Shloka 126
अष्टचक्रसमायुक्त मेघगम्भीरनि:स्वनम् । उसपर सभी प्रकारके श्रेष्ठ आयुध रखे गये थे। उसमें आठ पहिये लगे थे और चलते समय उस रथसे मेघ-गर्जनाके समान गम्भीर ध्वनि होती थी। विशाल ध्वज उस रथकी शोभा बढ़ा रहा था। उसीपर घटोत्कच आरूढ़ था
aṣṭacakrasamāyuktaṃ meghagambhīraniḥsvanam |
अष्टचक्रसमायुक्तं मेघगम्भीरनिःस्वनम् । सर्वायुधवरैर्युक्तं महाध्वजविराजितम् ॥ तस्मिन्नारूढवान् वीरो घटोत्कच इति श्रुतः ।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how external power and spectacle—noise, scale, and martial display—can influence morale and decision-making in war. Ethically, it points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: victory is pursued not only through skill and dharma but also through fear, intimidation, and psychological pressure, raising questions about the means used in a righteous cause.
Sañjaya describes a formidable chariot: it has eight wheels and produces a deep, thundercloud-like roar as it moves. In the surrounding narrative (as reflected in the Gītā Press prose), this chariot is associated with the terrifying battlefield arrival and presence of Ghaṭotkaca, meant to overwhelm opponents.