Shloka 138
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
उनकी अंगुलियाँ पीछेकी ओर थीं। वे रूखे
pītvā ca śoṇitaṃ hṛṣṭāḥ prānṛtyan gaṇaśo 'pare | idaṃ param idaṃ medhyam idaṃ svādu iti cābruvan ||
三阇耶说道：他们的手指向后反折，粗糙枯槁，形貌丑怪，发出可怖的咆哮。许多身披铃串如鬘；喉间带着青蓝之痕，狰狞骇目。他们的妻与子也随行其侧。其性极残酷而无怜悯，令人不忍直视。彼处罗刹诸相，千形万态，尽皆显现。又有一些饮血而欢；另一些分作群队，纵情起舞。他们彼此呼喊道：“此乃至妙！此乃清净！此乃甘美！”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extreme violence can invert moral perception: what is inherently impure and sinful (blood-drinking amid slaughter) is proclaimed as “pure” and “excellent.” It serves as a warning about adharma—when cruelty becomes celebratory, ethical discernment is destroyed.
In the aftermath of the nocturnal killing described in Sauptika Parva, terrifying beings are depicted reveling in the carnage: some drink blood and rejoice, while others dance in groups, praising it as if it were something sacred and delicious.