Shloka 14
Book 10, Adhyāya 12: Aśvatthāmā’s Request for the Cakra and the Brahmaśiras Context
अस्त्रं ब्रह्मशिरो नाम देवगन्धर्वपूजितम् । तदद्य मयि दाशार्ह यथा पितरि मे तथा
astram brahmaśiro nāma devagandharvapūjitam | tad adya mayi dāśārha yathā pitari me tathā ||
毗舍婆耶那说道：“噢，达沙尔哈！我今日持有名为‘梵天之首’（Brahmaśiras）的神兵，为诸天与乾闼婆所敬奉，正如我父昔日所持一般。因此，噢，夜度族之最上者，请收下我这神圣的飞射之器；而作为交换，请赐我你的轮刃神兵——恰克拉（Cakra），它在战场上灭尽仇敌。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of possessing and transferring supreme weapons: lineage and personal capability do not automatically justify their use; such power demands discernment, restraint, and accountability, especially in war.
The speaker (introduced as Vaiśampāyana) reports a request framed as an exchange: the claimant asserts he possesses the revered Brahmaśiras weapon like his father did, and asks Kṛṣṇa (Dāśārha) to accept it and, in return, give his enemy-destroying cakra for use in battle.