Shloka 19
संजय उवाच हते घटोत्कचे राजन् कर्णेन निशि राक्षसे | प्रणदत्सु च हृष्टेषु तावकेषु युयुत्सुषु,संजयने कहा--राजन्! जब रातमें कर्णके द्वारा राक्षस घटोत्कच मारा गया, आपके सैनिक हर्षमें भरकर युद्धकी इच्छासे गर्जना करते हुए वेगपूर्वक आक्रमण करने लगे तथा पाण्डव-सेना मारी जाने लगी, उस समय प्रगाढ़ रजनीमें राजा युधिष्ठिर अत्यन्त दीन एवं दुःखी हो गये
sañjaya uvāca | hate ghaṭotkace rājan karṇena niśi rākṣase | praṇadatsu ca hṛṣṭeṣu tāvakeṣu yuyutsuṣu |
Sañjaya said: O King, when the rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca was slain at night by Karṇa, your warriors—exultant and eager for battle—raised loud cries and surged forward to attack. In that deep darkness, as the Pāṇḍava host began to be cut down, King Yudhiṣṭhira became utterly dejected and grief-stricken.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how victory and loss immediately reshape the mind in war: one side’s elation becomes the other side’s despair. It implicitly warns that battlefield success can intoxicate (hṛṣṭa, praṇadant) while tragedy can overwhelm even the most dharma-minded leader (Yudhiṣṭhira), showing the ethical and psychological cost of violence.
After Karṇa kills Ghaṭotkaca during the night fighting, the Kaurava troops rejoice and press their attack with loud battle-cries. In the darkness the Pāṇḍava forces begin to suffer heavy losses, and Yudhiṣṭhira is plunged into deep sorrow and dejection.