Shloka 32
Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
गर्भेषु पाण्डवेयानाममोघं चैतदुत्तमम् । न च शक्तो5स्मि भगवन् संहर्तु पुनरुद्यतम्
garbheṣu pāṇḍaveyānām amoghaṃ caitad uttamam | na ca śakto 'smi bhagavan saṃhartum punar udyatam ||
यह उत्तम अस्त्र पाण्डववंश के गर्भों में स्थित शिशुओं पर अमोघ होकर पड़ेगा। भगवन्, इसे फिर से उठाकर चलाए जाने के बाद मैं इसे न तो लौटा सकता हूँ, न नष्ट कर सकता हूँ।
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.