Shloka 41

Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout

Devanagari script

तथैव गुल्मे सम्प्रेक्ष्य शयानान्‌ मध्यगौल्मिकान्‌ | भ्रान्तान्‌ व्यस्तायुधान्‌ सर्वान्‌ क्षणेनैव व्यपोथयत्‌,इसी प्रकार खेमेमें मध्य श्रेणीके रक्षक सैनिक भी थककर सो रहे थे। उनके अस्त्र-शस्त्र अस्त-व्यस्त होकर पड़े थे। उन सबको उस अवस्थामें देखकर अभ्र॒त्थामाने क्षणभरमें मार डाला

Transliteration

tathaiva gulme samprekṣya śayānān madhyagaulmikān | bhrāntān vyastāyudhān sarvān kṣaṇenaiva vyapothayat ||

Translation

ସେହିପରି ଶିବିରର ମଧ୍ୟ ପଙ୍କ୍ତିରେ ନିଯୁକ୍ତ ପହରାଦାରମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ କ୍ଲାନ୍ତିରେ ଶୋଇପଡ଼ିଥିଲେ; ତାଙ୍କର ଅସ୍ତ୍ର-ଶସ୍ତ୍ର ଅସ୍ତବ୍ୟସ୍ତ ଭାବେ ପଡ଼ିଥିଲା। ସେମାନଙ୍କର ସେହି ଅସହାୟ ଅବସ୍ଥା ଦେଖି ଅଶ୍ୱତ୍ଥାମା କ୍ଷଣମାତ୍ରେ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ନିଧନ କଲା।

Word by Word

तथाthus, in the same way

एवindeed, just

गुल्मेin the troop/encampment (formation)

सम्प्रेक्ष्यhaving looked at, observing

शयानान्lying down, sleeping

मध्यगौल्मिकान्those in the middle of the troop/formation (middle-rank guards)

भ्रान्तान्bewildered, exhausted, disoriented

व्यस्तायुधान्with weapons scattered/disordered

सर्वान्all

क्षणेनin a moment, within an instant

एवindeed, just

व्यपोथयत्he struck down, killed, destroyed

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Aśvatthāmā

gulma (camp-guard detachment)

madhyagaulmikāḥ (middle-line sentries/guards)

āyudha (weapons)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical degradation that can occur in war: when combat shifts from facing an armed opponent to killing exhausted sleepers, the act moves away from kṣatriya norms of fair battle and becomes a paradigmatic instance of adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the night attack, Aśvatthāmā surveys the camp’s middle-line guards, finds them asleep and unprepared with weapons in disarray, and swiftly kills them all.