Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement
स मां निशम्याथ महातपस्वी संशप्तवान् रोषपरीतचेता: । सूतोपधावाप्तमिदं तवास्त्र न कर्मकाले प्रतिभास्यति त्वाम्
sa māṁ niśamyātha mahātapasvī saṁśaptavān roṣaparītacetāḥ | sūtopadhāvāptam idaṁ tavāstraṁ na karmakāle pratibhāsyati tvām ||
ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ମୋର ବୃତ୍ତାନ୍ତ ଶୁଣି ମହାତପସ୍ବୀ ପରଶୁରାମ କ୍ରୋଧାବେଶରେ ଶାପ ଦେଇ କହିଲେ—“ହେ ସୂତ! ତୁମେ ଛଳରେ ଏହି ବ୍ରହ୍ମାସ୍ତ୍ର ପାଇଛ; ତେଣୁ କର୍ମକାଳ ଆସିଲେ ଏହି ଅସ୍ତ୍ର ତୁମ ସ୍ମୃତିକୁ ଆସିବ ନାହିଁ।”
संजय उवाच
Sacred power or knowledge obtained through deception carries an inherent flaw: at the decisive moment it fails. The verse frames this as a moral law—untruth in the means undermines the reliability of the end.
Sañjaya recounts that Paraśurāma, angered after learning the truth, curses the recipient of the weapon: because the Brahmāstra was acquired by deceit, it will not be remembered when it is most needed in battle.