उधर आ निकला
supteṣu teṣu kākeṣu viśrabdheṣu samantataḥ | so 'paśyat sahasā yāntam ulūkaṃ ghoradarśanam ||
Sañjaya dit : Quand ces corbeaux dormaient, tout autour, en pleine confiance et sans crainte, il vit soudain s’avancer un hibou à l’aspect effroyable. La scène suggère un contraste moral : la sécurité insouciante et la complaisance appellent le danger, tandis que le coup du prédateur se nourrit de la négligence d’autrui — sombre prélude à la perfidie de la nuit de guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical warning that complacent security and lack of vigilance make one vulnerable to harm; predatory violence often depends on others being unguarded, foreshadowing the adharma of a night attack.
As the crows sleep fearlessly all around, Aśvatthāmā suddenly notices a terrifying owl approaching—an ominous natural image that sets the mood for the impending nocturnal violence described in the Sauptika Parva.