केशवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा बीभत्सुर् अपि राक्षसम् ॥
अभ्यभाषत कौरव्य घटोत्कचम् अरिंदमम् ॥
घटोत्कच भवांश् चैव दीर्घबाहुश् च सात्यकिः ॥
मतौ मे सर्वसैन्येषु भीमसेनश् च पाण्डवः ॥
स भवान् यातु कर्णेन द्वैरथं युध्यतां निशि ॥
सात्यकिः पृष्ठगोपस् ते भविष्यति महारथः ॥
जहि कर्णं रणे शूरं सात्वतेन सहायवान् ॥
यथेन्द्रस् तारकं पूर्वं स्कन्देन सह जघ्निवान् ॥
keśavasya vacaḥ śrutvā bībhatsur api rākṣasam ||
abhyabhāṣata kauravya ghaṭotkacam ariṃdamam ||
ghaṭotkaca bhavāṃś caiva dīrghabāhuś ca sātyakiḥ ||
matau me sarvasainyeṣu bhīmasenaś ca pāṇḍavaḥ ||
sa bhavān yātu karṇena dvairathaṃ yudhyatāṃ niśi ||
sātyakiḥ pṛṣṭhagopas te bhaviṣyati mahārathaḥ ||
jahi karṇaṃ raṇe śūraṃ sātvatena sahāyavān ||
yathendras tārakaṃ pūrvaṃ skandena saha jaghnivān ||
Having heard the word of Keshava, Bibhatsu [Arjuna] too, o Kauravya, spoke to the rakshasa Ghatotkacha, tamer of foes: "Ghatotkacha, both you and long-armed Satyaki are held in my esteem among all the armies, and so is Bhimasena, the Pandava. Go then to Karna for a duel of two chariots, to fight in the night; Satyaki, guardian of your rear, will be your great support. Slay in battle the hero Karna, with the support of Satvata, as Indra of old slew Taraka together with Skanda."
7a734d28044f · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:49:34 PM UTC
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Arjuna ranks Ghatotkacha with Satyaki and Bhima — "held in my esteem among all the armies": the rakshasa-son is honored equally with the greatest. It is telling that the comparison is to Skanda, who slew Taraka: the son is entrusted with a deed of cosmic deliverance. The verse teaches that true respect does not look at lineage: Arjuna honors his brother's son by his deeds, not by his blood; and to entrust a great task is the highest honor one warrior can give another.