Sauptika Parva — Section 1 of 2 in this original, condensed prose retelling of the eighteen-parva Mahabharata.
Ashvatthama, driven by vengeance for his father, attacks the sleeping camp of the Pandava side at night with a small group of allies. Dhrishtadyumna and other warriors are killed; Draupadi’s sons also perish. The attack breaks the last restraints of combat and causes deep mourning.
Read this episode in sequence with the other parvas to understand the full storyline, including its moral ambiguity and tragic consequences.