Shloka 453

Devanagari script

अस्त्रैरस्त्रविदां श्रेष्ठी योधयामास भारत | भारत! तत्पश्चात्‌ अस्त्रवेत्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ क्षत्रियसंहारक द्रोणाचार्यने दूसरा धनुष हाथमें लेकर विभिन्न अस्त्रोंद्वारा युद्ध आरम्भ किया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | astrair astravidāṃ śreṣṭhī yodhayāmāsa bhārata |

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಓ ಭಾರತ! ಅಸ್ತ್ರವಿದ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನಾದ ದ್ರೋಣಾಚಾರ್ಯನು ಅಸ್ತ್ರಗಳಿಂದ ಯುದ್ಧಮಾಡಿದನು. ನಂತರ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯಸಂಹಾರದ ಆ ಘೋರ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಭರದ್ವಾಜನಂದನ ದ್ರೋಣನು ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಧನುಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದು ನಾನಾವಿಧ ಅಸ್ತ್ರಗಳಿಂದ ಮತ್ತೆ ಯುದ್ಧವನ್ನು ಆರಂಭಿಸಿದನು.

Word by Word

• अस्त्रैः: with weapons/missiles
• अस्त्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अस्त्रविदाम्: of the knowers of weapons
• अस्त्रविदाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्रविद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठी: the best/excellent one
• श्रेष्ठी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेष्ठिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• योधयामास: fought/caused to fight
• योधयामास: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• भारत: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)
• Astra (missile-weapons)
• Droṇācārya (implied by the accompanying Gita Press gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral tension of martial expertise: mastery of astras is admirable as knowledge, yet in adharma-driven conflict it becomes a means of mass harm. It invites reflection on how skill must be governed by dharma, restraint, and right purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the foremost weapon-master (understood in context as Droṇa) resumes or intensifies the fighting by employing various astras, taking up another bow and launching a renewed, deadly phase of battle.