Shloka 32
Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
गर्भेषु पाण्डवेयानाममोघं चैतदुत्तमम् । न च शक्तो5स्मि भगवन् संहर्तु पुनरुद्यतम्,परंतु आप पूज्यपाद महर्षि मुझे जो आज्ञा देते हैं उसीका अब मुझे पालन करना है, अतः यह रही मणि और यह रहा मैं। किंतु यह दिव्यास्त्रसे अभिमन्त्रित की हुई सींक तो पाण्डवोंके गर्भस्थ शिशुओंपर गिरेगी ही; क्योंकि यह उत्तम अस्त्र अमोघ है। भगवन्! इस उठे हुए अस्त्रको मैं पुन: लौटा लेनेमें असमर्थ हूँ
garbheṣu pāṇḍaveyānām amoghaṃ caitad uttamam | na ca śakto 'smi bhagavan saṃhartum punar udyatam ||
Vyāsa dijo: «Este proyectil supremo, una vez puesto en movimiento, es infalible; herirá a los no nacidos en los vientres del linaje de los Pāṇḍavas. Oh Bienaventurado, no puedo retirarlo ni anularlo después de haberlo lanzado de nuevo.»
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.