Shloka 41
Book 10, Adhyāya 12: Aśvatthāmā’s Request for the Cakra and the Brahmaśiras Context
स संरम्भी दुरात्मा च चपल: क्रूर एव च । वेद चास्त्रं ब्रह्मशिरस्तस्माद् रक्ष्यो वृकोदर:
sa saṃrambhī durātmā ca capalaḥ krūra eva ca | veda cāstraṃ brahmaśirastasmād rakṣyo vṛkodaraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Il est emporté dans la colère, mauvais au fond du cœur, inconstant et, certes, cruel. De plus, il connaît l’arme appelée Brahmaśiras ; c’est pourquoi Vṛkodara (Bhīma) doit être soigneusement protégé de lui.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that moral corruption combined with mastery of catastrophic weapons makes a person exceptionally dangerous; dharma in such a context requires vigilance and protective responsibility toward those at risk.
Vaiśampāyana characterizes a hostile figure as wrathful, wicked, fickle, and cruel, and notes his knowledge of the Brahmaśiras weapon; on that basis he urges that Bhīma (Vṛkodara) be guarded against him.