Shloka 29

निवातकवचवधः — Arjuna’s Neutralization of the Nivātakavacas

Vajra-astra deployment

Devanagari script

शिक्ष मे भवन गत्वा सर्वाण्यस्त्राणि भारत | वायोरग्नेर्वसुभ्योडपि वरुणात्‌ समरुद्गणात्‌

Transliteration

śikṣa me bhavān gatvā sarvāṇy astrāṇi bhārata | vāyor agner vasubhyo 'pi varuṇāt samarudgaṇāt ||

Translation

Arjuna sprach: „O Bharata, unterweise mich — indem ich zu ihnen gehe — in allen himmlischen Waffen: von Vāyu, von Agni, auch von den Vasus, von Varuṇa und von den Scharen der Maruts.“

Word by Word

शिक्षlearn / train (yourself)

मेfrom me / of me

भवनyou (sir)

गत्वाhaving gone

सर्वाणिall

अस्त्राणिweapons (missiles)

भारतO Bhārata

वायोःfrom Vāyu (the Wind-god)

अग्नेःfrom Agni (the Fire-god)

वसुभ्यःfrom the Vasus

अपिalso / even

वरुणात्from Varuṇa

समरुद्गणात्from the host of Maruts

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Bharata (as an epithet/address)

Astra (divine weapons)

Vāyu

Agni

Vasus

Varuṇa

Maruts (Marudgaṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A warrior’s power is to be grounded in disciplined learning and rightful purpose: Arjuna seeks instruction rather than mere possession, approaching divine sources of strength to prepare for protecting dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna petitions his revered guide (addressed as “Bharata”) to help him obtain training in all astras by going to various deities—Vāyu, Agni, the Vasus, Varuṇa, and the Maruts—so he may be fully equipped for the trials ahead.