Shloka 24
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
ततोऊस्तं पर्वतश्रेष्ठमनुप्राप्ते दिवाकरे । सर्वस्य जगतो धात्री शर्वरी समपद्यत
tato ’staṃ parvataśreṣṭham anuprāpte divākare | sarvasya jagato dhātrī śarvarī samapadyata ||
三阇耶说：继而，当太阳抵达群山之最而西沉之时，黑夜——如母亲般承载并庇护整个世界——便在四方普遍降临，使万有归于安息。在《睡杀篇》的伦理氛围中，这夜幕的降下预示着将为罪恶之举提供掩护；当克制与警觉失守时，黑暗便可能成为阿达摩（非正法）的同谋。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames night as a universal shelter, but within the Sauptika Parva it also foreshadows how moral vigilance can lapse under darkness; the setting reminds readers that circumstances (like night) may enable wrongdoing, yet responsibility remains with the doer.
Sañjaya describes sunset: the Sun reaches the western mountain and night spreads over the world. This sets the scene for the nocturnal events that define the Sauptika episode.