संजय उवाच
एवम् उक्त्वा महाबाहुः पार्थं पुष्करलोचनः ॥
आजुहावाथ तद् रक्षः तच् चासीत् प्रादुर् अग्रतः ॥
कवची स शरी खड्गी सधन्वा च विशां पते ॥
अभिवाद्य ततः कृष्णं पाण्डवं च धनंजयम् ॥
अब्रवीत् तं तदा हृष्टस् त्व् अयम् अस्म्य् अनुशाधि माम् ॥
ततस् तं मेघसंकाशं दीप्तास्यं दीप्तकुण्डलम् ॥
अभ्यभाषत हैडिम्बं दाशार्हः प्रहसन्न् इव ॥
घटोत्कच विजानीहि यत् त्वां वक्ष्यामि पुत्रक ॥
प्राप्तो विक्रमकालो ऽयं तव नान्यस्य कस्य चित् ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
evam uktvā mahābāhuḥ pārthaṃ puṣkaralocanaḥ ||
ājuhāvātha tad rakṣaḥ tac cāsīt prādur agrataḥ ||
kavacī sa śarī khaḍgī sadhanvā ca viśāṃ pate ||
abhivādya tataḥ kṛṣṇaṃ pāṇḍavaṃ ca dhanaṃjayam ||
abravīt taṃ tadā hṛṣṭas tv ayam asmy anuśādhi mām ||
tatas taṃ meghasaṃkāśaṃ dīptāsyaṃ dīptakuṇḍalam ||
abhyabhāṣata haiḍimbaṃ dāśārhaḥ prahasann iva ||
ghaṭotkaca vijānīhi yat tvāṃ vakṣyāmi putraka ||
prāpto vikramakālo 'yaṃ tava nānyasya kasya cit ||
Thus having spoken to Partha, the lotus-eyed, mighty-armed Krishna then summoned that rakshasa, and he appeared before them. Armored, with arrows, with sword and with bow, o lord of men, having saluted Krishna and the Pandava Dhananjaya, he said to him then, joyful: "Here I am — command me." Then, as if smiling, Dasharha [Krishna] addressed the son of Hidimba, who resembled a cloud, with blazing face, with blazing earrings: "Ghatotkacha, hear what I shall say to you, my son."
b1fa2141ece0 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:49:34 PM UTC
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Ghatotkacha appears "joyful" and gives himself over to the will of another: "here I am — command me." It is telling, this obedience of a rakshasa usually self-willed: love and devotion tame the wild nature. The verse teaches that true devotion is ready for anything at the word of the beloved, without bargaining; and the son of Bhima, dreadful in form, is gentle of heart before Krishna and his father's kin — for valor, touched by love, turns into selfless service.