Shloka 18

अर्जुनस्य निवातकवचवधाय नियोगः

Arjuna’s commissioning for the Nivātakavacas

Devanagari script

आग्नेयं वारुणं सौम्यं वायव्यमथ वैष्णवम्‌ | ऐन्द्रं पाशुपतं ब्राह्मंं पारमेष्ठ्यं प्रजापते:

Transliteration

āgneyam vāruṇaṃ saumyaṃ vāyavyam atha vaiṣṇavam | aindraṃ pāśupataṃ brāhmaṃ pārameṣṭhyaṃ prajāpateḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “(Chàng liệt kê) các thần lực và thần khí—của Agni, Varuṇa, Soma và Vāyu; rồi của Viṣṇu; của Indra; Pāśupata (của Śiva); vũ khí Brahma; và quyền năng tối thượng Pārameṣṭhya, phát sinh từ Prajāpati.”

Word by Word

• आग्नेयम्: Agni-related (weapon/astram)
• आग्नेयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आग्नेय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वारुणम्: Varuṇa-related
• वारुणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सौम्यम्: Soma-related
• सौम्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वायव्यम्: Vāyu-related
• वायव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायव्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अथ: then/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• वैष्णवम्: Viṣṇu-related
• वैष्णवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ऐन्द्रम्: Indra-related
• ऐन्द्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऐन्द्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पाशुपतम्: Paśupati (Śiva)-related
• पाशुपतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाशुपत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्राह्मम्: Brahmā-related / Brahma-weapon
• ब्राह्मम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पारमेष्ठ्यम्: of the Supreme (Paramēṣṭhin/Brahmā)-related
• पारमेष्ठ्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारमेष्ठ्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रजापतेः: of Prajāpati
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Agni
• Varuṇa
• Soma
• Vāyu
• Viṣṇu
• Indra
• Śiva (Pāśupati)
• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)
• Prajāpati
• Divine weapons (astra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that extraordinary power is structured within a moral cosmos: each astra is linked to a deity, implying that its use demands restraint, purity of intent, and alignment with dharma rather than personal rage or ambition.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator lists a sequence of famed divine weapons/powers—Agni’s, Varuṇa’s, Soma’s, Vāyu’s, Viṣṇu’s, Indra’s, Śiva’s Pāśupata, the Brahma-weapon, and the supreme Pārameṣṭhya—indicating the breadth and hierarchy of celestial armaments known or invoked in the episode.