Shloka 126

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

Devanagari script

तदिदं नः कृतं घोर रक्षोभि: क्रूरकर्मभि: । इति लालप्यमाना: सम शेरते बहवो जना:

Transliteration

tad idaṁ naḥ kṛtaṁ ghoraṁ rakṣobhiḥ krūrakarmabhiḥ | iti lālapyamānāḥ samaśerate bahavo janāḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: «Эта страшная беда навлечена на нас ракшасами, жестокими в своих деяниях». Так причитая, многие люди лежали вповалку, рассеянные и уснувшие на поле брани, изнемогая под ночным ужасом.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (thing/state)
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• नः: of us / our
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• कृतम्: done; made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• घोरम्: terrible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• रक्षोभिः: by the rākṣasas/demons
• रक्षोभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• क्रूरकर्मभिः: by those of cruel deeds
• क्रूरकर्मभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूरकर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• इति: "thus" (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• लालप्यमानाः: lamenting; wailing
• लालप्यमानाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ललप्
• Form: यमान (present passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समम्: together; in a group
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम

• शेरते: lie; are lying
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Plural

• बहवः: many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जनाः: people; men
• जनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• rākṣasas
• battlefield (raṇabhūmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical horror of war when it descends into night-terror and indiscriminate cruelty: human beings, overwhelmed and powerless, can only lament as violence strips them of agency and dignity—highlighting the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning about adharma multiplying suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that many people on the battlefield, exhausted and stricken, are lying together while crying out that rākṣasas of cruel deeds have caused their dreadful plight—evoking the chaos and fear associated with the nocturnal slaughter in the Sauptika episode.