Shloka 30
Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
इसे बाँध लेनेपर शस्त्र, व्याधि, क्षुधा, देवता, दानव अथवा नाग किसीसे भी किसी तरहका भय नहीं रहता ।।
na ca rakṣogaṇabhayaṁ na taskarabhayaṁ tathā | evaṁvīryo maṇir ayaṁ na me tyājyaḥ kathaṁcana ||
„Und es gibt keine Furcht vor Scharen von Rākṣasas, noch ebenso Furcht vor Dieben. Dieses Juwel besitzt eine so außerordentliche Kraft; darum darf ich es keinesfalls aufgeben.“
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights reliance on a powerful protective object (a maṇi) that removes fear from external threats; ethically, it also exposes attachment—when security is grounded in possession and power, one becomes unwilling to relinquish it even when renunciation might be demanded by higher dharma.
In the Sauptika Parva context, the speaker describes the extraordinary protective efficacy of a jewel—stating it wards off dangers such as rākṣasas and thieves—and concludes that he cannot give it up under any circumstances, underscoring the jewel’s perceived indispensability.