Shloka 45

Devanagari script

घटोत्कचो विनिर्भिन्न: सूतपुत्रेण मर्मसु

Transliteration

ghaṭotkaco vinirbhinnaḥ sūtaputreṇa marmasu

Translation

Sañjaya said: Ghaṭotkaca was pierced through in his vital points by the charioteer’s son. The line underscores the grim moral weight of war: even the mightiest fall when struck at the vulnerable core, and victory is purchased through lethal skill rather than righteousness alone.

Word by Word

• घटोत्कचः: Ghaṭotkaca
• घटोत्कचः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: घटोत्कच
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विनिर्भिन्नः: pierced, torn asunder
• विनिर्भिन्नः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-निर्भिद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सूतपुत्रेण: by the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूतपुत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• मर्मसु: in the vital parts
• मर्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ghaṭotkaca
• Karṇa (Sūtaputra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical harshness of battle: prowess often expresses itself as the ability to strike where life is most vulnerable (marmas), reminding the listener that war’s outcomes are driven by lethal effectiveness and fate, not merely by moral claims.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Ghaṭotkaca has been grievously pierced in his vital points by Karṇa (called ‘the charioteer’s son’), indicating a decisive, life-threatening blow in the ongoing Kurukṣetra conflict.