Shloka 55
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
स कृत्वा दारुणां मायां भीरूणां भयवर्धिनीम्
sa kṛtvā dāruṇāṃ māyāṃ bhīrūṇāṃ bhayavardhinīm | kailāsagiri-saṅkāśaṃ vajrapāṇir ivābhyayāt ||
三阇耶说道：他施展出一种极其惨烈的幻术，使怯懦者的恐惧倍增，转瞬之间便以可怖之相显现。伽托迦遮骑乘由自身魔力化成的白象，形如天帝因陀罗执金刚杵，光伟浩大如迦罗娑山，踏入战场——在战争的道义混乱中，以奇观与惊惧为兵器。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can be deliberately amplified in war through spectacle and deception (māyā). Ethically, it points to the vulnerability of the timid mind and the way conflict often shifts from physical strength to psychological domination—raising questions about righteous conduct when victory is pursued through terror.
Sañjaya describes Ghaṭotkaca manifesting a terrifying magical display. He appears swiftly in a fearsome form, riding a white, Airāvata-like elephant created by his own illusion, and advances like Indra with the thunderbolt—intending to intimidate and unsettle the opposing forces.