Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तेषामस्त्राणि सर्वेषामुत्तमास्त्रविदां वर:

Transliteration

teṣām astrāṇi sarveṣām uttamāstravidāṁ varaḥ

Translation

Sanjaya said: Among all of them, he was the foremost knower of the highest weapons; and his missiles, guided by such mastery, were of the most formidable kind.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• अस्त्राणि: weapons/missiles
• अस्त्राणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: neuter, nominative, plural

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• उत्तम: excellent/supreme
• उत्तम: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: neuter, nominative, plural

• अस्त्रविदाम्: of the knowers of weapons
• अस्त्रविदाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्रविद्
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• वरः: the best/excellent one
• वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• astrāṇi (weapons/missiles)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that mastery over powerful weapons (astra-vidyā) makes one exceptionally formidable, implying an ethical burden: the greater the power and knowledge, the greater the responsibility in how it is used in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the battle events, characterizes a warrior as the foremost among weapon-knowers, emphasizing the terrifying effectiveness of the weapons being deployed in the Drona Parva conflict.