Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
इसे बाँध लेनेपर शस्त्र, व्याधि, क्षुधा, देवता, दानव अथवा नाग किसीसे भी किसी तरहका भय नहीं रहता ।।
na ca rakṣogaṇabhayaṁ na taskarabhayaṁ tathā | evaṁvīryo maṇir ayaṁ na me tyājyaḥ kathaṁcana ||
ทั้งไม่หวาดกลัวหมู่รากษส และไม่หวาดกลัวโจรทั้งหลาย แก้วมณีของเรานี้มีฤทธิ์เดชอัศจรรย์ฉะนี้ เพราะฉะนั้นเราจึงไม่ควรละทิ้งมันไม่ว่ากรณีใด
व्यास उवाच
The verse highlights reliance on a powerful protective object (a maṇi) that removes fear from external threats; ethically, it also exposes attachment—when security is grounded in possession and power, one becomes unwilling to relinquish it even when renunciation might be demanded by higher dharma.
In the Sauptika Parva context, the speaker describes the extraordinary protective efficacy of a jewel—stating it wards off dangers such as rākṣasas and thieves—and concludes that he cannot give it up under any circumstances, underscoring the jewel’s perceived indispensability.