Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 16

Brahmāstra-pratisaṃhāraḥ, Parīkṣit-nāmakaraṇam, Nagarotsava-varṇanam

Withdrawal of the Brahmāstra; Naming of Parīkṣit; Description of Civic Festivities

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वा स तस्या विपुलं विलापं पुरुषर्षभ: । उपस्पृश्य ततः कृष्णो ब्रह्मास्त्रं प्रत्यसंहरत्‌

Transliteration

śrutvā sa tasyā vipulaṃ vilāpaṃ puruṣarṣabhaḥ | upaspṛśya tataḥ kṛṣṇo brahmāstraṃ pratyasaṃharat |

Translation

ਉਸ ਦਾ ਅਤਿ ਵਿਸ਼ਾਲ ਵਿਲਾਪ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਪੁਰੁਸ਼-ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ ਸ਼੍ਰੀਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਨੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਆਚਮਨ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ੁੱਧ ਕੀਤਾ; ਫਿਰ ਅਸ਼ਵੱਥਾਮਾ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਛੱਡੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾਸਤਰ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਸੰਹਾਰ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਸ਼ਾਂਤ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ।

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्याः: of her
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• विपुलम्: great, abundant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विलापम्: lamentation, wailing
• विलापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुरुषर्षभः: bull among men, best of men
• पुरुषर्षभः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उपस्पृश्य: having sipped (water), having performed ācamana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मास्त्रम्: the Brahmā-weapon (Brahmāstra)
• ब्रह्मास्त्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रत्यसंहरत्: withdrew, retracted, neutralized
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + सम् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛṣṇa
• Brahmāstra
• Aśvatthāman (implied as the launcher of the Brahmāstra)
• the lamenting woman (contextually Uttārā in this episode)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic restraint: even the most formidable force (Brahmāstra) must be checked when it threatens the blameless. Kṛṣṇa’s composed, ritualized action models disciplined power used for protection rather than retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing a woman’s anguished lament—arising from the danger posed by Aśvatthāman’s Brahmāstra—Kṛṣṇa performs ācamana and then neutralizes/withdraws the Brahmāstra, preventing its destructive effect.