Shloka 20
Brahmaśirastra-pratisaṃhāra — Retraction and redirection of the supreme weapon
Sauptika Parva, Adhyāya 15
Devanagari script
अस्त्रमस्त्रेण तु रणे तव संशमयिष्यता । विसृष्टमर्जुनेनेदं पुनश्न प्रतिसंहृतम्
Transliteration
astram astreṇa tu raṇe tava saṁśamayīṣyatā | visṛṣṭam arjunenedam punaś ca pratisaṁhṛtam ||
Translation
毗耶娑说道：“阿周那在战阵之中放出此器，正是为了以己之器平息并化解汝之器；如今目的既成，他又将其收回。”
Word by Word
अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)
अस्त्रम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअस्त्र
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अस्त्रेणby/with a weapon
अस्त्रेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootअस्त्र
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
रणेin battle
रणे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootरण
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
तवof you/your
तव:
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
संशमयिष्यताby (him) intending to pacify/quieten
संशमयिष्यता:
TypeVerb
Rootशम् (√शम्) / संशमय् (causative stem)
Formशतृ (present active participle) on future/intentional base, Masculine, Instrumental, Singular
विसृष्टम्released/shot
विसृष्टम्:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-√सृज्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
अर्जुनेनby Arjuna
अर्जुनेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootअर्जुन
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
इदम्this
इदम्:
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
पुनःagain
पुनः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
प्रतिसंहृतम्withdrawn/drawn back
प्रतिसंहृतम्:
TypeVerb
Rootप्रति-सम्-√हृ
Formक्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
Speaker
व्यास उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
VyāsaA
ArjunaW
weapon (astra)B
battlefield (raṇa)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Even in war, righteous conduct requires proportionality and restraint: a weapon may be used to neutralize a threat, but once the danger is checked it should be withdrawn rather than pursued for needless destruction.
Vyāsa explains that Arjuna discharged his astra specifically to counter and calm the opponent’s astra on the battlefield, and then recalled his own weapon after accomplishing that purpose.