Shloka 100
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
Devanagari script
विचेतस: सनिद्राश्न तमसा चावृता नरा:
Transliteration
vicetasaḥ sanidrāś ca tamasā cāvṛtā narāḥ
Translation
سنجے نے کہا—آدمی حواس گم کیے ہوئے تھے؛ اونگھ میں ڈوبے اور تاریکی میں لپٹے ہوئے تھے۔
Word by Word
विचेतसःbewildered, senseless
विचेतसः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootविचेतस्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
सनिद्राःsleepy, drowsy
सनिद्राः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसनिद्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तमसाby darkness
तमसा:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootतमस्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
आवृताःcovered, enveloped
आवृताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootआ-वृ (वृञ् आवरणे)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त)
नराःmen, people
नराः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaN
narāḥ (men)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 highlights how tamas—darkness, inertia, and confusion—can overwhelm human discernment, making people vulnerable to harm and moral failure; it implicitly values vigilance and clarity of mind, especially in ethically charged situations like war.
In the Sauptika Parva’s night-time context, Sañjaya describes the condition of the men as confused and drowsy, covered by darkness—setting the scene for events where reduced awareness and night conditions shape what follows.