Shloka 19
तेनास्त्रेणावधीत् तस्य रथं सहयसारथिम् । विरथश्षापि हैडिम्बि: क्षिप्रमन््तरधीयत,उस अस्त्रके द्वारा उसने घटोत्कचके रथको घोड़े और सारथिसहित नष्ट कर दिया। रथहीन होनेपर घटोत्कच शीघ्र ही वहाँसे अदृश्य हो गया
tenāstreṇāvadhīt tasya rathaṃ sahaya-sārathim | virathaḥ so 'pi haiḍimbiḥ kṣipram antaradhīyata ||
Sañjaya said: With that weapon he destroyed his chariot—together with its horses and charioteer. Bereft of his car, the Haiḍimba (Ghaṭotkaca) swiftly vanished from the battlefield, withdrawing by means of his power of disappearance.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic and reality of war: the use of powerful weapons can abruptly change circumstances, yet a warrior may preserve life and strategy through presence of mind—here, by withdrawing rather than fighting on foot against unfavorable odds. It also underscores the Mahābhārata theme that force (astra) and ingenuity (māyā) both operate within the moral complexity of dharma-yuddha.
Sañjaya reports that an astral weapon destroys Ghaṭotkaca’s chariot along with its horses and charioteer. Left without a chariot, Ghaṭotkaca (called Haiḍimba) quickly becomes invisible and disappears from that place, indicating a tactical retreat using his supernatural power.