Shloka 132
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
एक ओर लोग आगसे जल रहे थे और दूसरी ओर अश्वत्थामाके हाथसे मारे जाते थे, ऐसी दशामें वे सब योद्धा स्वयं ही एक-दूसरेकी यमलोक भेजने लगे ।। तस्या रजन्यास्त्वर्धेन पाण्डवानां महद् बलम् | गमयामास राजेन्द्र द्रेणियमनिवेशनम्,राजेन्द्र! उस रातका आधा भाग बीतते-बीतते द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामाने पाण्डवोंकी उस विशाल सेनाको यमराजके घर भेज दिया
tasyā rajanyāstv ardhena pāṇḍavānāṃ mahad balam | gamayāmāsa rājendra droṇiyam aniveśanam ||
Sañjaya said: O king, before half of that night had passed, Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāman sent the great host of the Pāṇḍavas to the abode of Yama. In that terror, some were consumed by fire while others were cut down by Aśvatthāman’s hand, and the warriors—confused and desperate—ended up striking one another, hastening each other to death. The passage underscores the moral collapse that accompanies nocturnal slaughter: fear, darkness, and rage dissolve discernment, turning a battlefield into a scene of indiscriminate destruction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare—especially a night assault—can erase ethical restraint: fear and confusion lead to indiscriminate killing, even mutual slaughter. It implicitly critiques violence that departs from righteous conduct (dharma-yuddha), showing how adharma multiplies suffering.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Aśvatthāman, son of Droṇa, devastates the Pāṇḍava camp during the night. Before midnight, he has effectively sent the great Pāṇḍava force to Yama’s abode; amid fire and panic, warriors also kill one another in confusion.