Shloka 43
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १४० (कृष्णेन कर्णं प्रति पाण्डवबल-वैशिष्ट्यप्रदर्शनम्) / Udyoga Parva, Chapter 140
Krishna’s appraisal of Pandava advantage and war portents
घटोत्कचो<त्र शामित्र करिष्यति महाबल: । अतितरात्रे महाबाहो वितते यज्ञकर्मणि,महाबाहो! इस महायज्ञका अनुष्ठान आरम्भ हो जानेपर उसके अतिरात्रयागमें (अथवा आधी रातके समय) महाबली घटोत्कच शामित्रकर्म करेगा
Ghaṭotkaco ’tra śāmitra kariṣyati mahābalaḥ | Atitarātre mahābāho vitate yajñakarmaṇi ||
Karna dit : «Ici, le puissant Ghaṭotkaca accomplira le rite śāmitra. Quand ce grand sacrifice aura été mis en mouvement, lors de l’Atirātra (le sacrifice du Soma “de toute la nuit”)—au cœur de la nuit—il accomplira l’acte rituel.»
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ritual language and sacrificial imagery are used to frame impending conflict: actions are presented as ‘rites’ within a larger moral and strategic order, reminding the listener that power and violence are often justified or interpreted through dharmic and ceremonial idioms.
Karna is speaking and refers to Ghaṭotkaca, stating that he will perform a specific ritual act (śāmitra) during the Atirātra portion of a great sacrifice—an image that, in context, functions as a portent-like or strategic statement about what Ghaṭotkaca will do at a critical time (deep night) once the ‘great undertaking’ is underway.