Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थामाके द्वारा अर्जुनपर आग्नेयास्त्रका प्रयोग एवं उसके द्वारा पाण्डव-सेनाका संहार अस्त्रतेजो$भिसंतप्ता नागा भूमिशयास्तथा । निःश्वसन्तः समुत्पेतुस्तेजो घोरं मुमुक्षव:,पृथ्वीपर पड़े रहनेवाले नाग भी उस अस्त्रके तेजसे संतप्त हो भयंकर आगसे छुटकारा पानेके लिये फुफकारते हुए ऊपर उछलने लगे

Transliteration

astratejo’bhisantaptā nāgā bhūmiśayās tathā | niḥśvasantaḥ samutpetus tejo ghoraṃ mumukṣavaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Even the serpents that lay upon the earth, scorched by the blazing energy of that weapon, began to hiss and leap upward, desperate to escape the dreadful heat. The scene underscores how the unleashed force of astras in war does not discriminate—its suffering spreads beyond combatants, consuming innocent life and the natural world alike.

Word by Word

• {'astra': 'a divine/mystic weapon

• missile empowered by mantra', 'tejas': 'radiance, fiery energy, destructive brilliance', 'abhisantapta': 'scorched, intensely heated, tormented by heat', 'nāga': 'serpent

• also a class of powerful serpentine beings', 'bhūmiśaya': 'lying on the ground

• dwelling upon the earth', 'tathā': 'also, likewise', 'niḥśvasantaḥ': 'hissing

• breathing out forcefully (of serpents, ‘fuming’)', 'samutpetuḥ': 'they sprang up, leapt upward', 'ghora': 'terrible, dreadful, fearsome', 'mumukṣavaḥ': 'seeking release/escape

• eager to be freed (here: from the burning heat)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• nāgāḥ (serpents)
• astra (weapon)
• tejas (fiery energy)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical gravity of deploying overwhelming astras: their destructive heat spreads indiscriminately, harming even non-combatants and nature. It implicitly warns that power used without restraint multiplies suffering and burdens the user with adharma-like consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

As a fiery weapon’s energy rages on the battlefield, even earth-dwelling serpents are burned by its radiance. They hiss and leap up, trying to flee the terrible heat, illustrating the weapon’s pervasive and uncontrollable impact.