Shloka 156
द्वैरथं द्रोणपुत्रेण पुनरप्यरिसूदन: । शत्रुओंका संहार करनेवाला घटोत्कच सुन्दर पताकाओंसे सुशोभित, प्रकाशमान एवं भयंकर रथके द्वारा पुनः द्रोणपुत्रके साथ द्वैरथ युद्ध करनेके लिये गया ।। स विनद्य महानादं सिंहवद् भीमविक्रम:,उस भयंकर पराक्रमी राक्षसने सिंहके समान बड़ी भारी गर्जना करके संग्राममें द्रोणपुत्रपर देवताओंद्वारा निर्मित तथा आठ घंटियोंसे सुशोभित एक महाभयंकर अशनि (वज्र) घुमाकर चलायी इति श्रीमहाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि घटोत्कचवधपर्वणि रात्रियुद्धे षट्पञज्चाशदधिकशततमो<ध्याय:
sañjaya uvāca | dvairathaṃ droṇaputreṇa punar apy arisūdanaḥ | śatrūṇāṃ saṃhāra-karaṇe vikhyātaḥ ghaṭotkacaḥ sundara-patākābhiḥ suśobhitaṃ prakāśamānaṃ bhayaṅkaraṃ rathaṃ samāruhya punaḥ droṇaputreṇa saha dvairatha-yuddhāya jagāma || sa vinadya mahānādaṃ siṃhavad bhīma-vikramaḥ | sa bhayaṅkara-parākramaḥ rākṣasaḥ saṅgrāme droṇaputram prati devatā-nirmitaṃ aṣṭa-ghaṇṭā-vibhūṣitaṃ mahā-bhayaṅkaram aśaniṃ (vajram) parivartya cikṣepa ||
Sañjaya said: Ghaṭotkaca, famed as a destroyer of enemies, advanced once more to meet Droṇa’s son in single-chariot combat. Mounting a radiant, fearsome car adorned with splendid banners, he returned to face Aśvatthāmā. Roaring like a lion, that mighty rākṣasa whirled and hurled in battle a dreadful thunderbolt-like weapon—said to be fashioned by the gods and ornamented with eight bells—aimed at Droṇa’s son in the night-fight.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war intensifies through personal duels and terrifying weapons; it implicitly warns that unchecked martial fury, even when framed as valor, amplifies suffering and moral risk—especially in the chaos of night-fighting.
During the night battle, Ghaṭotkaca returns to fight Aśvatthāmā in a chariot-to-chariot duel, roaring like a lion and hurling a god-made, bell-adorned thunderbolt-like weapon at him.