Hindi

Noun

अस्त्र • ‎(astr) m ‎(Urdu spelling استر)

1. missile, weapon, any instrument capable of causing destruction when thrown or launched away from the user

   भाला, बाण, बम इत्यादि को अस्त्र कहते हैं।‎

   bhālā, bāṇ, bam ityādi ko astra kahte hain.

   Spears, arrows, bombs, etc. are examples of missiles.

See also

• शस्त्र ‎(śastra)

References

• John T. Platts (accessed 10-24-2012), “A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English”, in (Please provide the title of the work)

Sanskrit

Noun

अस्त्र • ‎(astra) n

1. (√2. अस्), a missile weapon, bolt, arrow.
2. a weapon in general.
3. a sword.
4. a bow.
5. Name of a मन्त्र (pronounced, for instance, before reading a book or while kindling a fire, etc.).
6. Name of the mystical syllable फत् RāmatUp. (compare Gk. ἄστρον and ἀστήρ) ‘that which throws out or emits rays of light’

References

• Monier William's Sanskrit-English Dictionary, 2nd Ed. 1899.