Shloka 37
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
सुप्तेषु तेषु काकेषु विश्रब्धेषु समन््ततः । सो<5पश्यत् सहसा यान्तमुलूकं घोरदर्शनम्,उन कौओंके सब ओर निर्भय होकर सो जानेपर अभश्रवत्थामाने देखा कि सहसा एक भयानक उल्लू उधर आ निकला
supteṣu teṣu kākeṣu viśrabdheṣu samantataḥ | so 'paśyat sahasā yāntam ulūkaṃ ghoradarśanam ||
三阇耶说道：当那些乌鸦四下沉睡，满怀信任、毫无惧意之时，他忽然看见一只形貌可怖的猫头鹰逼近。此景暗示道德上的对照：麻痹的安稳招来祸患，而掠食者的突袭正借他人的疏忽而得逞——为战争之夜的背信行径投下不祥的序幕。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical warning that complacent security and lack of vigilance make one vulnerable to harm; predatory violence often depends on others being unguarded, foreshadowing the adharma of a night attack.
As the crows sleep fearlessly all around, Aśvatthāmā suddenly notices a terrifying owl approaching—an ominous natural image that sets the mood for the impending nocturnal violence described in the Sauptika Parva.