Shloka 68
Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
तमदृश्यानि भूतानि रक्षांसि च समाद्रवन् | अभित: शत्रुशिबिरं यान्तं साक्षादिवेश्वरम्,साक्षात् महादेवजीके समान शत्रुशिविरकी ओर जाते हुए अश्वत्थामाके साथ-साथ बहुत-से अदृश्य भूत और राक्षस भी दौड़े गये
tam adṛśyāni bhūtāni rakṣāṃsi ca samādravan | abhitaḥ śatruśibiraṃ yāntaṃ sākṣād iveśvaram ||
Sañjaya said: As Aśvatthāmā advanced on every side toward the enemy camp, appearing like the Lord Himself in manifest power, many invisible spirits (bhūtas) and rākṣasas also rushed along with him—an ominous accompaniment that underscores the dreadful, adharma-tinged character of the night assault.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a violent act undertaken in darkness and fury draws in dark, destructive forces; even when a warrior appears godlike in power, the ethical quality of the act matters, and adharma tends to attract ominous companionship and consequences.
Sañjaya describes Aśvatthāmā moving toward the Pāṇḍava camp; as he advances, unseen bhūtas and rākṣasas surge alongside him, intensifying the terror and foreboding surrounding the impending nocturnal slaughter.