Shloka 523

Devanagari script

प्रादुश्चक्रे तदाग्नेयमस्त्रमस्त्रविदां वर: । उस समय अस्त्रवेत्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ, भरतवंशियोंके श्रेष्ठ महारथी तथा सम्पूर्ण भारतीय सेनाका हर्ष बढ़ानेवाले कर्णने आग्नेयास्त्र प्रकट किया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

prāduścakre tadāgneyaṁ astram astravidāṁ varaḥ |

Translation

Sanjaya said: Then the foremost of weapon-knowers manifested the fiery (Agneya) missile—an act that heightened the ardor and exhilaration of the Bharata host, as Karṇa sought to turn the battle’s balance through overwhelming force rather than restraint.

Word by Word

प्रादुःmanifestly, forth

चक्रेmade, brought forth

तदाthen

आग्नेयम्fiery, belonging to Agni

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

अस्त्रविदाम्of the weapon-knowers

वरःthe best

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Agneya Astra

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 highlights how mastery of power (astra-vidyā) can intensify conflict: the ethical tension lies in choosing escalation through destructive weapons versus restraint aligned with dharma, especially when armies are inflamed by displays of might.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya narrates that, at that moment in the battle, a supreme weapon-expert brings forth the Agneya (fire) weapon. In the surrounding narrative context of Droṇa Parva, this is understood as Karṇa’s deployment of a formidable astric force to press the Kaurava advantage and energize their troops.