यद् अस्त्रम् अस्यति द्रोणस् तद् एवास्यति सात्यकिः ॥
तम् आचार्यो ऽप्य् असंभ्रान्तो ऽयोधयच् छत्रुतापनः ॥
ततः क्रुद्धो महाराज धनुर्वेदस्य पारगः ॥
वधाय युयुधानस्य दिव्यम् अस्त्रम् उदैरयत् ॥
तद् आग्नेयं महाघोरं रिपुघ्नम् उपलक्ष्य सः ॥
अस्त्रं दिव्यं महेष्वासो वारुणं समुदैरयत् ॥
yad astram asyati droṇas tad evāsyati sātyakiḥ ||
tam ācāryo 'py asaṃbhrānto 'yodhayac chatrutāpanaḥ ||
tataḥ kruddho mahārāja dhanurvedasya pāragaḥ ||
vadhāya yuyudhānasya divyam astram udairayat ||
tad āgneyaṃ mahāghoraṃ ripughnam upalakṣya saḥ ||
astraṃ divyaṃ maheṣvāso vāruṇaṃ samudairayat ||
Whatever weapon Drona hurled, that same Satyaki hurled; him too the teacher, unperturbed, the scourge of foes, struck down. Then, enraged, O great king, he who had mastered the Dhanurveda [Drona] raised up a divine weapon for the slaying of Yuyudhana. Perceiving that Agneya [fire weapon], most terrible and foe-slaying, that great archer [Satyaki] raised up the divine Varuna [water weapon].
92dec8da9a92 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
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The duel rises to celestial weapons: Drona's Agneya (fire) against Satyaki's Varuna (water). Fire and water, two elements, are set against each other. It is telling that Satyaki answers fire with water without error -- the wisdom of discerning the fitting remedy. The verse teaches that even to the highest powers a fitting counter-force is set: to fire, water. Victory in spiritual battle demands not blind might but discernment of which means quenches which danger -- for only the rightly chosen antidote neutralizes the poison.