Shloka 12
Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
अशक्तः प्रतिसंहारे परमास्त्रस्य संयुगे । द्रौणिदीनमना राजन् द्वैपधायनमभाषत
aśaktaḥ pratisaṃhāre paramāstrasya saṃyuge | drauṇidīnamanā rājan dvaipadhāyanam abhāṣata ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: Ó rei, no auge da batalha, Aśvatthāman, incapaz de recolher e fazer cessar a suprema arma celeste que havia desencadeado, caiu em desalento interior. Com o coração aflito, dirigiu-se então a Vyāsa (Dvaipāyana) nestes termos.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral accountability in warfare: deploying overwhelming power without the capacity (or discipline) to restrain it leads to anguish and danger. It implies that true dharma includes foresight, self-control, and seeking wise guidance when one’s actions threaten wider harm.
During the aftermath of the night massacre, Aśvatthāman has invoked a supreme celestial weapon but cannot perform its withdrawal (pratisaṃhāra). Distressed, he turns to the sage Vyāsa (Dvaipāyana) and speaks to him, indicating a crisis caused by an uncontrollable weapon in the battlefield context.