Mahabharata 7.175.40 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

स हि भीमेन बलिना जात: सुरपराक्रम: । तस्मिन्नस्त्राणि दिव्यानि राक्षसान्यासुराणि च

Transliteration

sa hi bhīmena balinā jātaḥ suraparākramaḥ | tasminn astrāṇi divyāni rākṣasāny āsurāṇi ca |

Translation

Vāyu sprach: „Denn er ist vom mächtigen Bhīma geboren und besitzt eine Tapferkeit wie die der Götter. In ihm sind göttliche Waffen—die der Rākṣasas und ebenso die der Asuras. Darum soll in diesem Augenblick der große Ghaṭotkaca entsandt werden, um Karṇa, dem Sohn Rādhas, entgegenzutreten.“

Word by Word

• {'saḥ': 'he', 'hi': 'indeed, for', 'bhīmena': 'by/through Bhīma (instrumental)', 'balinā': 'mighty, powerful (instrumental)', 'jātaḥ': 'born, arisen', 'sura-parākramaḥ': 'having the prowess/valor of the gods', 'tasmin': 'in him, in that one (locative)', 'astrāṇi': 'weapons, missiles (especially mantra-empowered astras)', 'divyāni': 'divine, celestial', 'rākṣasāni': 'belonging to the Rākṣasas

• demonic-class weapons', 'āsurāṇi': 'belonging to the Asuras

• anti-god-class weapons', 'ca': 'and'}

Speaker

श्रीवायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Bhīma (Bhīmasena)
• Ghaṭotkaca
• Karṇa (Rādhāputra)
• Rākṣasas
• Asuras
• divyāni astrāṇi (divine weapons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights discerning strategy in a dharma-war: match an opponent not only with strength but with the right capabilities. Ghaṭotkaca’s mixed, otherworldly arsenal and godlike valor make him an appropriate counter to Karṇa at a critical moment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu recommends that the Pāṇḍavas send Ghaṭotkaca to face Karṇa. He justifies this by stressing Ghaṭotkaca’s parentage (born of Bhīma), his extraordinary prowess, and his possession of powerful divine weapons associated with Rākṣasas and Asuras.