SB 1.7.27

Synonyms

śrī-bhagavān — Śrī Bhagavān; uvāca — said; vettha — know [jānīhi¹¹¹]; idam — this; brāhmam astram — to be a brahmāstra, the missile of Brahmā; pradarśitam — [it was] released [or deployed (prayuktam); meaning that it was merely discharged by him, but not that he had mastered its application, since he did not know how to retract it (pradarśitaṁ kevalaṁ na tu tat prayoga-kuśala ity arthaḥ yato’sāv upasaṁhāraṁ na veda na jānāti), but you, Arjuna, do know this art (etac ca tvaṁ vettha jānāsi)¹¹²]; droṇa-putrasya — of [i.e., by] the son of Droṇa; prāṇa-bādhe — when the threat to his life; upasthite — was imminent [prāpte¹¹³]; [but]; asau — he; na eva veda — does not know [na jānāti]; saṁhāram — how to retract it [asyopasaṁhāram¹¹⁴]; [Arjuna might then question, “If he does not know this, why did he use it in the first place?” (taṁ na veda tarhi katham etat prayuktavān ity). To this Kṛṣṇa replies, “He did so because the threat to his life was imminent” (ata āha prāṇa-bādha iti).¹¹⁵].

Translation