Shloka 46
अततश्र प्रहितो युद्धे मया कर्णाय राक्षस: । न हान्यः समरे रात्रौ शक्त: कर्ण प्रबाधितुम्
Atataśra prahito yuddhe mayā Karṇāya rākṣasaḥ | na hānyaḥ samare rātrau śaktaḥ Karṇa-prabādhitum ||
Vāyu-deva sprach: „Mitten in der Schlacht entsandte ich den Rākṣasa Atataśra gegen Karṇa. Doch im nächtlichen Kampf vermag niemand ihn zu töten, ja nicht einmal Karṇas Vorrücken wirksam aufzuhalten.“
श्रीवायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the heightened danger and moral ambiguity of night warfare: when visibility and conventional restraints weaken, sheer force and intimidation can dominate, making even powerful countermeasures ineffective. It also underscores that martial prowess can render an opponent practically ‘unassailable’ in certain conditions.
Vāyu-deva reports that he sent the rākṣasa Atataśra into the battle specifically to confront Karṇa. However, he acknowledges that in the night phase of the fighting, no warrior is able to kill Atataśra or successfully restrain Karṇa’s momentum.