Shloka 12
पुरा वैकर्तनं कर्णमेष पापो घटोत्कच: । मायाबलं समाश्रित्य कर्षयत्यरिकर्शन,'शत्रुसूदन! कहीं ऐसा न हो कि यह पापी घटोत्कच मायाबलका आश्रय ले वैकर्तन कर्णको पहले ही नष्ट कर दे”
purā vaikartanaṃ karṇam eṣa pāpo ghaṭotkacaḥ | māyābalaṃ samāśritya karṣayaty arikarṣana, śatrusūdana |
Sañjaya said: “O subduer of foes, O slayer of enemies, may it not happen that this sinful Ghaṭotkaca, taking refuge in the power of illusion, should prematurely destroy Karṇa, the son of the charioteer.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral anxiety surrounding warfare: victory sought through māyā (deceptive power) is viewed with suspicion, and even in battle there is concern about unfair or premature destruction of a key warrior. It reflects how ethical judgment (“pāpa”) is applied to methods, not only outcomes.
Sañjaya voices a foreboding to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, warning that Ghaṭotkaca—known for magical warfare—might rely on illusion to bring down Karṇa before the expected course of events, altering the balance of the battle.