Mahabharata 7.203.53 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 203, Shloka 53
उत्सहन्ते3न्यथा कर्तुमेतदस्त्रं मयेरितम् तदिदं केवल हत्वा शान्तमक्षौहिणीं ज्वलत्
utsahante ’nyathā kartum etad astraṁ mayā īritam | tad idaṁ kevalaṁ hatvā śāntam akṣauhiṇīṁ jvalat ||
สัญชัยกล่าวว่า “ไม่มีผู้ใดจะทำให้ศัสตราที่ข้าปล่อยออกไปนี้เป็นโมฆะได้เลย แต่ศัสตราอันลุกไหม้นั้นกลับสังหารเพียงกองทัพหนึ่งอักษৌหิณีแล้วก็สงบลง”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even an irresistible weapon is not merely a display of power; its true ethical weight lies in its restraint and the scale of harm it causes. The verse highlights the terrifying potency of astras while underscoring that their cessation—after limited destruction—matters morally and narratively.
Sanjaya reports that a weapon he had released could not be neutralized by any beings, yet it ultimately subsided after burning down only one akṣauhiṇī of troops. The focus is on the weapon’s unstoppable nature and the extent of its devastation before it calms.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.