धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
यत्र वैकर्तनः कर्णो राक्षसश् च घटोत्कचः ॥
निशीथे समसज्जेतां तद् युद्धम् अभवत् कथम् ॥
कीदृशं चाभवद् युद्धं तस्य घोरस्य रक्षसः ॥
रथश् च कीदृशस् तस्य मायाः सर्वायुधानि च ॥
किंप्रमाणा हयास् तस्य रथकेतुर् धनुस् तथा ॥
कीदृशं वर्म चैवास्य कण्ठत्राणं च कीदृशम् ॥
पृष्टस् त्वम् एतद् आचक्ष्व कुशलो ह्य् असि संजय ॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
yatra vaikartanaḥ karṇo rākṣasaś ca ghaṭotkacaḥ ||
niśīthe samasajjetāṃ tad yuddham abhavat katham ||
kīdṛśaṃ cābhavad yuddhaṃ tasya ghorasya rakṣasaḥ ||
rathaś ca kīdṛśas tasya māyāḥ sarvāyudhāni ca ||
kiṃpramāṇā hayās tasya rathaketur dhanus tathā ||
kīdṛśaṃ varma caivāsya kaṇṭhatrāṇaṃ ca kīdṛśam ||
pṛṣṭas tvam etad ācakṣva kuśalo hy asi saṃjaya ||
When Vaikartana Karna and the rakshasa Ghatotkacha met at midnight, what was that battle like? And what was the fight of that terrible rakshasa like, and what is his chariot like, his magic powers and all his weapons? What are his horses like, his chariot banner and his bow? And what is his armor like, and what is his neck-guard like? Asked this, tell it, for you are skilled, O Sanjaya.
67e616aa3e96 · प्रकाशित 19 जुल॰ 2026, 4:49:34 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The blind king eagerly asks for the details of the battle -- the rakshasa's chariot, weapons, armor: the sightless one strains to see the unseen through words. It is telling that he asks first of all for the appearance and gear to be described, as if wanting to picture the scene. The verse teaches that one deprived of sight reaches for an image through hearing; and behind this thirst for description lies the ancient human need to imagine what cannot be seen, and through narration to partake of what the eye cannot reach.