Shloka 86
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
पुनश्न सुविचित्रेण शतचन्द्रेण चर्मणा । तेन चाकाशवर्णेन तथाचरत सो5डसिना,फिर वह सौ चन्द्राकार चिह्नोंसे युक्त विचित्र ढाल और आकाशके रंगवाली चमचमाती तलवार लेकर सब ओर विचरने लगा
punaś ca suvicitreṇa śatacandreṇa carmaṇā | tena cākāśavarṇena tathācarata so 'siṇā ||
Sañjaya said: Then again he moved about on all sides, bearing a richly ornamented shield marked with a hundred moon-emblems, and a gleaming sword of sky-like hue. The scene underscores the grim momentum of nocturnal warfare—where martial display and readiness replace restraint, and violence continues to seek new targets amid the collapse of ethical limits.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, once moral restraint breaks in war, attention shifts to weapons, intimidation, and relentless pursuit. It implicitly warns that martial prowess and splendid arms do not justify actions when dharma has been transgressed—especially in the nocturnal, deceptive violence characteristic of the Sauptika episode.
In Sañjaya’s report, the warrior continues roaming about, equipped with an ornate shield bearing many moon-like emblems and a shining, sky-hued sword—signaling ongoing movement and readiness to strike as the night-time violence proceeds.