Shloka 55
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
स कृत्वा दारुणां मायां भीरूणां भयवर्धिनीम्,(कैलासगिरिसंकाशं वज्रपाणिरिवा भ्ययात् ।) फिर उसने कायरोंका भय बढ़ानेवाली अत्यन्त दारुण माया प्रकट की। वह आधे निमेषमें ही भयंकर रूप धारण करके दृष्टिगोचर हुआ। घटोत्कच अपनी ही मायाद्वारा निर्मित कैलासपर्वतके समान श्वेत वर्णवाले ऐरावत हाथीपर बैठकर वज्रधारी इन्द्रके समान वहाँ आया था
sa kṛtvā dāruṇāṃ māyāṃ bhīrūṇāṃ bhayavardhinīm | kailāsagiri-saṅkāśaṃ vajrapāṇir ivābhyayāt ||
Sañjaya said: Having conjured a dreadful illusion that heightened the fear of the timid, he appeared in a terrifying form in an instant. Mounted upon a white Airāvata-like elephant fashioned by his own magic, and resembling Indra bearing the thunderbolt, Ghaṭotkaca advanced onto the field—using spectacle and terror as weapons amid the moral chaos of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can be deliberately amplified in war through spectacle and deception (māyā). Ethically, it points to the vulnerability of the timid mind and the way conflict often shifts from physical strength to psychological domination—raising questions about righteous conduct when victory is pursued through terror.
Sañjaya describes Ghaṭotkaca manifesting a terrifying magical display. He appears swiftly in a fearsome form, riding a white, Airāvata-like elephant created by his own illusion, and advances like Indra with the thunderbolt—intending to intimidate and unsettle the opposing forces.