Shloka 56
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
अदृश्यत निमेषार्धाद् घोररूपं समास्थित: । ऐरावणं समारूढ: स वै मायाकृतं स्वयम्
sañjaya uvāca | adṛśyata nimeṣārdhād ghorarūpaṃ samāsthitaḥ | airāvaṇaṃ samārūḍhaḥ sa vai māyākṛtaṃ svayam (kailāsagiri-saṅkāśaṃ vajrapāṇir ivābhyayāt) ||
Sañjaya sprach: In weniger als einem halben Lidschlag wurde er sichtbar, nachdem er eine schreckliche Gestalt angenommen hatte. Auf Airāvata, den er durch eigene Zauberkunst heraufbeschwor, rückte er vor wie Indra, der den Vajra führt, gewaltig und leuchtend wie der Berg Kailāsa. Mit dieser grausigen Täuschung wollte er die Furcht der Schwachmütigen im Getöse des Krieges mehren.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can be deliberately amplified through spectacle and illusion in war; ethically, it contrasts inner steadiness and courage with panic in the face of terrifying appearances, reminding that perception can be manipulated and that valor requires discernment.
Sañjaya describes Ghaṭotkaca suddenly manifesting a terrifying form and advancing on a magically created Airāvata, resembling Indra with the thunderbolt, using māyā to intimidate and unsettle the opposing warriors.