Shloka 12

Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement

Devanagari script

अस्त्र॑ ततो<न्यत्‌ प्रतिपन्नमद्य येन क्षेप्स्थे समरे शत्रुपूगान्‌ । प्रतापिनं बलवन्तं कृतास्त्रं तमुग्रधन्चानममितौजसं च

Transliteration

astra tato 'nyat pratipannam adya yena kṣepsyathe samare śatru-pūgān | pratāpinaṃ balavantaṃ kṛtāstraṃ tam ugra-dhanvānam amitaujasaṃ ca ||

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಇಗ ನೀನು ಇಂದು ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಅಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸಿದ್ದೀ; ಅದರಿಂದ ಸಮರದಲ್ಲಿ ಶತ್ರುಸಮೂಹಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಡೆದುರುಳಿಸಲು ನೀನು ಉದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿದ್ದೀ. ಆ ಯೋಧನು ಪ್ರತಾಪಿ, ಬಲವಂತ, ಅಸ್ತ್ರವಿದ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ನಿಪುಣ, ಉಗ್ರಧನುರ್ಧರ ಮತ್ತು ಅಮಿತತೇಜಸ್ವಿ.

Word by Word

अस्त्रम्weapon, missile

ततःthen, thereafter

अन्यत्another (one)

प्रतिपन्नम्obtained, taken up, resorted to

अद्यtoday, now

येनby which

क्षेप्स्यसेyou will hurl/throw

समरेin battle

शत्रुपूगान्masses/troops of enemies

प्रतापिनम्mighty, valorous

बलवन्तम्strong

कृतास्त्रम्one who has mastered weapons (trained in arms)

तम्him

उग्रधन्वानम्fierce-bowed, having a terrible bow

अमितौजसम्of immeasurable might

चand

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

weapon (astra)

enemy hosts (śatru-pūga)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical tension of war: mastery of weapons and heroic energy are praised, yet they are directed toward the destruction of enemy formations. It highlights how martial excellence, when joined to intent in battle, becomes a decisive moral and narrative force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that a warrior has now taken up a different weapon and is preparing to use it to strike the enemy ranks in the ongoing battle, emphasizing the fighter’s strength, training, and fearsome archery.