Shloka 113
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
प्रसुप्ताश्नैव विश्वस्ता: स्वसैन्यपरिवारिता: । वहाँ वे पांचाल वीर रणभूमिमें महान् पराक्रम करके बहुत थक गये थे और अपने सैनिकोंसे घिरे हुए निश्चिन्त सो रहे थे,निनदद्धिर्भशायस्तैर्नराश्वद्विरदोत्तमै:
sañjaya uvāca | prasuptāś caiva viśvastāḥ svasainyaparivāritāḥ | ninadadbhiḥ śayānais tair narāśvadvira-dottamaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The Pāñcāla warriors, having grown weary after displaying great valor on the battlefield, lay asleep in trust and unguarded confidence, surrounded by their own troops. Around them the finest of men, horses, and elephants lay down, their presence filling the camp with the low, rumbling sounds of rest—an ominous calm in the midst of war, where vigilance is itself a form of dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a wartime ethical tension: valor in battle does not guarantee safety, and trust or complacency can become a moral and strategic vulnerability. In the Sauptika context, the calm of sleep foreshadows adharma-driven violence, underscoring that vigilance and restraint are crucial when passions of war remain unresolved.
Sañjaya describes the Pāñcāla side resting after exhausting combat—sleeping confidently, surrounded by their own forces, with men, horses, and elephants lying down. This sets the scene immediately before the night-time assault central to the Sauptika Parva.