Shloka 137
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
सपुत्रदारा: सक्रूरा: सुदुर्दर्शा: सुनिर्घणा: । विविधानि च रूपाणि तत्रादृश्यन्त रक्षसाम्
saputradārāḥ sakrūrāḥ sudurdarśāḥ sunirghaṇāḥ | vividhāni ca rūpāṇi tatrādṛśyanta rakṣasām ||
三阇耶说道：在那里可见种种罗刹——有的携子带妻——残忍凶暴，狰狞难视，毫无怜悯。罗刹诸相千般万状，尽现其间。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical atmosphere of adharma surrounding nocturnal slaughter: cruelty and mercilessness are portrayed as demonic qualities, suggesting that violence divorced from restraint and compassion dehumanizes the perpetrators and darkens the moral order.
Sañjaya reports that, at the scene, many terrifying rākṣasa-like beings (or demonically perceived figures) were seen in diverse forms—cruel, dreadful, and pitiless—intensifying the horror of the Sauptika episode.