Shloka 30
न पार्षतो दुरात्मासौ न शिखण्डी न सात्यकि: । यदिदं मयि कौरव्य सकल्प॑ सनिवर्तनम्,“आज मैं जिस अस्त्रका प्रयोग करूँगा, उसे न अर्जुन जानते हैं न श्रीकृष्ण, भीमसेन, नकुल-सहदेव और राजा युधिष्ठिरको भी उसका पता नहीं है। वह दुरात्मा धृष्टट्युम्न, शिखण्डी और सात्यकि भी उसके ज्ञानसे शून्य हैं। कुरुनन्दन! वह तो प्रयोग और उपसंहारसहित केवल मेरे ही पास है
na pārṣato durātmāsau na śikhaṇḍī na sātyakiḥ | yad idaṃ mayi kauravya sa-kalpaṃ sa-nivartanam ||
Sañjaya said: “O scion of the Kuru line, neither that wicked son of Pṛṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna), nor Śikhaṇḍī, nor Sātyaki knows this (weapon/means) that rests with me—complete with its proper procedure and its withdrawal. It is known only to me.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of specialized power: true mastery is not merely possession of a weapon or technique, but also knowledge of its correct procedure and its withdrawal (sa-kalpa, sa-nivartana). It implies that power without restraint or the ability to stop can be destructive, and that secrecy and exclusivity in war-knowledge intensify moral risk.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a certain weapon/means known to the speaker is not known even to prominent Pāṇḍava allies such as Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍī, and Sātyaki. The emphasis is that it is fully known only to him, including both its deployment and its recall, underscoring a looming tactical and psychological escalation in the battle.