Shloka 91

Devanagari script

ऋते घटोत्कचादू राजन्‌ राक्षसेन्द्रान्महाबलात्‌ । भीमवीर्यबलोपेतात्‌ क्रुद्धाद्‌ वैवस्चतादिव,राजन! क्रोधमें भरे हुए यमराजके समान भयंकर बल-पराक्रमसे सम्पन्न महाबली राक्षसराज घटोत्कचको छोड़कर दूसरा कोई कर्णका सामना न कर सका

Transliteration

ṛte ghaṭotkacādū rājan rākṣasendrān mahābalāt | bhīmavīryabalopetāt kruddhād vaivasvatād iva ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, except for Ghaṭotkaca—the mighty lord of the Rākṣasas, endowed with Bhīma’s heroic strength—none could stand against Karṇa. In his wrath he was like Vaivasvata (Yama), terrifying in power and prowess.

Word by Word

ऋतेexcept (without)

घटोत्कचात्from Ghaṭotkaca / than Ghaṭotkaca

राजन्O king

राक्षसेन्द्रात्from the lord of the Rakṣasas

महाबलात्from the very mighty one

भीमवीर्यबलोपेतात्endowed with terrible energy and strength

क्रुद्धात्from the enraged one

वैवस्वतVaivasvata (Yama)

इवlike, as

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Ghaṭotkaca

Karṇa

Bhīma

Vaivasvata (Yama)

Rākṣasas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the escalation of war where only exceptional, almost otherworldly strength can counter a peerless warrior; it also evokes the ethical gravity of battle by likening wrathful might to Yama, reminding that unchecked rage in war becomes death-dealing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karṇa was so formidable that no one could face him—except Ghaṭotkaca, the powerful Rākṣasa-king, who, empowered by Bhīma’s strength and burning with anger, confronted him like Yama himself.