Shloka 3

Devanagari script

भ्रातृणामात्मनश्वैव परित्राणाय भारत | विसृजैतत्‌ त्वमप्याजावस्त्रमस्त्रनिवारणम्‌,“भरतनन्दन! भाइयोंकी और अपनी रक्षाके लिये तुम भी युद्धमें इस ब्रह्मास्त्रका प्रयोग करो। अभश्व॒त्थामाके अस्त्रका निवारण इसीके द्वारा हो सकता है”

Transliteration

bhrātṝṇām ātmanaś caiva paritrāṇāya bhārata | visṛjaitat tvam apy ājāv astram astranivāraṇam ||

Translation

毗湿摩波罗耶那说道：“噢，婆罗多的后裔，为了护佑你的诸兄弟与自身，你也当在战场上放出此器——那能消弭迎面而来的神秘飞射之反制之器。面对毁灭性的阿斯特罗（神兵）袭击，此劝告并非出于复仇，而是出于不得不为的防卫：为保全生命，避免更大的灾厄。”

Word by Word

भ्रातृणाम्of (your) brothers

आत्मनःof yourself

चand

एवindeed/just

परित्राणायfor protection

भारतO Bharata

विसृजrelease/launch

एतत्this

त्वम्you

अपिalso/even

आजौin battle

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

अस्त्रनिवारणम्counteraction/warding-off of weapons

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Bhārata (addressed person, i.e., a descendant of Bharata)

astra (weapon)

astranivāraṇa (counter-weapon)

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?

When confronted with an overwhelming astric threat, the text presents defensive action—deploying a counter-weapon—as a duty aimed at protection (paritrāṇa) rather than revenge. The ethical emphasis is on safeguarding life and preventing greater destruction, even amid the moral chaos of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker urges the addressed Bhārata to discharge a counter-weapon in battle to protect himself and his brothers, indicating that the incoming astric attack can be checked only by an appropriate neutralizing astra.