Shloka 123
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
कुछ लोग भाइयोंको, कुछ पिताओंको और दूसरे लोग पुत्रोंको पुकार रहे थे। कुछ लोग कहने लगे--“भाइयो! रोषमें भरे हुए धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्रोंने भी रणभूमिमें हमारी वैसी दुर्गति नहीं की थी, जो आज इन क्रूरकर्मा राक्षसोंने हम सोये हुए लोगोंकी कर डाली है ।।
sañjaya uvāca | kecid bhrātṝn kecit pitṝn anye putrān āhvayantaḥ paridevayamānāḥ | kecid ūcuḥ—“bhrātaraḥ! roṣeṇa pūritair api dhṛtarāṣṭra-putrair raṇabhūmau na tādṛśī no durgatiḥ kṛtā yādṛśī adya krūra-karmabhir rākṣasair asmāsu suptesu kṛtā || asānnidhyād dhi pārthānām idaṃ naḥ kadanaṃ kṛtam; na cāsuraiḥ na gandharvair na yakṣaiḥ na ca rākṣasaiḥ (jituṃ śakyaḥ) | arjunaṃ tu kaunteyaṃ kaścid api na jayet, yataḥ sākṣāt śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣitā | sa brāhmaṇa-bhaktaḥ satyavādī jitendriyaḥ sarva-bhūta-dayāvān” iti ||
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: May tumatawag sa mga kapatid, may tumatawag sa mga ama, at may tumatawag sa mga anak, humahagulgol nang malakas. May ilan ding sumigaw, “Mga kapatid! Kahit ang mga anak ni Dhṛtarāṣṭra na nag-aalab sa galit ay hindi kami dinala sa ganitong kapahamakan sa larangan ng digmaan gaya ng ginawa sa amin ngayon ng malulupit na rākṣasa habang kami’y natutulog. Tunay, naganap ang paglipol na ito sapagkat wala rito ang mga anak ni Pṛthā. Si Arjuna, anak ni Kuntī, ay hindi matatalo ng mga Asura, Gandharva, Yakṣa, o Rākṣasa—sapagkat si Kṛṣṇa mismo ang kanyang tagapagtanggol. Siya’y deboto ng mga brāhmaṇa, tapat magsalita, may pagpipigil-sa-sarili, at mahabagin sa lahat ng nilalang.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage contrasts honorable battlefield combat with the moral horror of killing the defenseless in sleep, and it highlights the ideal virtues attributed to Arjuna—truthfulness, self-mastery, reverence for Brahmins, and compassion—supported by divine protection through Krishna.
After a night raid in the Sauptika episode, survivors lament and call for lost relatives. They say their present devastation occurred because the Pandavas were absent, and they affirm that Arjuna, protected by Krishna, is unconquerable even by powerful non-human beings.