Shloka 1163
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
स महात्माकरोद् द्रौणि: कांश्चिच्चापि पराड्मुखान् | महामनस्वी द्रोणकुमारने किन्हींकी पीठ काट डाली, किन्हींकी पसलियाँ उड़ा दीं, किन्हींके सिर उतार लिये तथा कितनोंकों उसने मार भगाया
sa mahātmākarod drauṇiḥ kāṁścid api parāṅmukhān |
Sañjaya said: That high-souled Aśvatthāman (Drona’s son) dealt with some who had turned their backs—cutting down the fleeing and the helpless. In the frenzy of night-slaughter he struck from behind, severing bodies and heads, driving men into rout; a grim image of war’s collapse of restraint and the ethical darkness that follows when combat turns into massacre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral degradation that occurs when warfare abandons restraint: striking those who have turned away (parāṅmukha) signals a shift from regulated battle to slaughter, underscoring how anger and vengeance eclipse dharma.
Sañjaya reports Aśvatthāman’s actions during the Sauptika episode: he attacks and cuts down men who are retreating or fleeing, contributing to the rout and intensifying the night-time carnage.