Shloka 13
योद्धालोग युद्धमें किसी तरह चैन न पाकर युधिष्छिरकी सेनामें घुसने लगे। उन्हें तितर- बितर और युद्धसे विमुख हुआ देख घटोत्कचको बड़ा रोष हुआ ।। आस्थाय तं काउचनरत्नचित्रं रथोत्तमं सिंहवत् संननाद । वैकर्तनं कर्णमुपेत्य चापि विव्याध वज़प्रतिमै: पृषत्कै:,वह सुवर्ण एवं रत्नोंसे जटित होनेके कारण विचित्र शोभायुक्त उत्तम रथपर आरूढ़ हो सिंहके समान गर्जना करने लगा और वैकर्तन कर्णके पास जाकर उसे वच्ञतुल्य बाणोंद्वारा बींधने लगा
yoddhālog yuddheṁ kisī tarah caina na pākar yudhiṣṭhirakī senāmeṁ ghusne lage | tān titar-bitarān yuddhase vimukhān dṛṣṭvā ghaṭotkaco mahān roṣam āpede || āsthāya taṁ kāñcanaratnacitraṁ rathottamaṁ siṁhavat saṁnanāda | vaikartanaṁ karṇam upetya cāpi vivyādha vajrapratimaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The warriors, finding no ease in the press of battle, began to force their way into Yudhiṣṭhira’s army. Seeing them scattered and turning away from the fight, Ghaṭotkaca was seized by fierce wrath. Mounting his splendid chariot, adorned with gold and gems, he roared like a lion; then, drawing near to Karṇa (Vaikartana), he pierced him with arrows as hard and dreadful as thunderbolts.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how quickly fear and disarray in war can trigger harsher retaliation: when fighters lose steadiness and turn away, a powerful champion responds with intensified force. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning that anger (roṣa) amplifies violence and accelerates the spiral of destruction, even when framed within kṣatriya duty.
Some warriors, unable to find relief in the battle, push into Yudhiṣṭhira’s formation but become scattered and begin to withdraw. Ghaṭotkaca, enraged at this sight, mounts his gem-and-gold-adorned chariot, roars like a lion, approaches Karṇa, and strikes him with thunderbolt-like arrows.