Shloka 26
भीष्मरक्षण-उद्योगः, शिखण्डि-विवर्जनं, सर्वतोभद्र-व्यूहः
Protection of Bhīṣma, Exemption of Śikhaṇḍin, and the Sarvatobhadra Array
आततायिनमायान्तं प्रेक्ष्य राक्षससत्तम: । नाकम्पत महाबाहुर्मैनाक इव पर्वत:,युद्धमें आततायी दुर्योधनको आते देख राक्षसशिरोमणि महाबाहु घटोत्कच मैनाक पर्वतकी भाँति अविचलभावसे खड़ा रहा
ātātāyinam āyāntaṃ prekṣya rākṣasasattamaḥ | nākampata mahābāhur ghaṭotkacaḥ maināka iva parvataḥ ||
Sanjaya said: Seeing the aggressor Duryodhana advancing in battle, the foremost of the rākṣasas—mighty-armed Ghaṭotkaca—did not tremble at all, standing firm like Mount Maināka.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores unwavering steadiness when confronting an aggressor (ātātāyin). In the ethical frame of the epic, fearlessness and firmness are portrayed as essential warrior-virtues, especially when facing those marked by wrongful aggression.
On the battlefield, Duryodhana advances as an attacker. Ghaṭotkaca, described as the foremost among rākṣasas and mighty-armed, watches him approach and remains completely unshaken—likened to the immovable Mount Maināka.