Shloka 36
घटोत्कच-कर्णयुद्धम्
Ghaṭotkaca–Karna Combat and the Release of Śakti
ततः प्रववृते युद्ध व्यतिषक्तरथद्धिपम् | तावकानां परै: सार्थ राजन दुर्मन्त्रिते तव,राजन्! तदनन्तर आपकी कुमन्त्रणाके अनुसार आपके पुत्रोंका शत्रुओंके साथ घोर युद्ध छिड़ गया, जिसमें रथसे रथ और हाथीसे हाथी भिड़ गये थे
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ vyatiṣakta-ratha-dvipam | tāvakānāṃ paraiḥ sārdhaṃ rājan durmantrite tava ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O King, the battle broke out—chariots locked with chariots and elephants with elephants—between your sons’ forces and the enemy. It was a grim consequence of your misguided counsel, for through poor judgment the conflict surged into a tangled, close-quarters slaughter.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores royal accountability: destructive war is not merely fate but can be the fruit of ‘durmantra’—misguided counsel and unethical policy. A ruler’s errors in judgment and advice can entangle an entire people in violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a fierce engagement has erupted between the Kaurava forces and their opponents, described as a chaotic clash where chariots and elephants are locked together in close combat.