Shloka 8
Ghaṭotkaca Slays Alāyudha (Night Battle and Māyā Countermeasures) / घटोत्कचेन अलायुधवधः
अवध्यं निहतं दृष्टवा संयुगे देवदानवै: । तदैवाज्ञासिषमहं नेयमस्तीति भारती,जो देवताओं और दानवोंके लिये भी अवध्य थे, उन्हें युद्धमें मारा गया देख मैंने उसी समय यह जान लिया कि यह कौरव-सेना अब नहीं रह सकेगी
avadhyaṁ nihataṁ dṛṣṭvā saṁyuge devadānavaiḥ | tadaivājñāsiṣam ahaṁ neyām astīti bhāratī ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing in battle that one who was deemed invulnerable even to the gods and the Dānavas had been slain, I understood at that very moment that this Kaurava host would not endure—its downfall had become inevitable.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even what appears invincible can fall when the moral and strategic balance of a conflict shifts; recognizing such a turning point underscores the Mahābhārata’s emphasis on impermanence and the inevitable consequences that follow adharma and misjudgment.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, upon witnessing the death of a warrior considered ‘unassailable’ even by gods and Dānavas, he immediately concluded that the Kaurava forces were doomed and would not be able to hold out.