Shloka 103
स हन्यमानो नाराचैर्धाराभिरिव पर्वत: । गन्धर्वनगराकार: पुनरन्तरधीयत,जैसे पर्वतपर जलकी धाराएँ गिरती हैं, उसी प्रकार नाराचोंके प्रहारसे आहत हुआ घटोत्कच गन्धर्व-नगरके समान पुन: अदृश्य हो गया
sa hanyamāno nārācair dhārābhir iva parvataḥ | gandharvanagarākāraḥ punar antaradhīyata ||
Sañjaya said: Though struck by volleys of nārāca arrows, Ghaṭotkaca—like a mountain lashed by cascading streams—again vanished from sight, appearing like a phantom city of the Gandharvas. The image underscores the deceptive, illusory power at work in war: amid righteous and unrighteous means alike, perception itself becomes unstable, and violence drives combatants into ever more extraordinary stratagems.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare can distort perception and push fighters toward extraordinary, even deceptive, tactics. It invites reflection on restraint and discernment (viveka): when violence escalates, clarity and ethical boundaries are easily obscured.
Ghaṭotkaca is being hit by volleys of nārāca arrows, yet he does not fall; instead, he becomes invisible again. Sañjaya compares this to a mountain struck by torrents and to a mirage-like Gandharva city—emphasizing both the intensity of the attack and Ghaṭotkaca’s uncanny, illusory mode of fighting.