Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ततः प्रादुष्करोद्‌ दिव्यमस्त्रमस्त्रविदां वर: । नरेश्वर! जब कर्ण घटोत्कचसे बढ़ न सका, तब उस अस्त्रवेत्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ वीरने दिव्यास्त्र प्रकट किया ।। कर्णेन संधितं दृष्टवा दिव्यमस्त्रं घटोत्कच:

Transliteration

tataḥ prāduṣkarod divyam astram astravidāṁ varaḥ | nareśvara! yadā karṇaḥ ghaṭotkacase bādh na saka, tadā tasmin astravettṝṇāṁ śreṣṭho vīro divyāstram prakaṭayām āsa || karṇena sandhitaṁ dṛṣṭvā divyam astram ghaṭotkacaḥ |

Translation

ततः प्रादुष्करोद् दिव्यमस्त्रमस्त्रविदां वरः। नरेश्वर! यदा कर्णो घटोत्कचस्य वेगं सोढुं नाशक्नोत्, तदा स वीरः शस्त्रविदां श्रेष्ठो दिव्यमस्त्रमुदपादयत्। कर्णेन संधितं दिव्यमस्त्रं दृष्ट्वा घटोत्कचोऽपि तदवेक्षत॥

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

प्रादुष्करोत्manifested, brought forth

दिव्यम्divine

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

अस्त्रविदाम्of the weapon-knowers

वरःthe best, the foremost

कर्णेनby Karna

संधितम्fixed/aimed/placed (upon)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

दिव्यम्divine

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

घटोत्कचःGhaṭotkaca

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by nareśvara)

Karṇa

Ghaṭotkaca

divyāstra (celestial weapon)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in moments of extreme peril, warriors may resort to higher, more consequential means—here, a divinely empowered weapon. Ethically, it points to the gravity of escalation in war: when ordinary strength fails, the choice to deploy extraordinary force carries heightened responsibility and far-reaching consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Karṇa, unable to check Ghaṭotkaca’s onslaught, reveals and prepares a celestial missile. Ghaṭotkaca observes Karṇa aiming this divine weapon, signaling a decisive turn in their confrontation.