Shloka 34
Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
लड्घन्त: प्लवन्तश्न वल्गन्तश्न॒ महारथा: । धावन्तो जवना मुण्डा: पवनोद्धूतमूर्धजा:,वे महारथी भूतगण उछलते, कूदते और लाँघते हुए बड़े वेगसे दौड़ रहे थे। उनमेंसे कितने तो माथ मुँड़ाये हुए थे और कितनोंके सिरके बाल हवाके झोंकेसे ऊपरकी ओर उठ गये थे
laṅghantaḥ plavantaś ca valgantaś ca mahārathāḥ | dhāvanto javanā muṇḍāḥ pavanoddhūtamūrdhajāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The mighty chariot-warriors—like a frenzied host—were leaping over obstacles, springing, and bounding about. They rushed forward at great speed; some had shaven heads, while others’ hair was blown upward by gusts of wind. The scene conveys the terrifying, disorderly momentum of nocturnal violence, where martial prowess turns into a spectacle of fear and moral disintegration.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war—especially in the lawless atmosphere of night violence—can devolve into chaotic, dehumanizing frenzy. It implicitly contrasts disciplined kṣatriya conduct with the terrifying momentum of adharma when restraint and ethical boundaries collapse.
Sañjaya describes a terrifying host of powerful fighters (or warrior-like beings) rushing about—leaping, jumping, and running at great speed. Their appearance is striking: some are shaven-headed, and others have hair blown upward by the wind, heightening the ominous, uncanny atmosphere of the Sauptika episode.