Shloka 1023
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
क्रोशन्तस्तात पुत्रेति दैवोपहतचेतस: । प्रभो! वे भागे हुए सैनिक एक-दूसरेको पहचान नहीं पाते थे। दैववश उनकी बुद्धि मारी गयी थी। वे “हा तात! हा पुत्र!” कहकर अपने स्वजनोंको पुकार रहे थे
krośantastāta putreti daivopahatacetasaḥ |
サンジャヤは言った。「運命に心を打ち砕かれ、彼らは『父よ！ 子よ！』と叫んだ。逃走と殺戮の混乱の中で互いを見分けることもできず、判断の光を失って、ただ無力に身内の名を呼び求めた――戦が道義を崩し、人の絆が無差別の暴力のただ中で絶望の叫びへと縮む、その光景である。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war annihilates discernment and humane order: when minds are 'struck by fate' (daivopahata), even basic recognition and restraint collapse, and the deepest social bonds—father and son—surface only as helpless cries. It implicitly warns that violence breeds moral and cognitive ruin, not merely physical defeat.
Sañjaya describes the terrified, fleeing warriors after the nocturnal slaughter: disoriented and unable to identify one another, they wail “O father! O son!” calling for their relatives. The scene conveys panic, darkness, and the breakdown of cohesion among the troops.