Shloka 16
कर्णभीमसमागमः | Karṇa–Bhīma Encounter
मायाशतानि कुर्वाणो हतो मायापुरस्कृत: । “महाबाहो! यह तो तुमने अपनी आँखों देखा था कि किस प्रकार उस दिन रातमें सैकड़ों मायाओंका प्रयोग करनेवाला मायावी घटोत्कच कर्णके हाथसे मारा गया ॥।| १५६ || न चातिष्ठत बीभत्सु: प्रत्यनीके कथंचन
sañjaya uvāca |
māyāśatāni kurvāṇo hato māyāpuraskṛtaḥ |
na cātiṣṭhata bībhatsuḥ praty-anīke kathaṃcana ||
Sañjaya said: “That master of illusions—who had been deploying hundreds of magical stratagems—was slain, his sorcery foremost in the fray. And Arjuna (Bībhatsu) did not stand firm against the opposing host in any manner.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts reliance on māyā (deceptive power) with the hard realities of battle: even extraordinary magical prowess can be overcome, and warriors must still face the ethical and strategic consequences of war—steadfastness, timing, and the limits of one’s chosen means.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the illusion-wielding Ghaṭotkaca, who had been unleashing many magical attacks, was slain by Karna; he further notes that Arjuna (called Bībhatsu) did not hold his ground against the opposing forces.