Shloka 45

Devanagari script

न कथंचन शस्त्राणि मोक्तव्यानीह केनचित्‌ । अहमावारयिष्यामि द्रोणपुत्रास्त्रमाशुगै:,“किसी भी वीरको किसी तरह भी अपने हथियार नहीं डालने चाहिये। मैं अपने शीघ्रगामी बाणोंद्वारा द्रोणपुत्रके अस्त्रका निवारण करूँगा

Transliteration

na kathaṃcana śastrāṇi moktavyānīha kenacit | aham āvārayiṣyāmi droṇaputrāstram āśugaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “In no circumstance should any warrior here cast aside his weapons. I shall counter the weapon of Droṇa’s son with my swift-flying arrows.”

Word by Word

नnot

कथंचनin any way; at all

शस्त्राणिweapons

मोक्तव्यानिto be released/laid down; should be abandoned

इहhere

केनचित्by anyone

अहम्I

आवारयिष्यामिI will ward off / prevent

द्रोणपुत्रof Droṇa's son (Aśvatthāman)

अस्त्रम्missile/weapon (astra)

आशुगैःwith swift (arrows)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇaputra (Aśvatthāmā)

śastra (weapons)

astra (missile/weapon)

āśuga (swift arrows)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a battlefield ethic aligned with kṣatriya-dharma: one should not abandon arms out of fear or confusion, and threats—especially formidable astras—must be met with steadiness and skill rather than surrender.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a tense moment where Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā) is associated with deploying a powerful weapon; Sañjaya declares that no fighter should drop his weapons and that he will attempt to neutralize Aśvatthāmā’s astra using swift arrows.