Shloka 138
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
उनकी अंगुलियाँ पीछेकी ओर थीं। वे रूखे
pītvā ca śoṇitaṃ hṛṣṭāḥ prānṛtyan gaṇaśo 'pare | idaṃ param idaṃ medhyam idaṃ svādu iti cābruvan ||
サञ्जयは言った。彼らの指は後ろへ反り返り、ざらついて醜く、恐ろしい咆哮を上げていた。多くは鈴の鬘を身にまとい、喉には青い印があり、見るだに戦慄を誘う。妻や子もまた共にいた。彼らはきわめて残忍で無慈悲であり、目を向けることさえ難しい。そこには羅刹たちのさまざまな姿が現れていた。ある者は血を飲んで歓喜し、またある者は群れを分けて踊り狂った。そして互いに言い交わした――「これは至上だ、これは清らかだ、これは美味だ」と。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extreme violence can invert moral perception: what is inherently impure and sinful (blood-drinking amid slaughter) is proclaimed as “pure” and “excellent.” It serves as a warning about adharma—when cruelty becomes celebratory, ethical discernment is destroyed.
In the aftermath of the nocturnal killing described in Sauptika Parva, terrifying beings are depicted reveling in the carnage: some drink blood and rejoice, while others dance in groups, praising it as if it were something sacred and delicious.