Shloka 42
ये त्वेतत्प्रतियोत्स्यन्ति मनसापीह केचन । निहनिष्यति तान् सर्वान् रसातलगतानपि,“जो कोई मनसे भी इस अस्त्रका सामना करेंगे, वे रसातलमें चले गये हों तो भी यह अस्त्र वहाँ पहुँचकर उन सबको मार डालेगा”
ye tv etat pratiyotsyanti manasāpīha kecana | nihaniṣyati tān sarvān rasātalagātān api ||
Sañjaya said: “But whoever here, even in thought alone, would attempt to oppose this weapon—this missile will reach them and slay them all, even if they have gone down to Rasātala.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming, almost inescapable potency attributed to astras: opposition is not merely physical but also intentional. It suggests that in such a charged moral universe, hostile intent itself can draw consequences, emphasizing the grave ethical weight of deploying weapons whose effects exceed ordinary human limits.
Sañjaya describes the feared reach of a particular astra being invoked in the battle context: anyone who tries to counter it—even mentally—will be struck down, even if they were to flee to Rasātala. The line intensifies the sense of dread and inevitability surrounding the weapon’s activation.