Shloka 63
ततोअन्तरिक्षमुत्पत्य इरावानपि राक्षसम् । विमोहयित्वा मायाभिस्तस्य गात्राणि सायकै:
tato 'ntarikṣam utpatya irāvān api rākṣasam | vimohayitvā māyābhis tasya gātrāṇi sāyakaiḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian Irāvān pun melompat ke angkasa; dengan kuasa māyā-nya dia mengelirukan rākṣasa itu, lalu menembusi anggota tubuhnya dengan anak panah. Dalam jalinan moral kisah pertempuran, bait ini menegaskan bahawa di tengah perang, kemenangan bukan semata-mata hasil kekuatan kasar, tetapi juga kemahiran, strategi, dan penggunaan berdisiplin keupayaan luar biasa—namun semuanya tetap berada dalam ekonomi keganasan yang suram yang dilepaskan oleh konflik Kurukṣetra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that in warfare outcomes are shaped by more than strength: clarity of mind, tactical ingenuity, and mastery of special skills (here, māyā) can decisively turn an encounter—while also reminding the reader of the ethically fraught nature of violence even when performed by heroic figures.
Sañjaya reports that Irāvān leaps into the air, uses illusory powers to confuse a Rākṣasa opponent, and then strikes the enemy’s limbs with arrows, gaining advantage through aerial movement and deception.