Shloka 118
अध्याय १४८ — कर्णप्रभावः, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य विरथता, तथा घटोत्कच-आह्वानम्
Chapter 148: Karṇa’s Pressure, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Unhorsed, and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca
यथा चेदं न जानीयात् स राजा तपसि स्थित: । तथा कुरु कुरुश्रेष्ठ दिव्यमस्त्रमुपाश्रित:,“कुरुश्रेष्ठ! राजा वृद्धक्षत्र तपस्यामें संलग्न हैं। तुम दिव्यास्त्रका आश्रय लेकर ऐसा प्रयत्न करो, जिससे उसे इस बातका पता न चले”
yathā cedam na jānīyāt sa rājā tapasi sthitaḥ | tathā kuru kuruśreṣṭha divyam astram upāśritaḥ ||
Wahai yang terbaik di antara kaum Kuru! Raja Vṛddhakṣatra kini tenggelam dalam tapa; maka bertindaklah dengan bersandar pada senjata ilahi, agar ia tidak mengetahui hal ini.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the perceived potency of tapas (austerity) and the need for careful, restrained action in war: when an opponent or related figure is spiritually empowered, strategy emphasizes preventing forewarning and relying on higher (divine) means rather than mere force.
Sañjaya reports an instruction to a Kuru champion: since King Vṛddhakṣatra is engaged in penance, the warrior should proceed using a divine weapon in such a way that the king does not learn of the plan—implying that the king’s knowledge or intervention could alter the outcome.