Shloka 1053
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
शिबिरान् निष्पतन्ति सम क्षत्रिया भयपीडिता: । युद्धके लिये उन्मत्त हुआ द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा उन सबको पहचान-पहचानकर मार गिराता था। बारंबार उसकी मार खाते हुए दूसरे बहुत-से क्षत्रिय भयसे पीड़ित और अचेत हो शिविरसे बाहर निकलने लगे
śibirān niṣpatanti sama kṣatriyā bhayapīḍitāḥ | yuddhāya unmattabhūto droṇaputra aśvatthāmā tān sarvān abhijñāya-abhijñāya nipātayām āsa | punaḥ punaḥ tasya prahāraṃ prāpya anye bahavaḥ kṣatriyā bhayapīḍitāḥ acetāḥ śibirāt niṣkramitum ārabdhāḥ |
Sañjaya said: Terrified kṣatriyas began rushing out of the camp. Drona’s son Aśvatthāmā, driven into a frenzy for battle, recognized them one by one and struck them down. Again and again, battered by his blows, many other warriors—overwhelmed by fear and losing consciousness—staggered out from the encampment.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how fear and rage can eclipse discernment: Aśvatthāmā’s battle-frenzy turns killing into targeted slaughter, while the warriors’ panic dissolves courage and order. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning that violence unrestrained by dharma dehumanizes both attacker and victim.
During the Sauptika episode, warriors in the camp attempt to flee in terror. Aśvatthāmā, identified as Droṇa’s son, recognizes individuals as they run and cuts them down; many others, repeatedly struck, stumble out of the camp in fear and near-unconsciousness.