Shloka 15

Devanagari script

प्रादुश्चक्रे ततो द्रौणिरस्त्रं नारायणं तदा । अभिसंधाय पाण्डूनां पञ्चालानां च वाहिनीम्‌,तत्पश्चात्‌ द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामाने पाण्डवों और पांचालोंकी सेनाको लक्ष्य करके नारायणास्त्र प्रकट किया। उससे आकाशमें हजारों बाण प्रकट हुए। उन सबके अग्रभाग प्रज्वलित हो रहे थे। वे सभी बाण प्रज्वलित मुखवाले सर्पोंके समान आकर पाण्डव- सैनिकोंका विनाश करनेको उद्यत थे

Transliteration

prāduścakre tato drauṇir astraṃ nārāyaṇaṃ tadā | abhisandhāya pāṇḍūnāṃ pañcālānāṃ ca vāhinīm ||

Translation

प्रादुश्चक्रे ततो द्रौणिरस्त्रं नारायणं तदा । अभिसंधाय पाण्डूनां पञ्चालानां च वाहिनीम् ॥

Word by Word

प्रादुःmanifestly, forth

चक्रेmade, brought forth

ततःthen, thereafter

द्रौणिःDrona's son (Aśvatthāman)

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

नारायणम्Nārāyaṇa (as name of the missile)

तदाat that time

अभिसन्धायhaving aimed/targeted

पाण्डूनाम्of the Pāṇḍus / of the Pāṇḍavas

पञ्चालानाम्of the Pāñcālas

चand

वाहिनीम्army, host

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman)

Droṇa

Nārāyaṇāstra (Nārāyaṇa weapon)

Pāṇḍavas

Pāñcālas

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 how the use of divine or overwhelming force in war raises an ethical demand for restraint and right response: when violence becomes indiscriminate, dharma is tested not only by valor but by self-control and adherence to proper conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāman, son of Droṇa, manifests the Nārāyaṇāstra and directs it against the combined forces of the Pāṇḍavas and the Pāñcālas, signaling a dangerous intensification of the battle.