Shloka 51

Devanagari script

ईप्सितो होष वै कामो वरं चैनं॑ प्रयच्छ मे । त्वत्तोड्द्य भगवन्तस्त्रं कृत्स्नमिच्छामि वेदितुम्‌,“'भगवन्‌! मैं आपसे सम्पूर्ण अस्त्रोंका ज्ञान प्राप्त करना चाहता हूँ, यही मेरा अभीष्ट मनोरथ है; अतः मुझे यही वर दीजिये”

Transliteration

īpsito hoṣa vai kāmo varaṃ cainaṃ prayaccha me | tvatto ’dya bhagavan astraṃ kṛtsnam icchāmi veditum ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “This is indeed the boon I desire—grant me this very gift. O venerable one, today I wish to learn from you the complete knowledge of weapons.”

Word by Word

ईप्सितःdesired, wished-for

हिindeed, for

एषःthis

वैindeed, surely

कामःdesire, wish

वरम्boon

चand

एनम्this (it/him)

प्रयच्छgrant, give

मेto me

त्वत्तःfrom you

अद्यtoday, now

भगवन्O Lord, O revered one

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile/astral weapon)

कृत्स्नम्entire, complete

इच्छामिI desire, I wish

वेदितुम्to know, to learn

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

bhagavan (revered teacher/ascetic)

astra (weapons/weapon-lore)

vara (boon)

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 purposeful seeking of knowledge under a qualified authority: power (astra-vidyā) is approached as a disciplined, formally granted learning, implying responsibility and ethical restraint in acquiring martial capability.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) states that the desired boon is the complete instruction in weapons, requesting the revered teacher to grant that knowledge immediately.