Shloka 8
Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
अचीर्णब्रिह्यचर्यो य: सूष्टवा वर्तयते पुन: । तदस्त्रं सानुबन्धस्य मूर्थानं तस्य कृन्तति
acīrṇa-brahmacaryo yaḥ sūṣṭvā vartayate punaḥ | tad astraṃ sānubandhasya mūrdhānaṃ tasya kṛntati ||
Vaiśampāyana said: If a man who has not observed the discipline of brahmacarya employs that weapon and then tries to withdraw or recall it again, the missile turns upon him; along with all his dependents and relations, it severs his head. The narrative underscores that sacred weapons are governed by moral restraints: power used without self-control rebounds as ruin, not victory.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extraordinary power (astra-vidyā) is inseparable from moral qualification. Without brahmacarya-like restraint and purity, even a successfully launched weapon becomes self-destructive, harming the user and those bound to him.
The text explains a rule about a potent weapon: if an unqualified person—one lacking brahmacarya—uses it and then attempts to recall/withdraw it, the weapon rebounds and beheads him along with his dependents/relations, emphasizing the peril of improper ritual-ethical conduct in warfare.