Mahabharata 7.175.40 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

स हि भीमेन बलिना जात: सुरपराक्रम: । तस्मिन्नस्त्राणि दिव्यानि राक्षसान्यासुराणि च

Transliteration

sa hi bhīmena balinā jātaḥ suraparākramaḥ | tasminn astrāṇi divyāni rākṣasāny āsurāṇi ca |

Translation

Dijo Vāyu: «Pues nació del poderoso Bhīma y posee un valor semejante al de los dioses. En él hay armas divinas—las de los Rākṣasas y también las de los Asuras. Por ello, en este momento debe enviarse al gran Ghaṭotkaca a enfrentar a Karṇa, el hijo de Rādhā.»

Word by Word

• {'saḥ': 'he', 'hi': 'indeed, for', 'bhīmena': 'by/through Bhīma (instrumental)', 'balinā': 'mighty, powerful (instrumental)', 'jātaḥ': 'born, arisen', 'sura-parākramaḥ': 'having the prowess/valor of the gods', 'tasmin': 'in him, in that one (locative)', 'astrāṇi': 'weapons, missiles (especially mantra-empowered astras)', 'divyāni': 'divine, celestial', 'rākṣasāni': 'belonging to the Rākṣasas

• demonic-class weapons', 'āsurāṇi': 'belonging to the Asuras

• anti-god-class weapons', 'ca': 'and'}

Speaker

श्रीवायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Bhīma (Bhīmasena)
• Ghaṭotkaca
• Karṇa (Rādhāputra)
• Rākṣasas
• Asuras
• divyāni astrāṇi (divine weapons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights discerning strategy in a dharma-war: match an opponent not only with strength but with the right capabilities. Ghaṭotkaca’s mixed, otherworldly arsenal and godlike valor make him an appropriate counter to Karṇa at a critical moment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu recommends that the Pāṇḍavas send Ghaṭotkaca to face Karṇa. He justifies this by stressing Ghaṭotkaca’s parentage (born of Bhīma), his extraordinary prowess, and his possession of powerful divine weapons associated with Rākṣasas and Asuras.