Shloka 49
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
घटोत्कचं राक्षसेन्द्र शक्रशकत्या निजध्निवान् | एतांश्व दिवसान् यस्य युद्धे भीतो धनंजय:
ghaṭotkacaṃ rākṣasendra śakraśaktyā nijaghnivān | etāṃś ca divasān yasya yuddhe bhīto dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Avec la Śakti d’Indra, il abattit Ghaṭotkaca, seigneur des Rākṣasas. C’est pour ces jours mêmes que Dhanaṃjaya (Arjuna) avait tremblé au combat—attendant l’instant où cette arme divine serait dépensée. Le vers souligne le sombre calcul de la guerre : l’acte terrible n’est pas conté comme une simple victoire, mais comme l’écartement d’un péril imminent et l’épuisement d’une arme unique, capable de changer le destin.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of war: victory can hinge on singular, devastating means, and warriors may endure fear not only of death but of irreversible turning points—such as the deployment of a unique divine weapon. It invites reflection on how dharma in battle is entangled with necessity, consequence, and the cost of survival.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Ghaṭotkaca, the formidable Rākṣasa leader, is slain by Indra’s Śakti. The verse adds that Arjuna had been apprehensive during these days of fighting, anticipating the critical moment when that weapon would be used and thereby removed from the enemy’s arsenal.