A Weapon That Can Be Recalled · Mahābhārata
Mahābhārata · Ganguli, Sauptika Parva XV and opening of XVI · through Aśvatthāman’s departure
Vaishampayana said, "At the very sight, O tiger among men, of those two rishis possessed of splendour like that of fire, Dhananjaya quickly resolved to withdraw his celestial shaft. Joining his hands, he addressed those rishis, saying, ‘I used this weapon, saying, "Let it neutralise the (enemy’s) weapon!" If I withdraw this high weapon, Drona’s son of sinful deeds will then, without doubt, consume us all with the energy of his weapon. Ye two are like gods! It behoveth you to devise some means by which our welfare as also that of the three worlds may be secured!’
Having said these words Dhananjaya withdrew his weapon. The withdrawal of that weapon by the gods themselves in battle is exceedingly difficult. Not excepting the great Indra himself, there was nobody save the son of Pandu, who was capable of withdrawing that high weapon after it had once been let off. That weapon was born of Brahma energy. No person of uncleansed soul can bring it back after it is once let off. Only one that leads the life of a brahmacari can do it. If one who has not practised the vow of brahmacarya seeks to bring it back after having shot it, it strikes off his own head and destroys him with all his equipments. Arjuna was a brahmacari and an observer of vows. Having obtained that almost unobtainable weapon, he had never used it even when plunged into situations of the greatest danger. Observant of the vow of truth, possessed of great heroism, leading the life of a brahmacari, the son of Pandu was submissive and obedient to all his superiors. It was for this that he succeeded in withdrawing his weapon.
Drona’s son, beholding those two rishis standing before him, could not by his energy withdraw his own terrible weapon. Unable to withdraw the high weapon in battle, Drona’s son, O king, with a cheerless heart, said unto the island-born rishi these words, ‘Threatened by a great danger, and desirous of protecting my life, I let off this weapon, through fear of Bhimasena, O sage! This Bhimasena of false behaviour, acted sinfully, O holy one, while slaying the son of Dhritarashtra in battle! It is for this, O regenerate one, that of uncleansed soul as I am I let off this weapon. I dare not, however, withdraw it now. Having inspired this irresistible and celestial weapon with the energy of fire, I let it off for the destruction of the Pandavas. Contrived for the destruction of the Pandavas, that weapon, therefore, will take away the lives of all the sons of Pandu. O regenerate one, I have, in wrath, done this sinful deed. I invoked this weapon in battle for the destruction of the Pandavas.’
Vyasa said, "Pritha’s son Dhananjaya, O child, was acquainted with the weapon called brahmashira. Neither from wrath, nor for thy destruction in battle, did he shoot this weapon. Arjuna, on the other hand, used it for baffling thy weapon. He has again withdrawn it. Having obtained even the brahmastra through thy sire’s instructions, the mighty-armed Dhananjaya did not fall off from a kshatriya’s duties. Arjuna is possessed of such patience, and such honesty. He is, besides, conversant with every weapon, Why dost thou seek to compass the destruction of such a person with all his brothers? That region where the weapon called brahmashira is baffled by another high weapon suffers a drought for twelve years, for the clouds do not pour a drop of water there for this period. For this reason, the mighty-armed son of Pandu, although he had the power, would not, from desire of doing good to living creatures, baffle thy weapon with his. The Pandavas should be protected; thy own self should be protected; the kingdom also should be protected. Therefore, O thou of mighty arms, withdraw this celestial weapon of thine. Dispel this wrath from thy heart and let the Pandavas be safe. The royal sage Yudhishthira never desires to win victory by perpetrating any sinful act. Give unto these that gem which is on thy head. Taking that, the Pandavas will in return grant thee thy life!"
Drona’s son said, "This my gem is more valuable than all the wealth that has ever been earned by the Pandavas and the Kauravas. If this gem is worn, the wearer ceases to have any fear from weapons or disease or hunger! He ceases to have any fear of gods and danavas and nagas! His apprehensions from rakshasas as also from robbers will cease. Even these are the virtues of this gem of mine. I cannot, by any means, part with it. That, however, O holy one, which thou sayest, should be done by me. Here is this gem. Here is myself. This blade of grass (inspired into a fatal weapon) will, however, fall into the wombs of the Pandava women, for this weapon is high and mighty, and incapable of being frustrated. O regenerate one, I am unable to withdraw it, having once let it off. I will now throw this weapon into the wombs of the Pandava women. As regards thy commands in other respects, O holy one, I shall certainly obey them."
Vyasa said, "Do then this. Do not, however, entertain any other purpose, O sinless one! Throwing this weapon into the wombs of the Pandava women, stop thyself."
Vaishampayana continued, "The son of Drona, having heard these words of the island-born, threw that uplifted weapon into the wombs of the Pandava women."
Vaishampayana said, "Understanding that that weapon was thrown (into the wombs of the Pandava women) by Drona’s son of sinful deeds, Hrishikesha, with a cheerful heart, said these words unto him: ‘A certain brahmana of pious vows, beholding Virata’s daughter who is now daughter-in-law to Arjuna, while she was at Upaplavya, said, "While the Kuru line will become extinct, a son will be born to thee. This thy son for that reason, will be called by the name of Parikshit." The words of that pious man shall become true: the Pandavas shall have a son called Parikshit. Unto Govinda, that foremost one of the Satvata race, while he was saying these words, Drona’s son, filled with wrath, replied, saying, ‘This, O Keshava, that thou sayest from thy partiality for the Pandavas, shall not happen. O thou of eyes like lotus-petals, my words cannot but be fulfilled. Uplifted by me, this weapon of mine shall fall on the foetus that is in the womb of Virata’s daughter, upon that foetus which thou, O Krishna, art desirous of protecting.’
The holy one said, "The fall of this mighty weapon will not be fruitless. The foetus will die. But being dead, it will live again and have a long life! As regards thyself, all wise men know thee for a coward and a sinful wretch! Always engaged in sinful acts, thou art the slayer of children. For this reason, thou must have to bear the fruit of these thy sins. For 3,000 years thou shalt wander over this earth, without a companion and without being able to talk with anyone. Alone and without anybody by thy side, thou shalt wander through diverse countries, O wretch, thou shalt have no place in the midst of men. The stench of pus and blood shall emanate from thee, and inaccessible forests and dreary moors shall be thy abode! Thou shalt wander over the Earth, O thou of sinful soul, with the weight of all diseases on thee.
The heroic Parikshit, attaining to age and a knowledge of the Vedas and the practice of pious vows, shall obtain all weapons from the son of Sharadvata. Having obtained a knowledge of all high weapons, and observant of all kshatriya duties, that righteous-souled king shall rule the earth for sixty years. More than this, that boy shall become the mighty-armed king of the Kurus, known by the name of Parikshit, before thy very eyes, O thou of wicked soul! Though burnt by the energy of thy weapon’s fire, I shall revive him. O lowest of men, behold the energy of my austerities and my truth."
Vyasa said, "Since, disregarding us, thou hast perpetrated this exceedingly cruel act, and since thy behaviour is such although thou art a good brahmana (by birth), therefore, those excellent words that Devaki’s son has said, will, without doubt, be realised in thy case, an adopter as thou hast been of kshatriya usages!"
Ashvatthama said, "With thyself among all men, O holy one, I shall live! Let the words of this illustrious and foremost of men become true!"
Vaishampayana continued, "Drona’s son, then, having made over his gem to the high-souled Pandavas, cheerlessly proceeded, before their eyes, to the forest."
Sanskrit parallel · GRETIL 10.15.1–16.19; differs from Ganguli’s base text
10,015.001 vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
10,015.001a dṛṣṭvaiva naraśārdūlas tāv agnisamatejasau
10,015.001c saṃjahāra śaraṃ divyaṃ tvaramāṇo dhanaṃjayaḥ
10,015.002a uvāca vadatāṃ śreṣṭhas tāv ṛṣī prāñjalis tadā
10,015.002c prayuktam astram astreṇa śāmyatām iti vai mayā
10,015.003a saṃhṛte paramāstre 'smin sarvān asmān aśeṣataḥ
10,015.003c pāpakarmā dhruvaṃ drauṇiḥ pradhakṣyaty astratejasā
10,015.004a atra yad dhitam asmākaṃ lokānāṃ caiva sarvathā
10,015.004c bhavantau devasaṃkāśau tathā saṃhartum arhataḥ
10,015.005a ity uktvā saṃjahārāstraṃ punar eva dhanaṃjayaḥ
10,015.005c saṃhāro duṣkaras tasya devair api hi saṃyuge
10,015.006a visṛṣṭasya raṇe tasya paramāstrasya saṃgrahe
10,015.006c na śaktaḥ pāṇḍavād anyaḥ sākṣād api śatakratuḥ
10,015.007a brahmatejobhavaṃ tad dhi visṛṣṭam akṛtātmanā
10,015.007c na śakyam āvartayituṃ brahmacārivratād ṛte
10,015.008a acīrṇabrahmacaryo yaḥ sṛṣṭvāvartayate punaḥ
10,015.008c tad astraṃ sānubandhasya mūrdhānaṃ tasya kṛntati
10,015.009a brahmacārī vratī cāpi duravāpam avāpya tat
10,015.009c paramavyasanārto 'pi nārjuno 'straṃ vyamuñcata
10,015.010a satyavratadharaḥ śūro brahmacārī ca pāṇḍavaḥ
10,015.010c guruvartī ca tenāstraṃ saṃjahārārjunaḥ punaḥ
10,015.011a drauṇir apy atha saṃprekṣya tāv ṛṣī purataḥ sthitau
10,015.011c na śaśāka punar ghoram astraṃ saṃhartum āhave
10,015.012a aśaktaḥ pratisaṃhāre paramāstrasya saṃyuge
10,015.012c drauṇir dīnamanā rājan dvaipāyanam abhāṣata
10,015.013a uttamavyasanārtena prāṇatrāṇam abhīpsunā
10,015.013c mayaitad astram utsṛṣṭaṃ bhīmasenabhayān mune
10,015.014a adharmaś ca kṛto 'nena dhārtarāṣṭraṃ jighāṃsatā
10,015.014c mithyācāreṇa bhagavan bhīmasenena saṃyuge
10,015.015a ataḥ sṛṣṭam idaṃ brahman mayāstram akṛtātmanā
10,015.015c tasya bhūyo 'dya saṃhāraṃ kartuṃ nāham ihotsahe
10,015.016a visṛṣṭaṃ hi mayā divyam etad astraṃ durāsadam
10,015.016c apāṇḍavāyeti mune vahnitejo 'numantrya vai
10,015.017a tad idaṃ pāṇḍaveyānām antakāyābhisaṃhitam
10,015.017c adya pāṇḍusutān sarvāñ jīvitād bhraṃśayiṣyati
10,015.018a kṛtaṃ pāpam idaṃ brahman roṣāviṣṭena cetasā
10,015.018c vadham āśāsya pārthānāṃ mayāstraṃ sṛjatā raṇe
10,015.019 vyāsa uvāca
10,015.019a astraṃ brahmaśiras tāta vidvān pārtho dhanaṃjayaḥ
10,015.019c utsṛṣṭavān na roṣeṇa na vadhāya tavāhave
10,015.020a astram astreṇa tu raṇe tava saṃśamayiṣyatā
10,015.020c visṛṣṭam arjunenedaṃ punaś ca pratisaṃhṛtam
10,015.021a brahmāstram apy avāpyaitad upadeśāt pitus tava
10,015.021c kṣatradharmān mahābāhur nākampata dhanaṃjayaḥ
10,015.022a evaṃ dhṛtimataḥ sādhoḥ sarvāstraviduṣaḥ sataḥ
10,015.022c sabhrātṛbandhoḥ kasmāt tvaṃ vadham asya cikīrṣasi
10,015.023a astraṃ brahmaśiro yatra paramāstreṇa vadhyate
10,015.023c samā dvādaśa parjanyas tad rāṣṭraṃ nābhivarṣati
10,015.024a etadarthaṃ mahābāhuḥ śaktimān api pāṇḍavaḥ
10,015.024c na vihanty etad astraṃ te prajāhitacikīrṣayā
10,015.025a pāṇḍavās tvaṃ ca rāṣṭraṃ ca sadā saṃrakṣyam eva naḥ
10,015.025c tasmāt saṃhara divyaṃ tvam astram etan mahābhuja
10,015.026a aroṣas tava caivāstu pārthāḥ santu nirāmayāḥ
10,015.026c na hy adharmeṇa rājarṣiḥ pāṇḍavo jetum icchati
10,015.027a maṇiṃ caitaṃ prayacchaibhyo yas te śirasi tiṣṭhati
10,015.027c etad ādāya te prāṇān pratidāsyanti pāṇḍavāḥ
10,015.028 drauṇir uvāca
10,015.028a pāṇḍavair yāni ratnāni yac cānyat kauravair dhanam
10,015.028c avāptānīha tebhyo 'yaṃ maṇir mama viśiṣyate
10,015.029a yam ābadhya bhayaṃ nāsti śastravyādhikṣudhāśrayam
10,015.029c devebhyo dānavebhyo vā nāgebhyo vā kathaṃ cana
10,015.030a na ca rakṣogaṇabhayaṃ na taskarabhayaṃ tathā
10,015.030c evaṃvīryo maṇir ayaṃ na me tyājyaḥ kathaṃ cana
10,015.031a yat tu me bhagavān āha tan me kāryam anantaram
10,015.031c ayaṃ maṇir ayaṃ cāham iṣīkā nipatiṣyati
10,015.031e garbheṣu pāṇḍaveyānām amoghaṃ caitad udyatam
10,015.032 vyāsa uvāca
10,015.032a evaṃ kuru na cānyā te buddhiḥ kāryā kadā cana
10,015.032c garbheṣu pāṇḍaveyānāṃ visṛjyaitad upārama
10,015.033 vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
10,015.033a tataḥ paramam astraṃ tad aśvatthāmā bhṛśāturaḥ
10,015.033c dvaipāyanavacaḥ śrutvā garbheṣu pramumoca ha
10,016.001 vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
10,016.001a tad ājñāya hṛṣīkeśo visṛṣṭaṃ pāpakarmaṇā
10,016.001c hṛṣyamāṇa idaṃ vākyaṃ drauṇiṃ pratyabravīt tadā
10,016.002a virāṭasya sutāṃ pūrvaṃ snuṣāṃ gāṇḍīvadhanvanaḥ
10,016.002c upaplavyagatāṃ dṛṣṭvā vratavān brāhmaṇo 'bravīt
10,016.003a parikṣīṇeṣu kuruṣu putras tava janiṣyati
10,016.003c etad asya parikṣittvaṃ garbhasthasya bhaviṣyati
10,016.004a tasya tad vacanaṃ sādhoḥ satyam eva bhaviṣyati
10,016.004c parikṣid bhavitā hy eṣāṃ punar vaṃśakaraḥ sutaḥ
10,016.005a evaṃ bruvāṇaṃ govindaṃ sātvatapravaraṃ tadā
10,016.005c drauṇiḥ paramasaṃrabdhaḥ pratyuvācedam uttaram
10,016.006a naitad evaṃ yathāttha tvaṃ pakṣapātena keśava
10,016.006c vacanaṃ puṇḍarīkākṣa na ca madvākyam anyathā
10,016.007a patiṣyaty etad astraṃ hi garbhe tasyā mayodyatam
10,016.007c virāṭaduhituḥ kṛṣṇa yāṃ tvaṃ rakṣitum icchasi
10,016.008 vāsudeva uvāca
10,016.008a amoghaḥ paramāstrasya pātas tasya bhaviṣyati
10,016.008c sa tu garbho mṛto jāto dīrgham āyur avāpsyati
10,016.009a tvāṃ tu kāpuruṣaṃ pāpaṃ viduḥ sarve manīṣiṇaḥ
10,016.009c asakṛt pāpakarmāṇaṃ bālajīvitaghātakam
10,016.010a tasmāt tvam asya pāpasya karmaṇaḥ phalam āpnuhi
10,016.010c trīṇi varṣasahasrāṇi cariṣyasi mahīm imām
10,016.010e aprāpnuvan kva cit kāṃ cit saṃvidaṃ jātu kena cit
10,016.011a nirjanān asahāyas tvaṃ deśān pravicariṣyasi
10,016.011c bhavitrī na hi te kṣudra janamadhyeṣu saṃsthitiḥ
10,016.012a pūyaśoṇitagandhī ca durgakāntārasaṃśrayaḥ
10,016.012c vicariṣyasi pāpātman sarvavyādhisamanvitaḥ
10,016.013a vayaḥ prāpya parikṣit tu vedavratam avāpya ca
10,016.013c kṛpāc chāradvatād vīraḥ sarvāstrāṇy upalapsyate
10,016.014a viditvā paramāstrāṇi kṣatradharmavrate sthitaḥ
10,016.014c ṣaṣṭiṃ varṣāṇi dharmātmā vasudhāṃ pālayiṣyati
10,016.015a itaś cordhvaṃ mahābāhuḥ kururājo bhaviṣyati
10,016.015c parikṣin nāma nṛpatir miṣatas te sudurmate
10,016.015e paśya me tapaso vīryaṃ satyasya ca narādhama
10,016.016 vyāsa uvāca
10,016.016a yasmād anādṛtya kṛtaṃ tvayāsmān karma dāruṇam
10,016.016c brāhmaṇasya sataś caiva yasmāt te vṛttam īdṛśam
10,016.017a tasmād yad devakīputra uktavān uttamaṃ vacaḥ
10,016.017c asaṃśayaṃ te tad bhāvi kṣudrakarman vrajāśv itaḥ
10,016.018 aśvatthāmovāca
10,016.018a sahaiva bhavatā brahman sthāsyāmi puruṣeṣv aham
10,016.018c satyavāg astu bhagavān ayaṃ ca puruṣottamaḥ
10,016.019 vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
10,016.019a pradāyātha maṇiṃ drauṇiḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ mahātmanām
10,016.019c jagāma vimanās teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ paśyatāṃ vanam