अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
रात्रिंचराणां सत्त्वानां निर्घोषो$भूत् सुदारुण: । क्रव्यादाश्व प्रमुदिता घोरा प्राप्ता च शर्वरी
rātriṃcarāṇāṃ sattvānāṃ nirghoṣo 'bhūt sudāruṇaḥ | kravyādāś ca pramuditā ghorā prāptā ca śarvarī ||
三阇耶说道:“夜行之众生间,骤起极其惨厉的喧嚣。食肉猛兽欣然亢奋,那可怖之夜仿佛遍布四方。”
संजय उवाच
The verse frames the night as morally and emotionally charged: when violence is about to unfold, nature itself seems to echo it—predatory forces rejoice, and fear spreads. It underscores how adharma and cruelty create an atmosphere where destructive impulses are amplified rather than restrained.
Sañjaya describes ominous signs at night: a terrifying clamour among nocturnal beings, carnivores becoming excited, and a dreadful night pervading all directions—setting the mood for the grim events of the Sauptika episode.