Shloka 118
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
Devanagari script
एवं विचरतस्तस्य निधघ्नतः सुबहून् नरान्
Transliteration
evaṃ vicaratas tasya nidhaghnataḥ subahūn narān
Translation
एवं विचरतस्तस्य निधघ्नतः सुबहून् नरान्।
Word by Word
एवम्thus, in this manner
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
FormAvyaya (indeclinable)
विचरतःof him who was roaming/moving about
विचरतः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवि-चर्
FormPresent active participle (शतृ), masculine/neuter genitive singular (also possible ablative singular); agreeing with तस्य
तस्यof him
तस्य:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine genitive singular
निधघ्नतःof him who was striking down/killing
निधघ्नतः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootनि-हन्
FormPresent active participle (शतृ), masculine/neuter genitive singular (also possible ablative singular); agreeing with तस्य
सु-बहून्very many
सु-बहून्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसुबहु
FormMasculine accusative plural
नरान्men
नरान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine accusative plural
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
स
संजय (Sañjaya)न
नराः (men/warriors)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
The verse underscores how, once violence becomes unrestrained and indiscriminate, it rapidly expands into mass killing—serving as a moral warning about the erosion of dharma and self-control in war.
Sañjaya reports that the unnamed warrior (contextually, the night-raider) is moving about and killing many men, describing the ongoing slaughter during the Sauptika Parva’s nocturnal attack.