Shloka 1
सौप्तिकपर्व — धृष्टद्युम्नसारथिवृत्तान्तः
Report of the Night Raid and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament
अपन बक। ] अति्शशाड< (ऐषीकपर्व) दशमो<ध्याय: धृष्टद्युम्नके सारथिके मुखसे पुत्रों और पांचालोंके वधका वृत्तान्त सुनकर युधिष्ठटिरका विलाप
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tasyāṃ rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnasya sārathiḥ | śaśaṃsa dharmarājāya sauptike kadanaṃ kṛtam ||
毗湿摩衍那说道：“大王啊，那一夜过去之后，持车者——德里什塔丢摩那的御者——向法王尤狄施提罗禀告：在众人沉睡的营中，已发生了屠戮之事。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the Sauptika event as a report delivered to Dharmarāja, implicitly highlighting the ethical weight of actions in war: deeds done outside accepted dharma (such as killing sleepers) may secure tactical success but generate moral crisis, grief, and accountability in the aftermath.
After the night ends, Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s charioteer approaches Yudhiṣṭhira and informs him about the carnage committed during the night while people were asleep—setting in motion Yudhiṣṭhira’s lament and the subsequent reactions described in the chapter.