Shloka 19
Vāraṇāvatāgamana: Public Farewell, Vidura’s Coded Counsel, and Departure
नच ते मानुषेष्वेतत् प्रयोक्तव्यं कथंचन । जगद् विनिर्दहेदेतदल्पतेजसि पातितम्,“मनुष्योंपर तुम्हें इस अस्त्रका प्रयोग किसी भी दशामें नहीं करना चाहिये। यदि किसी अल्प तेजवाले पुरुषपर इसे चलाया गया तो यह उसके साथ ही समस्त संसारको भस्म कर सकता है
na ca te mānuṣeṣv etat prayoktavyaṃ kathaṃcana | jagad vinirdahen etad alpatejasi pātitam |
Vaiśampāyana said: “You must never, under any circumstance, employ this weapon against human beings. If it is discharged upon a man of little spiritual or martial radiance, it may, along with him, burn up the entire world.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Immense power must be governed by dharma: certain weapons are so destructive that using them against ordinary humans is forbidden, because disproportionate force can cause catastrophic, world-level harm.
Vaiśampāyana delivers a cautionary instruction about an astra: it is not to be deployed against human targets, especially those lacking sufficient tejas, since such misuse could unleash uncontrolled destruction extending beyond the intended victim to the entire world.