Shloka 15
राक्षसो<स्य विरूपाक्ष: सूतो दीप्तास्यकुण्डल:,दीप्तिमान् मुख और कुण्डलोंसे युक्त विरूपाक्ष नामक राक्षस घटोत्कचका सारथि था, जो रणभूमिमें सूर्युकी किरणोंके समान चमकीली बागडोर पकड़कर उन घोड़ोंको काबूमें रखता था। उसके साथ रथपर बैठा हुआ घटोत्कच ऐसा जान पड़ता था, मानो अरुण नामक सारथिके साथ सूर्यदेव अपने रथपर विराजमान हों
sañjaya uvāca | rākṣaso 'sya virūpākṣaḥ sūto dīptāsyakuṇḍalaḥ |
Sañjaya said: His charioteer was a rākṣasa named Virūpākṣa, whose face and earrings shone brilliantly. Holding the reins that flashed like the sun’s rays, he kept the horses firmly under control. With such a driver beside him, Ghaṭotkaca seated on the chariot appeared like the Sun-god himself enthroned in his car with Aruṇa as his charioteer—an image that heightens the awe of war and the formidable power now entering the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it underscores how outward splendor and martial control (a skilled charioteer, disciplined horses) amplify a warrior’s perceived might. Ethically, it reminds the listener that war magnifies appearances and fear, and that power is often communicated through symbols and comparisons, not only through deeds.
Sañjaya describes Ghaṭotkaca’s chariot as it enters the battle scene: his rākṣasa charioteer Virūpākṣa, radiant in appearance, holds the shining reins and controls the horses. The pair is compared to the Sun-god riding with Aruṇa, emphasizing Ghaṭotkaca’s terrifying, radiant presence on the battlefield.