Shloka 40
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
उस शक्तिमें सोनेका डंडा लगा हुआ था। वह अत्यन्त वेगशालिनी थी। उसे सहसा आती देख राजा भगदत्तने उसके तीन टुकड़े कर डाले। फिर वह पृथ्वीपर बिखर गयी ।।
śaktiṁ vinihatāṁ dṛṣṭvā haiḍimbaḥ prādravad bhayāt | yathendrasya raṇāt pūrvaṁ namucir daityasattamaḥ ||
Śakti itu bertangkai emas dan amat cepat. Melihatnya datang mendadak, Raja Bhagadatta membelahnya menjadi tiga; lalu serpihannya bertebaran di tanah. Melihat śaktinya hancur, putra Haiḍimba, Ghaṭotkaca, lari ketakutan—seperti dahulu kala Namuci, yang utama di antara para Dānava, pernah melarikan diri dari medan perang di hadapan Indra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral-psychological reality of warfare: when a decisive weapon is broken and confidence collapses, even a formidable fighter may retreat. By comparing Ghaṭotkaca’s flight to Namuci’s legendary retreat before Indra, the text uses an exemplum to mark fear-driven withdrawal as a recognized (though not celebrated) battlefield response.
After Bhagadatta breaks the incoming śakti into pieces, Ghaṭotkaca (called Haiḍimba) sees his weapon destroyed and runs away in fear. Sañjaya narrates this to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, adding a mythic comparison: Namuci once fled the battlefield before Indra.