Shloka 53
उत्सहन्ते3न्यथा कर्तुमेतदस्त्रं मयेरितम् तदिदं केवल हत्वा शान्तमक्षौहिणीं ज्वलत्,“मेरे द्वारा प्रयोग किये हुए इस अस्त्रको असुर, गन्धर्व, पिशाच, राक्षस, सर्प, यक्ष, पक्षी और मनुष्य किसी तरह भी व्यर्थ नहीं कर सकते थे, तो भी यह प्रज्वलित अस्त्र केवल एक अक्षौहिणी सेनाको जलाकर शान्त हो गया
utsahante ’nyathā kartum etad astraṁ mayā īritam | tad idaṁ kevalaṁ hatvā śāntam akṣauhiṇīṁ jvalat ||
サञ्जयは言った。「私が放ったこの武器を、いかなる存在も無にすることはできぬ。しかるに、この燃えさかる飛翔体は、ただ一つのアクシャウヒニーの軍勢を呑み尽くしたのみで、鎮められてしまった。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even an irresistible weapon is not merely a display of power; its true ethical weight lies in its restraint and the scale of harm it causes. The verse highlights the terrifying potency of astras while underscoring that their cessation—after limited destruction—matters morally and narratively.
Sanjaya reports that a weapon he had released could not be neutralized by any beings, yet it ultimately subsided after burning down only one akṣauhiṇī of troops. The focus is on the weapon’s unstoppable nature and the extent of its devastation before it calms.