Shloka 23
Ghaṭotkaca Slays Alāyudha (Night Battle and Māyā Countermeasures) / घटोत्कचेन अलायुधवधः
युध्यन्त: सर्वराजानस्तेजस्तिग्ममुपासते । सिन्धुराजं परित्रातुं स वो मध्ये कथं हत:,युद्ध करते हुए समस्त राजा सिंधुराजकी रक्षाके लिये प्रचण्ड तेजका आश्रय लिये हुए थे। फिर वह आपलोगोंके बीचमें कैसे मारा गया?
yudhyantaḥ sarvarājānas tejastigmam upāsate | sindhurājaṁ paritrātuṁ sa vo madhye kathaṁ hataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “All the kings, fighting fiercely, had taken refuge in sharp and blazing prowess in order to protect the king of Sindhu. How, then, was he slain in your very midst?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the limits of mere collective might: even when many rulers unite to protect a single leader, outcomes in war can overturn expectations. It implicitly points to the fragility of reliance on force alone and invites reflection on the deeper currents—strategy, resolve, and the moral momentum of the conflict—that can pierce even strong defenses.
Sañjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, expresses astonishment: despite all the kings fighting and concentrating their fierce power to shield the Sindhu king (Jayadratha), he was nevertheless killed right in their midst. The question sets up an explanation of how the protective formation was breached and how Jayadratha fell.