Shloka 21
Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
ब्रह्मास्त्रमप्यवाप्यैतदुपदेशात् पितुस्तव । क्षत्रधर्मान्महाबाहुर्नाकम्पत धनंजय:,इस ब्रह्मास्त्रको पाकर भी महाबाहु अर्जुन तुम्हारे पिताजीका उपदेश मानकर कभी क्षात्रधर्मसे विचलित नहीं हुए हैं
brahmāstram apy avāpya etad upadeśāt pituḥ tava | kṣatradharmān mahābāhur nākampata dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
Vyāsa sprach: Selbst nachdem er dieses Brahmāstra erlangt hatte, wich Dhanaṃjaya (Arjuna), der Mächtigarmige, niemals vom Kṣatriya-Dharma ab, weil er die Unterweisung deines Vaters befolgte.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Possessing immense power (like the Brahmāstra) is not the highest virtue; steadfastness in kṣatriya-dharma and restraint guided by legitimate instruction—especially from elders—defines righteous conduct.
Vyāsa recalls Arjuna’s character: despite acquiring the formidable Brahmāstra, Arjuna did not deviate from the warrior’s code, because he followed the counsel of his father (implicitly Indra). This serves as a moral contrast within the Sauptika context, where misuse of force and night-raid violence are under scrutiny.