Shloka 12
घटोत्कचं महावीर्य महाबुद्धिर्जनार्दन: । अमोघाया विघातार्थ राजन दुर्मन्त्रिते तव,संजयने कहा--राजन! कर्ण भी उस शक्तिसे अर्जुनका ही वध करना चाहता था। उसके इस अभिप्रायको जानकर परम बुद्धिमान् मधुसूदन भगवान् श्रीकृष्णने उस अमोघ शक्तिको नष्ट करनेके लिये ही कर्णके साथ द्वैरथ युद्धमें उस समय महापराक्रमी राक्षसराज घटोत्कचको लगाया। महाराज! यह सब आपकी कुमन्त्रणाका ही फल है
sañjaya uvāca | ghaṭotkacaṃ mahāvīryaṃ mahābuddhir janārdanaḥ | amoghāyā vighātārthaṃ rājan durmantrite tava ||
Sañjaya sprach: O König, der hochverständige Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) setzte den kraftvollen Krieger Ghaṭotkaca mit dem ausdrücklichen Ziel ein, die unfehlbare Waffe zu neutralisieren. Und dies, o König, ist die Folge deines schlechten Rates.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral causality in politics and war: flawed counsel and unjust intent generate consequences. It also underscores Krishna’s discerning strategy—redirecting a deadly, ‘unfailing’ weapon away from its intended unjust target, showing that intelligence and dharma-informed foresight can limit greater harm.
Sanjaya explains to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Krishna deliberately set the powerful rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca against Karṇa so that Karṇa would be compelled to expend his unfailing weapon. This prevents that weapon from being used against Arjuna, and Sanjaya frames the outcome as the fruit of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s misguided policies.