Shloka 8
कर्णभीमसेनयुद्धम् | Karṇa–Bhīmasena Engagement
Chapter 111
यां यां घटोत्कचो युद्धे मायां दर्शयते नूप
yāṁ yāṁ ghaṭotkaco yuddhe māyāṁ darśayate nūpam
Sañjaya said: “Whatever illusion or magical stratagem Ghaṭotkaca displays in the battle, it appears in ever-new forms—deceptive in sight and unsettling in effect.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare can involve not only physical force but also manipulation of perception. Ethically, it raises the tension between dharmic combat ideals (clarity, fairness) and the use of deceptive means—especially when survival and duty collide on the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Ghaṭotkaca is employing māyā—terrifying, shifting illusions—amid the fighting. The emphasis is on the repeated, varied displays of magical stratagems that unsettle opponents and alter the course of combat.