Shloka 256
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
भूतमेवाध्यवस्यन्तो न सम प्रव्याहरन् भयात् । उन्होंने उस अलौकिक पराक्रमी पुरुषको धृष्टद्युम्नपर प्रहार करते देख उसे कोई भूत ही समझा; इसीलिये भयके मारे वे कुछ बोल न सके
bhūtam evādhyavasyanto na sama pravyāharan bhayāt |
三阇耶说道：他们断定他不过是超自然之灵，因恐惧而一句清楚的话也说不出来。目睹那位如同异界而来的强者击打德里什塔丢摩那，他们便将其当作鬼神；于是惊惧压倒心神，言语尽失。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extreme violence and terror distort perception: the witnesses, overwhelmed by fear, misidentify a human assailant as a supernatural being and lose the capacity for speech. The verse highlights how adharma-driven slaughter produces confusion, panic, and moral disorientation.
During the night attack described in the Sauptika Parva, the onlookers see the powerful attacker strike Dhṛṣṭadyumna. Terrified, they conclude the attacker must be a bhūta (spirit) and are unable to speak coherently.