Shloka 91

Devanagari script

बलेनाथ स संस्तभ्य ब्रह्मास्त्रं समुदैरयत्‌ । ऐन्द्रं ततोर्डर्जुनश्वापि तं दृष्टवा भ्युपमन्त्रयत्‌

Transliteration

balenātha sa saṁstabhya brahmāstraṁ samudairayat | aindraṁ tato 'rjunaś cāpi taṁ dṛṣṭvābhyupamantrayat ||

Translation

అప్పుడు అతడు బలంతో తనను తాను స్థిరపరచుకొని బ్రహ్మాస్త్రాన్ని ప్రయోగించాడు. అది చూసిన అర్జునుడు కూడా ప్రతిగా ఐంద్రాస్త్రాన్ని అభిమంత్రించాడు.

Word by Word

बलेनby force/with strength

अथthen/now

सःhe

संस्तभ्यhaving steadied/held firm

ब्रह्मास्त्रम्the Brahmā-weapon (Brahmāstra)

समुदैरयत्he raised/let fly

ऐन्द्रम्the Indra(-related) (weapon)

ततःthen/thereupon

उत्also/and (emphatic particle)

अर्जुनःArjuna

चand

अपिalso/even

तम्that (weapon)/it

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

अभ्युपमन्त्रयत्he invoked/uttered (a counter-mantra)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna

Brahmāstra

Aindra (Indra-weapon)

Indra

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 highlights the moral danger of escalation in conflict: when supreme powers are used, opponents feel compelled to answer in kind. It implicitly warns that strength without restraint can push warfare beyond human limits, making discernment and responsibility essential even for righteous fighters.

What is happening in the narrative?

One warrior discharges the Brahmāstra after bracing himself; Arjuna, seeing this, responds by invoking the Indra-weapon as a counter. The scene marks a critical intensification of the battle through the use of high-level astras.