Shloka 1

Devanagari script

हि मो [हुक मपआ आप्८् - कोसोंमें 'अक्ष' शब्दका अर्थ 'सर्प' भी मिलता है। द्विसप्तत्याधिकशततमो< ध्याय: निवातकवचोंका संहार अजुन उवाच अदृश्यमानास्ते दैत्या योधयन्ति सम मायया । अदृश्येनास्त्रवीर्येण तानप्यहमयोधयम्‌,अर्जुन बोले--राजन्‌! इस प्रकार अदृश्य रहकर ही वे दैत्य मायाद्वारा युद्ध करने लगे तथा मैं भी अपने अस्त्रोंकी अदृश्य शक्तिके द्वारा ही उनका सामना करने लगा

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | adṛśyamānās te daityā yodhayanti sma māyayā | adṛśyenāstravīryeṇa tān apy aham ayodhayam ||

Translation

Arjuna said: “O King, those Dānavas, remaining unseen, fought by means of illusion; and I too countered them, employing the unseen potency of my weapons.”

Word by Word

अदृश्यमानाःbeing unseen, invisible

तेthose

दैत्याःdemons (Daityas)

योधयन्तिthey cause to fight / they fight (wage battle)

सम्together, fully (prefix/adverbial)

माययाby illusion, by magic

अदृश्येनby an unseen (means/power)

अस्त्रवीर्येणby the power of weapons

तान्them

अपिalso, even

अहम्I

अयोधयम्I fought / I made war (against them)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Daityas

māyā (illusion)

astra (weapons)

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 that when opponents employ deception (māyā) in conflict, a righteous warrior may respond with appropriate counter-measures rather than panic or passivity—maintaining resolve and effectiveness while staying committed to the duty of protection and victory in a just cause.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the episode of the Nivātakavaca Daityas, the demons fight while remaining invisible through magical illusion. Arjuna reports to the king that he counters them by using the unseen, mantra-empowered force of his own weapons, matching their hidden tactics with superior martial skill.