Shloka 32
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
अब्लुवन् दीनकण्ठेन क्षिप्रमाद्रवतेति वै । राक्षसो वा मनुष्यो वा नैनं जानीमहे वयम्
abluvan dīna-kaṇṭhena kṣipram ādravateti vai | rākṣaso vā manuṣyo vā nainaṃ jānīmahe vayam ||
Sañjaya said: “In a faint, distressed voice they cried, ‘He is rushing away quickly!’ Whether he is a rākṣasa or a human, we do not know.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the chaos of violence—especially at night—certainty collapses: people act and react without clear knowledge. The verse highlights the ethical danger of fear-driven judgment, where one cannot even distinguish human from non-human, underscoring how war degrades discernment (viveka).
Sañjaya reports that people, speaking in a weak and frightened voice, shout that someone is fleeing swiftly. They cannot identify the figure—whether it is a rākṣasa or a man—reflecting the confusion and terror surrounding the nocturnal events of the Sauptika episode.