Shloka 11

Devanagari script

इदमस्त्र सुदयितं प्रत्यभिज्ञास्यते भवान्‌ | विदितं हि तवाप्येतत्‌ पूर्वस्मिन्‌ देहधारणे,“भारत! यह प्रस्वाप नामक अस्त्र है, जिसके देवता प्रजापति हैं। विश्वकर्माने इसका आविष्कार किया है। यह तुम्हें भी परम प्रिय है। इसकी प्रयोगविधि तुम्हें स्वतः ज्ञात हो जायगी; क्‍योंकि पूर्वशरीरमें तुम्हें भी इसका पूर्ण ज्ञान था। परशुरामजी भी इस अस्त्रको नहीं जानते हैं। इस पृथ्वीपर कहीं किसी भी पुरुषको इसका ज्ञान नहीं है

Transliteration

idam astra sudayitaṁ pratyabhijñāsyate bhavān | viditaṁ hi tavāpy etat pūrvasmin dehadhāraṇe |

Translation

इदमस्त्रं सुदयितं प्रत्यभिज्ञास्यते भवान्। विदितं हि तवाप्येतत् पूर्वस्मिन् देहधारणे॥

Word by Word

इदम्this

अस्त्रweapon, missile

सुदयितम्very dear, greatly beloved

प्रत्यभिज्ञास्यतेwill be recognized / will become known again

भवान्you (honorific)

विदितम्known

हिindeed, for

तवof you, your

अपिalso, even

एतत्this (same)

पूर्वस्मिन्in the former/previous

देहधारणेin (your) former embodiment / in the earlier taking of a body

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Specialized power (astra-knowledge) is portrayed as something that can be carried through prior embodiment and reawakened by recognition, suggesting that inner readiness and past merit/discipline can surpass ordinary instruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses the listener respectfully and indicates that a particular weapon—beloved and already known from a former embodiment—will be recognized spontaneously, framing the weapon’s mastery as recollection rather than newly acquired learning.