Shloka 23
संधाय च शरं दीप्तमभिमन्त्रय स पाण्डव: पर्जन्यास्त्रेण संयोज्य सर्वलोकस्य पश्यत:
sandhāya ca śaraṃ dīptam abhimantrya sa pāṇḍavaḥ parjanyāstreṇa saṃyojya sarvalokasya paśyataḥ
Sang Pāṇḍava memasang sebuah panah yang menyala, memberkatinya dengan mantra, lalu mengikatkannya pada senjata Parjanya—semuanya dilakukan di hadapan pandangan semua orang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that extraordinary power in war—especially mantra-invoked astras—must be exercised with awareness and accountability, since such acts affect not only opponents but the wider world that witnesses and bears the consequences.
Sañjaya reports that a Pāṇḍava warrior prepares a blazing arrow, sanctifies it with mantra, and then deploys it as the Parjanya-astra (a rain/thunder-related divine weapon), doing so openly before all onlookers.