Shloka 42

Devanagari script

काकुदीकं शुक॑ नाकमक्षिसंतर्जनं तथा । संतान॑ नर्तक॑ घोरमास्यमोदकमष्टमम्‌,काकुदीक (प्रस्वापन), शुक (मोहन), नाक (उन्मादन), अक्षिसंतर्जन (त्रासन), संतान (दैवत), नर्तक (पैशाच), घोर (राक्षस) और आस्यमोदक (याम्य)- --ये आठ प्रकारके अस्त्र हैं

Transliteration

kākudīkaṃ śuka nākam akṣi-santarjanaṃ tathā | santānaṃ nartakaṃ ghoraṃ āsyamodakam aṣṭamam ||

Translation

Rāma said: “Kākudīka, Śuka, Nāka, Akṣi-santarjana, Santāna, Nartaka, Ghora, and as the eighth, Āsyamodaka—these are eight distinct kinds of weapons.”

Word by Word

काकुदीकम्Kākudīka (a weapon-name)

शुकम्Śuka (a weapon-name)

नाकम्Nāka (a weapon-name)

अक्षि-संतर्जनम्eye-terrifying (weapon-name)

तथाand also; likewise

संतानम्Santāna (a weapon-name)

नर्तकम्Nartaka (a weapon-name)

घोरम्Ghora (a weapon-name)

आस्य-मोदकम्mouth-delighting (weapon-name)

अष्टमम्the eighth

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rāma

Kākudīka astra

Śuka astra

Nāka astra

Akṣi-santarjana astra

Santāna astra

Nartaka astra

Ghora astra

Āsyamodaka astra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores that mastery of astras includes powers that can induce sleep, delusion, madness, and terror—abilities that demand restraint and ethical discernment, since such force can overwhelm an enemy not only physically but also mentally.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma is enumerating a set of eight named astras, presenting them as a recognized classification of formidable weapons within the epic’s martial lore.