Shloka 40
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
ततो निस्त्रिंशभादाय जघानान्यान् पृथक् पृथक् । भागशो विचरन् मार्गानसियुद्धविशारद:,तदनन्तर तलवारसे युद्ध करनेमें कुशल अश्वत्थामाने हाथमें खड्ग लेकर प्रत्येक भागमें विभिन्न मार्गोंसे विचरते हुए वहाँ बारी-बारीसे अन्य वीरोंका भी वध कर डाला
tato nistriṁśam ādāya jaghānānyān pṛthak pṛthak | bhāgaśo vicaran mārgān asiyuddhaviśāradaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, taking up his sword, and being highly skilled in sword-fighting, he moved along the various paths section by section, and slew the other warriors one after another. In the grim aftermath of battle, his prowess is shown not as righteous heroism but as a relentless, methodical violence that deepens the ethical darkness of the night-raid.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how technical martial excellence can be ethically misdirected: skill in combat, when driven by vengeance and exercised in a context of ruthless killing, intensifies adharma rather than earning glory. It invites reflection on the difference between valor aligned with dharma and violence executed as methodical slaughter.
Sañjaya narrates the continuation of the nocturnal killings: the attacker, sword in hand and expert in blade-fighting, moves through different routes and sections, striking down remaining warriors one by one. The emphasis is on systematic movement and repeated killing rather than a single duel.