Shloka 93

Devanagari script

अस्त्रे नारायणसम: संकर्षणसमो बले

Transliteration

astre nārāyaṇasamaḥ, saṅkarṣaṇasamo bale

Translation

युधिष्ठिर बोले—“अस्त्रविद्या में वह नारायण के समान है और बल में संकर्षण के तुल्य है।”

Word by Word

• अस्त्रे: in (the use of) weapons; in weaponry
• अस्त्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• नारायणसमः: equal to Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणसमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारायण-सम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संकर्षणसमः: equal to Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma)
• संकर्षणसमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकर्षण-सम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बले: in strength; in power
• बले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

युधिष्ठिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Nārāyaṇa
• Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma)
• astra (divine weapons/arms)
• bala (strength)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that extraordinary martial skill and strength are best understood through higher exemplars; by invoking Nārāyaṇa and Saṅkarṣaṇa, it suggests that power is awe-inspiring yet must be aligned with dharma, especially in the chaos of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Drona Parva’s intense warfare, Yudhiṣṭhira assesses a key warrior’s capabilities, declaring him unmatched in weaponry like Nārāyaṇa and unmatched in strength like Saṅkarṣaṇa—an evaluative statement that heightens the stakes of the ongoing conflict.