Shloka 546
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
संक्रुद्धों राक्षसो घोरस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत । राजन्! तदनन्तर भीमको वैसी अवस्थामें देखकर भयंकर राक्षस घटोत्कच अत्यन्त कुपित हो वहीं अदृश्य हो गया
saṅkruddho rākṣaso ghoras tatraivāntaradhīyata | rājan! tadanantaraṁ bhīmako vaisī avasthāmeṁ dekhakara bhayaṅkara rākṣasa ghaṭotkaca atyanta kupita ho vahīṁ adṛśya ho gayā |
Sañjaya said: Enraged, the dreadful rākṣasa vanished from that very spot. O King, immediately thereafter, seeing Bhīma in such a condition, the fearsome rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca, inflamed with anger, likewise disappeared there. The moment underscores how wrath in war can drive sudden, forceful responses—yet also how strategic concealment and reappearance become instruments in a conflict where protection of one’s own is treated as a duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how intense anger arises in war when one sees a loved ally harmed, and how that emotion can translate into immediate action. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya-world emphasis on protecting one’s own side, while also showing that power in battle is not only physical but strategic—disappearance and sudden reappearance can be used to defend and retaliate.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a dreadful rākṣasa, enraged, vanishes on the spot. Then, seeing Bhīma’s condition, the fearsome rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca becomes extremely angry and also disappears—suggesting a tactical move to re-enter the fight from concealment.