Sacred Concord

Mbh 7.175.2e

Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

On Ghatotkacha’s body there was not even two finger’s breadth of space that was not pierced with Karna’s shafts. Soon the Rakshasa seemed to be like a porcupine with quills erect on his body. So completely was he shrouded with shafts that we could not in that battle, any longer see either the steeds or the car or the standard of Ghatotkacha or Ghatotkacha himself. Destroying then by his own weapon, the celestial weapon of Karna, Ghatotkacha, endued with the power of illusion, began to fight with the Suta’s son, aided by his powers of illusion. Indeed, he began to fight with Karna, aided by his illusion and displaying the greatest activity. Showers of shafts fell from an invisible source from the welkin. Then Bhimasena’s son, endued with great prowess of illusion, O foremost of the Kurus, assumed a fierce form, aided by those powers, began to stupefy the Kauravas, O Bharata! The valiant Rakshasa, assuming many fierce and grim heads, began to devour the celestial weapons of the Suta’s son. Soon again, the gigantic Rakshasa, with a hundred wounds on his body seemed to lie cheerlessly, as if dead, on the field. The Kaurava bulls then, regarding Ghatotkacha deed, uttered loud shouts (of joy). Soon, however, he was seen on all sides, careering in new forms. Once more, he was seen to assume a prodigious form, with a hundred heads and a hundred stomachs, and looking like the Mainaka mountain.[235] Once again, becoming small about the measure of the thumb, he moved about transversely or soared aloft like the swelling surges of the sea. Tearing through the earth and rising on the surface, he dived again into the waters. Once seen here, he was next seen at a different place. Descending then from the welkin, he was seen standing, clad in mail, on a car decked with gold, having wandered through earth and sky and all the points of the compass, aided by his powers of illusion.
Mbh 7.175.2e · Mahabharata · DRONA PARVA

Themes in this passage

ChildrenNatureWarCourageJoyKarmaStrengthTruth

Children in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Islam and Hellenism address it.

These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;
1 Chronicles 5:14 · Bible · 1 Chronicles
Or hath He daughters whereas ye have sons?
Quran 52:39 · Quran · The Mountain
they reached the low lying city of Lacedaemon, where they drove straight to the abode of Menelaus36 [and found him in his own house, feasting with his many clansmen in honour of the wedding of his son, and also of his daughter, whom he was marrying to the son of that valiant warrior Achilles. He had given his consent and promised her to him while he was still at Troy, and now the gods were bringing the marriage about; so he was sending her with chariots and horses to the city of the Myrmidons over whom Achilles’ son was reigning. For his only son he had found a bride from Sparta,37 the daughter of Alector. This son, Megapenthes, was born to him of a bondwoman, for heaven vouchsafed Helen no more children after she had borne Hermione, who was fair as golden Venus herself.
Odyssey 4.2 · Odyssey · 4
While thus they strive, Tlepolemus the great,[153] Urged by the force of unresisted fate, Burns with desire Sarpedon’s strength to prove; Alcides’ offspring meets the son of Jove. Sheathed in bright arms each adverse chief came on. Jove’s great descendant, and his greater son. Prepared for combat, ere the lance he toss’d, The daring Rhodian vents his haughty boast:
Iliad 5.66 · Iliad · 5

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