Shloka 343
प्रादुश्षक्रे महामायां राक्षसीं पाण्डुनन्दन: । कर्णको दिव्यास्त्रका संधान करते देख पाण्डवनन्दन घटोत्कचने अपनी राक्षसी महामाया प्रकट की
prāduścakre mahāmāyāṃ rākṣasīṃ pāṇḍunandanaḥ |
Melihat Karṇa tengah merangkai senjata-senjata ilahi, putra Pāṇḍu, Ghaṭotkaca, menampakkan mahāmāyā—ilusi agung yang bersumber dari kaum rākṣasa. Di medan perang, inilah saat menempuh cara-cara luar biasa, ketika daya, tipu daya, dan tipu daya balasan menjadi alat pertempuran.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in extreme conflict, combatants may employ extraordinary powers and deception. It invites reflection on the moral strain of war: even when survival and duty press hard, reliance on illusion underscores how warfare can erode the ideal of transparent, righteous conduct.
Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍava (here understood as Ghaṭotkaca) produces a formidable rākṣasa-type magical illusion on the battlefield, intensifying the struggle through supernatural stratagem rather than ordinary weapons alone.