Shloka 18

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच घटोत्कचं यदा कर्णो न विशेषयते नृप । ततः प्रादुश्चकारोग्रमस्त्रमस्त्रविदां वर:,संजय कहते हैं--राजन्‌! जब अस्त्रवेत्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ कर्ण घटोत्कवसे अपनी विशेषता न दिखा सका, तब उसने एक भयंकर अस्त्र प्रकट किया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca ghaṭotkacaṃ yadā karṇo na viśeṣayate nṛpa | tataḥ prāduścakārograṃ astram astravidāṃ varaḥ ||

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—రాజా! అస్త్రవిద్యలో శ్రేష్ఠుడైన కర్ణుడు ఘటోత్కచునిపై తన విశిష్టతను ఇక చూపలేకపోయినప్పుడు, అతడు ఒక ఘోరమైన అస్త్రాన్ని ప్రదర్శించాడు.

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

उवाचsaid

घटोत्कचम्Ghaṭotkaca

यदाwhen

कर्णःKarna

नnot

विशेषयतेdistinguishes (himself) / shows superiority

नृपO king

ततःthen / thereafter

प्रादुःचकारmade manifest / brought forth

उग्रम्terrible, fierce

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

अस्त्रविदाम्of the knowers of weapons

वरःthe best, the foremost

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Karna

Ghaṭotkaca

astra (weapon)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how battlefield pressure can drive escalation: when ordinary prowess fails, a warrior may resort to more fearsome means. It invites reflection on restraint, pride, and the ethical weight of deploying extraordinary weapons, even within the accepted framework of kṣatriya warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karna is unable to dominate Ghaṭotkaca by his usual skill. In response, Karna reveals and prepares to use a formidable astra, marking a decisive intensification in their confrontation.