Shloka 14
दिष्ट्यापनीतकवचो दिष्ट्यापह्तकुण्डल: । दिष्ट्या सा व्यंसिता शक्तिरमोघास्य घटोत्कचे,सौभाग्यकी बात है कि कर्णका दिव्य कवच उतर गया, सौभाग्यसे ही उसके कुण्डल छीने गये तथा सौभाग्यसे ही उसकी वह अमोघशक्ति घटोत्कचपर गिरकर उसके हाथसे निकल गयी
diṣṭyāpanītakavaco diṣṭyāpahṛtakunḍalaḥ | diṣṭyā sā vyaṃsitā śaktir amoghāsya ghaṭotkace ||
Vāyu said: “Fortunate indeed that Karṇa has been stripped of his divine armor; fortunate that his earrings have been taken away; and fortunate that his unfailing spear—meant to be irresistible—has been expended upon Ghaṭotkaca and has left his hand.”
श्रीवायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how destiny and prior moral causality can neutralize even extraordinary power: when Karṇa’s divine protections and his infallible spear are removed or spent, the balance of the war shifts. It underscores that reliance on boons and weapons is fragile, while the larger moral order (dharma and fate) can redirect outcomes.
Vāyu rejoices that Karṇa’s key advantages have been eliminated: his divine armor and earrings are no longer with him, and his one-time, unfailing spear has been discharged against Ghaṭotkaca. This means Karṇa has lost a decisive resource, affecting the immediate tactics and the broader course of the Kurukṣetra war.