Shloka 42

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

Devanagari script

योधानश्चान्‌ द्विपांश्वैव प्राच्छिनत्‌ स वरासिना । रुधिरोक्षितसर्वाड्र: कालसृष्ट इवान्तक:

Transliteration

yodhāṁś cān dvipāṁś caiva prācchinat sa varāsinā | rudhirokṣita-sarvāṅgaḥ kāla-sṛṣṭa ivāntakaḥ ||

Translation

ਉਸ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਉੱਤਮ ਤਲਵਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਯੋਧਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ, ਘੋੜਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਅਤੇ ਹਾਥੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਕੱਟ ਕੱਟ ਕੇ ਟੁਕੜੇ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਉਸ ਦੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਅੰਗ ਲਹੂ ਨਾਲ ਭਿੱਜੇ ਹੋਏ ਸਨ; ਉਹ ਕਾਲ-ਪ੍ਰੇਰਿਤ ਯਮਰਾਜ ਵਾਂਗ ਦਿਸਦਾ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• योधान्: warriors
• योधान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अश्वान्: horses
• अश्वान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• द्विपान्: elephants
• द्विपान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• प्राच्छिनत्: cut asunder
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वरासिना: with an excellent sword
• वरासिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरासि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• रुधिर: with blood
• रुधिर: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• उक्षित: sprinkled/smeared
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्ष् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वाङ्गः: one whose whole body (was ...)
• सर्वाङ्गः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• काल: by Time/Death
• काल: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सृष्टः: sent forth/created
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अन्तकः: Death (Yama)
• अन्तकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• warriors (yodhāḥ)
• horses (implied by the Hindi gloss; Sanskrit line focuses on elephants explicitly)
• elephants (dvipāḥ)
• sword (asi)
• Kāla (Time)
• Antaka (Death/Yama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how unchecked wrath and vengeance in war can make a person resemble ‘Antaka’—death itself—suggesting a moral collapse where human agency becomes indistinguishable from blind destruction driven by Kāla (Time/fate).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the attacker’s rampage: with a fine sword he cuts down combatants and even great war-animals, his body soaked in blood, appearing like Death unleashed by Time—an image of relentless, indiscriminate killing.