Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ब्र्मास्त्र ब्राह्मणो विद्याद्‌ यथावच्चरितव्रत: । क्षत्रियो वा तपस्वी यो नान्यो विद्यात्‌ कथंचन,“वत्स! ब्रह्मास्त्रको ठीक-ठीक ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतका पालन करनेवाला ब्राह्मण जान सकता है अथवा तपस्वी क्षत्रिय। दूसरा कोई किसी तरह इसे नहीं सीख सकता”

Transliteration

brahmāstraṁ brāhmaṇo vidyād yathāvac caritavrataḥ | kṣatriyo vā tapasvī yo nānyo vidyāt kathaṁcana ||

Translation

“ବତ୍ସ! ବ୍ରହ୍ମାସ୍ତ୍ରକୁ ଯଥାର୍ଥ ଭାବେ ଜାଣିପାରେ ସେହି ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ, ଯିଏ ଯଥାବତ୍ ବ୍ରତାଚରଣ (ବ୍ରହ୍ମଚର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଆଦି) ପାଳନ କରିଛି; କିମ୍ବା ସେହି କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟ, ଯିଏ ସତ୍ୟ ତପସ୍ବୀ। ଅନ୍ୟ କେହି କୌଣସି ପ୍ରକାରେ ଏହା ଶିଖିପାରିବ ନାହିଁ।”

Word by Word

ब्रह्मास्त्रम्the Brahmā-weapon (Brahmāstra)

ब्राह्मणःa Brahmin

विद्यात्should know / may know

यथावत्properly, duly

चरितव्रतःone who has observed the vow (i.e., practiced brahmacarya properly)

क्षत्रियःa Kshatriya

वाor

तपस्वीascetic, practicing austerities

यःwho

नnot

अन्यःany other (person)

विद्यात्should know / can know

कथंचनin any way, at all

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Narada

Brahmāstra

Brahmin (brāhmaṇa)

Kshatriya (kṣatriya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Extraordinary power (here, the Brahmāstra) is inseparable from ethical qualification: only one who has disciplined conduct and austerity—either a properly vowed Brahmin or an ascetic Kshatriya—may legitimately know it; mere curiosity or ambition is disqualifying.

What is happening in the narrative?

Narada lays down a rule of eligibility for learning the Brahmāstra, emphasizing that such knowledge is restricted to those proven in vows and tapas, thereby warning against unfit transmission and misuse of destructive power.