Shloka 49
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
घटोत्कचं राक्षसेन्द्र शक्रशकत्या निजध्निवान् | एतांश्व दिवसान् यस्य युद्धे भीतो धनंजय:
ghaṭotkacaṃ rākṣasendra śakraśaktyā nijaghnivān | etāṃś ca divasān yasya yuddhe bhīto dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Dengan lembing Śakti milik Indra, dia menewaskan Ghaṭotkaca, raja para Rākṣasa. Justeru untuk hari-hari inilah Dhanaṃjaya (Arjuna) gentar di medan perang—menanti saat senjata ilahi itu digunakan hingga habis. Rangkap ini menyingkap kira-kira perang yang muram: suatu perbuatan ngeri diceritakan bukan semata-mata sebagai kemenangan, tetapi sebagai penyingkiran ancaman yang menghantui serta penghabisan satu-satunya senjata yang mampu mengubah takdir.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of war: victory can hinge on singular, devastating means, and warriors may endure fear not only of death but of irreversible turning points—such as the deployment of a unique divine weapon. It invites reflection on how dharma in battle is entangled with necessity, consequence, and the cost of survival.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Ghaṭotkaca, the formidable Rākṣasa leader, is slain by Indra’s Śakti. The verse adds that Arjuna had been apprehensive during these days of fighting, anticipating the critical moment when that weapon would be used and thereby removed from the enemy’s arsenal.