Shloka 12
तथेत्युक्त्वा महाकाय: समाहूय घटोत्कचम् । जाटासुरिभैमसेनिं नानाशस्त्रैरवाकिरत्,अभियाति द्रुतं कर्ण तद् वारय महारथम् । संजय कहते हैं--राजन! युद्धस्थलमें इस प्रकार कर्णका वध करनेकी इच्छासे उद्यत हुए घटोत्कचको सूतपुत्रके रथकी ओर आते देख आपके पुत्र दुर्योधनने दःशासनसे इस प्रकार कहा--'भाई! यह राक्षस रणभूमिमें कर्णका वेगपूर्वक पराक्रम देखकर तीव्र गतिसे उसपर आक्रमण कर रहा है; अतः उस महारथी घटोत्कचको रोको
tathety uktvā mahākāyaḥ samāhūya ghaṭotkacam | jāṭāsuribhaimaseniṃ nānāśastrair avākirat | abhiyāti drutaṃ karṇa tad vārayā mahāratham |
Sañjaya said: “So be it.” Having spoken thus, the mighty one summoned Ghaṭotkaca and showered him with many kinds of weapons. “Karna—he is rushing swiftly to attack; therefore, restrain that great chariot-warrior.” In the press of war, the Kaurava side urgently seeks to protect Karṇa from Ghaṭotkaca’s onslaught, revealing how strategy and loyalty can override hesitation when a key champion is threatened.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield dharma as immediate responsibility: when a principal warrior is endangered, allies must act decisively to protect him. It also underscores the ethical tension of war—skill and loyalty drive rapid escalation, even when the outcome increases destruction.
Sañjaya reports that a mighty fighter assents (“so be it”), summons Ghaṭotkaca, and showers him with weapons. Ghaṭotkaca then rushes to strike Karṇa, prompting an urgent command to stop that great warrior before he reaches Karṇa.