Shloka 38
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
स हताश्वे रथे तिष्ठन् राक्षसेन्द्र: प्रतापवान् । शक्ति चिक्षेप वेगेन प्राग्ज्योतिषगजं प्रति,घोड़ोंके मारे जानेपर भी उसी रथपर खड़े हुए प्रतापी राक्षसराज घटोत्कचने भगदत्तके हाथीपर बड़े वेगसे शक्तिका प्रहार किया
sa hatāśve rathe tiṣṭhan rākṣasendraḥ pratāpavān | śaktiṃ cikṣepa vegena prāgjyotiṣa-gajaṃ prati ||
Sañjaya said: Though his horses had been slain, the mighty lord of the Rākṣasas, Ghaṭotkaca, still stood firm upon the same chariot. With great speed he hurled a śakti-weapon at the elephant of Bhagadatta of Prāgjyotiṣa—an act that underscores the relentless momentum of battle, where resolve persists even amid sudden loss and peril.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness under adversity: even after losing his horses, the warrior does not abandon his post. In the Mahābhārata’s war-ethos, such resolve is praised as part of kṣatriya-dharma, while also reminding the reader of the grim cost and escalating intensity of violence.
Sañjaya reports that Ghaṭotkaca, still standing on his chariot despite his horses being killed, hurls a śakti-weapon at Bhagadatta’s elephant associated with Prāgjyotiṣa, intensifying the clash between major combatants and their war-mounts.