Mahabharata 7.170.47 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 170, Shloka 47
द्रौणिप्रतिज्ञा–नारायणास्त्रवर्णनम्
Drauṇi’s Vow and the Description of the Nārāyaṇāstra
ततः प्रववृते युद्ध तव तेषां च भारत । निशीथे दारुणे काले यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनम्,भारत! तदनन्तर उस भयंकर निशीथकालमें आपके पुत्र और द्रौपदीपुत्रोंका घोर युद्ध आरम्भ हुआ, जो यमराजके राज्यकी वृद्धि करनेवाला था
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tava teṣāṃ ca bhārata | niśīthe dāruṇe kāle yamarāṣṭravivardhanam ||
అనంతరం, ఓ భారతా! ఆ భయంకరమైన నిశీథకాలమైన అర్ధరాత్రి వేళ నీ కుమారులకూ వారి (ద్రౌపదీపుత్రుల) మధ్య ఘోర యుద్ధం ప్రారంభమైంది—అది యమరాజ్యాన్ని మాత్రమే విస్తరించేది.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames war as ethically corrosive when it becomes a contest of enmity: its true ‘fruit’ is the expansion of Yama’s realm—death and suffering—rather than righteous gain. It cautions that violence, especially in dark and lawless hours, tends to magnify adharma’s consequences.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, at the terrifying hour of midnight, fighting erupted between the Kauravas (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons) and their opponents. The description emphasizes the ominous timing and the lethal outcome, suggesting heavy casualties.
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