Shloka 8
Book 10, Adhyāya 12: Aśvatthāmā’s Request for the Cakra and the Brahmaśiras Context
परमापदगतेनापि न सम तात त्वया रणे । इदमस्त्रं प्रयोक्तव्यं मानुषेषु विशेषत:,“बेटा! बड़ी-से-बड़ी आपत्तिमें पड़नेपर भी तुम्हें रणभूमिमें विशेषतः मनुष्योंपर इस अस्त्रका प्रयोग नहीं करना चाहिये”
paramāpadagatena api na sama tāta tvayā raṇe | idam astraṃ prayoktavyaṃ mānuṣeṣu viśeṣataḥ |
ಮಗನೇ! ಅತ್ಯಂತ ವಿಪತ್ತಿಗೆ ಸಿಲುಕಿದರೂ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಅಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಯೋಗಿಸಬೇಡ; ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ ಮಾನವರ ಮೇಲೆ ಎಂದಿಗೂ ಬಳಸಬಾರದು.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches restraint in warfare: even under extreme danger, one must not employ certain devastating weapons—especially against human beings—because ethical limits (dharma) govern the use of power.
In the Sauptika Parva context, a warning is voiced about the improper deployment of a powerful astra. The speaker underscores that desperation in battle does not justify using such a weapon on human targets.