Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
मर्णिं चैव प्रयच्छाद्य यस्ते शिरसि तिष्ठति । एतदादाय ते प्राणान् प्रतिदास्यन्ति पाण्डवा:,तुम्हारे सिरमें जो मणि है, इसे आज इन्हें दे दो। इस मणिको ही लेकर पाण्डव बदलेमें तुम्हें प्राणदान देंगे
maṇiṁ caiva prayacchādya yas te śirasi tiṣṭhati | etad ādāya te prāṇān pratidāsyanti pāṇḍavāḥ ||
Vyāsa dit : «Donne-leur aujourd’hui le joyau qui repose sur ta tête. En prenant cette même gemme, les Pāṇḍava te rendront la pareille en t’accordant la vie.»
व्यास उवाच
Even amid the aftermath of war, restraint and proportional justice are upheld: a grievous offender may be spared when he offers a meaningful restitution, shifting the response from vengeance to ethically bounded reparation.
Vyāsa advises the threatened warrior to surrender the jewel on his head as a compensatory offering; by accepting it, the Pāṇḍavas will be satisfied and will spare his life.