घटोत्कचं यदा कर्णो विशेषयति नो नूप
ghaṭotkacaṃ yadā karṇo viśeṣayati no nūpa
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai raja, ketika Karṇa secara khusus memusatkan perhatiannya pada Ghaṭotkaca—”
संजय उवाच
The verse frames a key ethical tension of war: a warrior’s deliberate choice of target is not merely tactical but carries moral weight, because it shapes the scale of harm and the course of fate for many on the battlefield.
Sañjaya, reporting to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, introduces a moment where Karṇa begins to focus specifically on Ghaṭotkaca, signaling an impending decisive engagement against a dangerous Pāṇḍava ally.