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 dit : Si un homme qui n’a pas observé la discipline du brahmacarya emploie cette arme puis tente de la retirer et de la rappeler, le projectile se retourne contre lui ; avec tous ses dépendants et ses proches, il lui tranche la tête. Le récit souligne que les armes sacrées obéissent à des contraintes morales : la puissance utilisée sans maîtrise de soi revient en ruine, non en victoire.
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.