Shloka 97
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
तस्मिंस्तमसि संजाते प्रमूढा: सर्वतो जना:
tasmiṁs tamasi saṁjāte pramūḍhāḥ sarvato janāḥ
サञ्जयは語った。その闇が立ちのぼると、あらゆる所の人々は惑乱し、突如の暗黒に感覚も判断も呑み込まれた――夜の暴虐ののち、恐れと道義の迷いがいかに広がるかを示す姿である。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how darkness—both literal and symbolic—breeds collective confusion. In the ethical frame of the Sauptika episode, it suggests that actions done under the cover of night and rage tend to spread fear, impair discernment, and destabilize dharmic order.
Sañjaya describes the onset of darkness and its immediate effect: people everywhere become disoriented. This sets the atmosphere for the Sauptika Parva’s night events, where surprise, panic, and moral chaos dominate the scene.