Shloka 1023
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
क्रोशन्तस्तात पुत्रेति दैवोपहतचेतस: । प्रभो! वे भागे हुए सैनिक एक-दूसरेको पहचान नहीं पाते थे। दैववश उनकी बुद्धि मारी गयी थी। वे “हा तात! हा पुत्र!” कहकर अपने स्वजनोंको पुकार रहे थे
krośantastāta putreti daivopahatacetasaḥ |
三阇耶说道：他们的心神为命运所击倒，呼号道：“父亲啊！儿子啊！”在逃窜与屠戮的混乱中，他们彼此不能相认；判断尽失，只能无助地呼唤亲族——这是战争道德崩坏的图景：人伦之纽带被压缩成绝望的呼喊，淹没在不分青红皂白的暴力之中。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war annihilates discernment and humane order: when minds are 'struck by fate' (daivopahata), even basic recognition and restraint collapse, and the deepest social bonds—father and son—surface only as helpless cries. It implicitly warns that violence breeds moral and cognitive ruin, not merely physical defeat.
Sañjaya describes the terrified, fleeing warriors after the nocturnal slaughter: disoriented and unable to identify one another, they wail “O father! O son!” calling for their relatives. The scene conveys panic, darkness, and the breakdown of cohesion among the troops.