वसुधां दारयित्वा च पुनर् अप्सु न्यमज्जत ॥
अदृश्यत तदा तत्र पुनर् उन्मज्जितो ऽन्यतः ॥
सो ऽवतीर्य पुनस् तस्थौ रथे हेमपरिष्कृते ॥
क्षितिं द्यां च दिशश् चैव माययावृत्य दंशितः ॥
गत्वा कर्णरथाभ्याशं विचलत् कुण्डलाननः ॥
प्राह वाक्यम् असंभ्रान्तः सूतपुत्रं विशां पते ॥
तिष्ठेदानीं न मे जीवन् सूतपुत्र गमिष्यसि ॥
युद्धश्रद्धाम् अहं ते ऽद्य विनेष्यामि रणाजिरे ॥
vasudhāṃ dārayitvā ca punar apsu nyamajjata ||
adṛśyata tadā tatra punar unmajjito 'nyataḥ ||
so 'vatīrya punas tasthau rathe hemapariṣkṛte ||
kṣitiṃ dyāṃ ca diśaś caiva māyayāvṛtya daṃśitaḥ ||
gatvā karṇarathābhyāśaṃ vicalat kuṇḍalānanaḥ ||
prāha vākyam asaṃbhrāntaḥ sūtaputraṃ viśāṃ pate ||
tiṣṭhedānīṃ na me jīvan sūtaputra gamiṣyasi ||
yuddhaśraddhām ahaṃ te 'dya vineṣyāmi raṇājire ||
Having become the size of a thumb, again that rakshasa, surging like an ocean wave, moved slantwise and upward. And splitting the earth, he again sank into the waters; he was seen then there, having surfaced again elsewhere. Descending, he stood again on a gold-adorned chariot, veiling earth, sky, and the directions of space with sorcery, clad in armor. Approaching Karna's chariot, with a swaying face adorned with earrings, he spoke a word, unperturbed, to the son of the suta, O lord of peoples.
f10d76f2705b · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:49:34 PM UTC
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Now the size of a thumb, now of a mountain, the rakshasa dives into earth and water, veiling the whole world with sorcery — yet all this is only a prelude to a plain word of challenge. It is telling that after the whirlwind of illusions comes something simple: he stands and speaks. The verse teaches that even the greatest cunning seeks, in the end, an open confrontation; illusions terrify and bewilder, but the outcome is decided face to face — and so, behind all his masks, Ghatotkacha returns to direct battle.