Shloka 23
Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
अस्त्रं ब्रह्मशिरो यत्र परमास्त्रेण वध्यते । समा द्वादश पर्जन्यस्तद्राष्ट्र नाभिवर्षति
astraṃ brahmaśiro yatra paramāstreṇa vadhyate | samā dvādaśa parjanyas tad rāṣṭra nābhivarṣati ||
វ្យាសៈបានមានព្រះវាចា៖ នៅក្នុងដែនដីណាដែលអាវុធព្រហ្មសិរៈ (Brahmaśiras) ត្រូវបានទប់ ឬបំផ្លាញដោយអាវុធអធិមហាមួយទៀត នគរនោះនឹងរងគ្រោះធ្ងន់—ពពកភ្លៀងមិនធ្លាក់ភ្លៀងអស់ដប់ពីរឆ្នាំពេញ។
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the use of ultimate, world-affecting weapons in war carries collective karmic and social consequences: even if aimed at enemies, the fallout can punish an entire kingdom through famine-like drought, making such violence ethically catastrophic.
Vyāsa describes a dire consequence associated with the Brahmaśiras astra: when it is met and neutralized by another supreme missile, the land where this occurs becomes afflicted with a twelve-year failure of rains—an ominous warning within the Sauptika Parva’s context of extreme wartime acts.