Shloka 32
Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
गर्भेषु पाण्डवेयानाममोघं चैतदुत्तमम् । न च शक्तो5स्मि भगवन् संहर्तु पुनरुद्यतम्
garbheṣu pāṇḍaveyānām amoghaṃ caitad uttamam | na ca śakto 'smi bhagavan saṃhartum punar udyatam ||
Vyāsa said: “This supreme missile, once set in motion, is unfailing; it will strike the unborn children in the wombs of the Pāṇḍavas’ line. O Blessed one, I am not able to withdraw or annul it after it has been launched again.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, actions that target the helpless—especially unborn heirs—are ethically catastrophic; once destructive forces are unleashed, they may become difficult or impossible to retract, underscoring the moral responsibility to restrain violence before it is set in motion.
A divine missile, described as ‘amogha’ (unfailing), has been directed toward the unborn children of the Pāṇḍava line. The speaker states that, after it has been raised/loosed again, he is unable to withdraw or neutralize it, highlighting the peril created by the deployment of such an astra.