Text 19]
The Son of Droṇa Punished
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by his daughter and began to follow her, which infuriated Śiva, who attacked Brahmā with his trident. Brahmājī fled in fear of his life. As far as  arka  is concerned, there is a reference in the  Vāmana Purāṇa . There was a demon by the name Vidyunmali who was gifted with a glowing golden airplane which travelled to the back of the sun, and night disappeared because of the glowing effulgence of this plane. Thus the sun-god became angry, and with his virulent rays he melted the plane. This enraged Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva then attacked the sun-god, who fled away and at last fell down at Kāśī (Vārāṇaśī), and the place became famous as Lolarka.
TEXT 19
यदाशरणमात्मानमैक्षत श्रान्तवाजिनम् । अस्त्रं ब्रह्मशिरो मेने आत्मत्राणं द्विजात्मजः ॥१९॥
yadāśaraṇam ātmānam aikṣata śrānta-vājinam astram brahma-śiro mene ātma-trāṇam dvijātma-jaḥ
yadā—when; aśaraṇam—without being alternatively protected; ātmānam—his own self; aikṣata—saw; śrānta-vājinam—the horses being tired; astram—weapon; brahma-śiraḥ—the topmost or ultimate (nuclear); mene—applied; ātma-trāṇam—just to save himself; dvija-ātma-jaḥ—the son of a brāhmaṇa.
TRANSLATION
When the son of the brāhmaṇa [Aśvatthāmā] saw that his horses were tired, he considered that there was no alternative for protection outside his using the ultimate weapon, the brahmāstra [nuclear weapon].
PURPORT
In the ultimate issue only, when there is no other alternative, the nuclear weapon called the  brahmāstra  is applied. The word  dvijātma-jaḥ  is significant here because Aśvatthāmā, although the son of Droṇācārya, was not exactly a qualified  brāhmaṇa . The most intelligent man is called a  brāhmaṇa , and it is not an hereditary title. Aśvatthāmā was also formerly called the  brahma-bandhu  or the friend of a  brāhmaṇa . Being a friend of a  brāhmaṇa  does not mean that one is  brāhmaṇa  by qualification. A friend