Shloka 23
ततोअप्यस्त्रं दयितं देवराज्ञ: प्रादुश्षक्रे वज्मतिप्रभावम् । गाण्डीवं ज्यां विशिखांश्चानुमन्त्रय धनंजय: शत्रुभिरप्रधृष्य:
tato 'py astraṃ dayitaṃ devarājñaḥ prāduś cakre vajramatiprabhāvam | gāṇḍīvaṃ jyāṃ viśikhāṃś cānumantrya dhanañjayaḥ śatrubhir apradhṛṣyaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Namun begitu, Dhanañjaya—yang tidak dapat ditundukkan musuh—memanggil senjata kesayangan Raja para dewa, sebuah peluru ilahi berkuasa dahsyat laksana halilintar. Setelah menyucikan dengan mantra busur Gāṇḍīva, talinya, dan anak panahnya, dia menzahirkan senjata agung itu, yang dikasihi Indra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined power: even overwhelming force (a thunderbolt-like astra) is not mere violence but a controlled, mantra-governed act used to counter an enemy’s advantage and re-establish rightful order in battle.
In the midst of battlefield confusion and hostile conditions, Arjuna empowers his bow, string, and arrows with mantras and then manifests a mighty divine weapon associated with Indra, signaling a decisive countermeasure against the enemy’s tactics.