Shloka 17
घटोत्कचशरैनुन्ना तथैव तव वाहिनी । निशीथे प्राद्रवद् राजन्नुत्सूज्योल्का: सहस्रश:,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 राजन! इसी प्रकार घटोत्कचके बाणोंसे छिन्न-भिन्न हुई आपकी सेना भी सहसौरों मशालें फेंककर आधी रातके समय सब ओर भाग चली
sañjaya uvāca | ghaṭotkacaśarair unnā tathaiva tava vāhinī | niśīthe prādravad rājan utsṛjya ulkāḥ sahasraśaḥ | abhiyāti drutaṃ karṇa tad vārayā mahāratham |
Sañjaya said: “O King, struck and driven into disorder by Ghaṭotkaca’s arrows, your army likewise fled in the dead of night, casting away thousands of blazing torches. Seeing Ghaṭotkaca rushing swiftly toward Karṇa with the intent to slay him, Duryodhana urged Duḥśāsana: ‘Stop that great chariot-warrior at once.’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how quickly collective courage collapses when a terrifying and capable opponent threatens a central protector of the army. Ethically, it shows the wartime impulse to safeguard one’s foremost champion and how leadership decisions are driven by perceived duty and fear, especially under the chaos of night combat.
Ghaṭotkaca, pressing hard with arrows, throws the Kaurava host into panic so that it flees at midnight, scattering thousands of torches. At the same time, Ghaṭotkaca rushes toward Karṇa to kill him, and Duryodhana urgently tells Duḥśāsana to stop that great warrior.